ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "USC has developed a novel 3D holographic display that not only does video but at a low cost as well.
The process is not simple but can be defined through a few key concepts: Spinning mirrors, high-speed DLP Projections, and very precise math that figures out the correct axial perspective needed for a 360-degree image (even taking into account a viewer's positioning.)
ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "Updated video on Boston Dynamics BigDog robotic pack mule. The video shows that it can walk, and remain upright, when it tries to cross ice. It can even regain it's balance when someone tries to knock it over." Link to Original Source top
ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "Newscientist has an interesting article on tapping the nerve impulses going from the brain to the vocal chords, allowing for 'Voiceless' phone calls, as seen in the video.
With careful training a person can send nerve signals to their vocal cords without making a sound. These signals are picked up by the neckband and relayed wirelessly to a computer that converts them into words spoken by a computerised voice.
ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "The American Institute of Physics Bulletin has an excerpt of a study on recent spacecraft, such as NEAR, appear to have an anonymously acceleration much like Pioneer 10 had shown ten years ago. As quoted from the article,
A new look at the trajectories for various spacecraft as they fly past the Earth finds in each case a tiny amount of surplus velocity. For craft that pursue a path mostly symmetrical with respect to the equator, the effect is minimal. For craft that pursue a more unsymmetrical path, the effect is larger
ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "Eetimes has an update on the testing and time-line for the deployment of their EM Railgun, as quoted from the article;
In 2009, ONR will decide whether to award contracts for deployment to BAE Systems PLC (Farnborough, U.K.) or General Atomics Technologies Inc. (San Diego) for the railgun. Boeing Co. (Chicago) and Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (Cambridge, Mass.) are vying for the projectile contract.
If the Navy decides to deploy the railgun, it plans to have a final design in place for approval by 2012. Initial prototypes will probably shoot a single projectile, but plans for rapid-fire versions are already on the drawing board.
The final design specification calls for a muzzle velocity of 5,760 mph for a weapon that is capable of launching a projectile in a parabolic ballistic path 94 miles high. It must strike targets within six minutes at 3,840 mph.
ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "Scientists from the University of Southern California have been able to extend yeast lifetimes from 1 week to 10 weeks. It begs the question, How will the long lived yeast cells handle life when their loved ones have died long ago?" Link to Original Source top
ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "A fast cluster of stars has been seen speeding from the galaxies central core, http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn12974-star-clusters-extreme-speed-puzzles-astronomers.html Whats fascinating is the speed in which they are traveling, a brisk 200 km/sec, which in a region of space governed by the gravitational field of the massive black hole that lies at the core, is truly puzzling." top
ZonkerWilliam (953437) writes "Seems, at least theoretically, that there may be water planets, and that we may be close to detecting them.
Excerpt from the article;
"Imagine a world with no land at all, merely the impenetrable depths of a seething ocean. Models of planet formation predict the existence of such worlds, even though our own solar system has none. Indeed, their formation should actually be rather common — and new satellites may soon detect them around other stars."" top
ZonkerWilliam writes | more than 7 years ago
It's amazing how many people who I run into who continuously act like they know better. I'm 42 year old professional, I have degree's in Electrical Engineering and Physics, yet I encounter young twenty somethings who just think they know beter. It's almost hilarious when I encounter a young fellow and challenge him when he tells me whats best. All I have to say is "why?" or "how?" and he hesitates and give's me a blank stare.
Can't blame them, society is full of want-to-be experts and if they hear something or read something on the Internet, they think they know everything. Almost as if most of the young today have frail ego's. All anyone has to do is challenge what they believe and they crumple.
Sad really. I mean, instead of really learning something, they try to pose as if they do.
ZonkerWilliam writes | more than 7 years ago
Working in IT for the past 20 some odd years, I've started to wonder what has happened to creativity. True technological toys have gotten smaller, cheaper, faster, etc. but very few new things have come out in the past twenty years.
Speaking with Colleagues they believe that only true creativity occurs when there a paradigm shift in thinking. If so are we past due for a shift in thinking?
Then theirs this article from ACM Queue, http://www.acmqueue.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=384, that makes a point that true innovation is hampered by risk and loss.
I am hoping for the paradigm shift myself, it would be a sad world to know that people are to afraid of taking chances.