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Many of us have no way to understand this, but there are millions of people in the U.S. and around the world who, for some reason, worship celebrities. This photo is indicative of how extreme the problem can get: A fan cries People magazine, Us magazine, the Tabloids, TMZ, etc. are also indicative. One of [...]
Both turbochargers and superchargers are essentially air compression systems, but what’s the difference between these two devices? In this podcast, Scott and Ben break down the differences between superchargers and turbochargers.
Is the sense of taste subjective? Why are some wines bad news for people with particular allergies? If you’re anxious for the answers, never fear: In this episode, Allison and Robert take a look at science and wine.
In many films, hapless characters meet their untimely demise in a lethal pit of quicksand. It’s a gruesome, undignified end — but is it realistic? Josh and Chuck tackle the properties of quicksand — and how to escape it — in this episode.
Extreme DIY: Building a homemade nuclear reactor in NYC – “Many might be alarmed to learn of a homemade nuclear reactor being built next door. But what if this form of extreme DIY could help solve the world’s energy crisis? ”
New iPhone Arrives; Rivals, Beware – “Despite the strong initial, positive reaction, this must still be a nerve-racking time to be Apple; the iPhone is no longer the only worthy contender. Phones running Google’s Android software are gaining rave reviews and packing in features that iPhone owners can only envy. The Android app store is ballooning, multiple phone makers are competing, and Google updates the software several times a year. Apple releases only one new model a year, so the new iPhone had better be pretty amazing to compete. It is…”
Why Dawn Is The Bird Cleaner Of Choice In Oil Spills – “Dawn dishwashing detergent is used to clean up just about anything covered with oil — from birds to sea turtles to human skin. But what makes Dawn so effective?”
And much more…
I think it’s neat that it’s 2010 and we still have no idea how we perceive taste. We were supposed to have hovercars and metallic jumpsuits by now and we still only have what can be regarded as a pretty basic understanding of our sense of taste. In the last year or two, though, the scope of what constitutes has expanded tremendously.
What we know of taste has thus far been largely observational. We know that taste and smell are inextricably linked since people who lose one also lose the other. We know that the mental constructs of tastes we create and store in our brains are plastic; they can be enhanced and revised by further encounters with a taste. We know our sense of taste can be tricked by chemicals that mock the flavors of foods. We know that there are five specialized taste receptor types; umami (my favorite), sour, sweet, salty and bitter.
In a move that is sure to stir up controversy and debate, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has passed a law requiring cell phone manufacturers to disclose how much radiation their handsets emit, according to Reuters. The law is in response to concerns that cell phone radio frequency radiation may lead to health hazards including everything from dizziness and headaches to brain tumors. But is the law warranted?
There are dozens of new things that we have learned from the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. We have learned about blowout preventers, methane hydrates, oil booms, etc.
Two facts have been especially intriguing if you are interested in green technologies. First, the deep water in the Gulf is very cold. This page provides a nice graph that shows how temperature decreases with increasing depth in the ocean. The second thing we have learned is that it is pretty easy to put pipelines in the Gulf – there are already hundreds of them.
What could we do with all of this cold water? There are two technologies that could take advantage of it. The first is air conditioning, as described in this video…
You may have heard about the growing trend toward outdoor kitchens and outdoor rooms that include things like fireplaces and furniture. Here are a couple of examples…
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