Feb 18 2012
It is obviously difficult to comment on the sociology of a possible extraterrestrial civilization. Nobel Prize winning physicist Enrico Fermi put forth a proposition in 1950 which is now referred to as the ‘Fermi Paradox.’ This contradiction or proposition is: that with the billions and billions of star systems in the universe, one would think …
Feb 16 2012
The harpsichord is from a family of keyboard instruments which are plucked, not struck, by the key mechanism (a small plectrum, originally of quill.) The harpsichord was most probably invented in the late Middle Ages usually considered as having sprung from the clavichord. The harpsichord was much more complicated than the clavichord, in that the …
Feb 13 2012
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, it left behind a city full of destroyed homes. Despite ongoing rebuilding efforts, thousands of blighted properties remain. Ms. Delaney Martin sent an e-mail to people she variously calls “tinkerers and makers, wonderful eccentric genius types and “weirdos,” and asked each to design and build a shack, …
Feb 05 2012
Morphsuits is a company based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It distributes branded spandex costumes, based on the existing skin-tight garments called ‘zentai,’ which cover the entire body. In 2009, the company was founded by brothers Ali and Fraser Smeaton, and their flatmate Gregor Lawson. According to accounts, they were inspired to create the company after a …
Feb 03 2012
Corning has a rich legacy that began in 1851. Their long history of innovation started with the development of a bulb-shaped glass encasement for Thomas Edison’s new incandescent lamp. As the world leader in specialty glass, they create and make key components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, including glass substrates for LCD televisions, …
Jan 30 2012
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be a large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror. It is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, and will be the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. JWST was formerly known as the ‘Next …
Jan 25 2012
Swaine Adeney is a leather luggage maker based in London, and Brigg is their umbrella division. Since fine umbrellas have always been one of the hallmarks of an English gentleman, the company markets their product as “a gentleman’s umbrella.” Designed by Thomas Brigg, the luxuriously handmade canopy-device has been manufactured in England since the 18th …
Jan 20 2012
In 1986, Honda engineers set out to create a walking robot. It was the company’s goal to create a robot which could not only adapt and interact in human situations, but also improve quality of life. Early models (E1, E2, E3) focused on developing legs that could simulate the walk of a human. The next …
Jan 15 2012
If you thought slow-mo videos of watermelons and apples being exploded by bullets, or video reviews at sporting events was as good as it gets, think again: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab Camera Culture group with assistance from the Bawendi Lab in the Department of Chemistry at MIT has developed a camera capable …
Jan 03 2012
Thomas Heatherwick (born February 17, 1970) is an English designer known for innovative use of engineering and materials in public monuments and sculptures. He studied and trained in three dimensional design at Manchester Metropolitan University and the Royal College of Art where he earned an M.A. He founded Thomas Heatherwick Studio (now called Heatherwick Studio) …