1) Interesting technology story from Slate:
From Inspector Gadget to Back to the Future, we’ve imagined cars that can help us circumvent traffic. And now, we may be getting closer; two different companies have unveiled—yep—flying cars.Read up:In Holland, the new Personal Air and Land Vehicle claims to fly for distances of over 300 miles. And Massachusetts-based company Terrafugia Inc. is set to roll out it’s own version—the Transition—at this week’s New York Auto Show.
Just what we need, right? Three dimensional traffic jams?
2) One of our favorite "science journals," the Mail Online, reports that our little blue planet dodged a bullet earlier in the month:
Earth had a near-miss on April 1 from an 150-foot asteroid that was detected only two weeks ago, it was revealed [on 4/2/12.]Check out the full story:
The space rock, 2012 EG5, flew past earth closer than the moon, at a distance of just 143,000 miles.
The asteroid has a diameter of around 150 feet - and would have exploded with the force of an atomic weapon had it hit our planet.
A 150 foot diameter school bus? That's some school bus, wethinks.
3) Huff Post science writer Chris Mooney ponders the question of "how we can come to understand the denial of science, on issues like global warming, by examining the underlying psychology of political conservatism itself," in the context of Stephen Colbert's groundbreaking "truthiness" formulation... you know, "the problem of people making up their own reality, one just "truthy" enough that they actually believe it."
Read Mr. Mooney's thoughtful writeup here:
"Frankly, it now seems to me that in some ways, Colbert was ahead of the science on this matter -- anticipating much of what we are only now coming to know," Mr. Mooney sez.
4) Added bonus:
An ancestor of Utah State Senate President Mike Waddoups, perhaps?
That's it for now WCF Science Buffs.
2 comments:
So on the gyroplane, where does the overhead rotor go? The ridiculous news report spent the whole time showing us the inventor's face, instead of the invention. Which were we supposed to be impressed with?
Stephen Colbert is not a scientific pioneer, a comedian, or anything else other than a self important jerk who somehow has a way of attracting attention to himself. If you want to know who is the real talent there, look for his agent.
Umm, Igor: Does your mommy know you're playing on her computer again?
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