Detailed Tour of the ISS

DARPA Military Robot Dog

This device seems kind of creepy to me.

Canberra Industries Sold by AREVA to Astorg Partners

In an effort to sell off assets, AREVA has sold Canberra Industries to another French company, Astorg Partners for a price between 310 and 350 euros. I hope this move helps Canberra with getting government nuclear work in the USA.

Digitized Recordings from Christmas 1904

Further Up Yonder

View this using your full screen.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Demo Flight

Kurion Helping The Cleanup in Japan

In a follow-up to a recent post, here is a good story of how Kurion came to the rescue to help clean up radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northern Japan.  Apparently they were amazing fast on getting the equipment together, shipping everything over the water, and getting everything tested and up and running to begin pumping water through a proprietary filtration system that initially handled the equivalent of 50 Olympic sized swimming pools.

Ready For Prime Time

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is now beginning to make domestic flights in the USA.  It has been in service for All Nippon Airways (ANA) for the last year with over 2 million lucky passengers having the privilege of enjoying luxurious rides over the Pacific.  The widows are 30% larger and the engines are 20% more efficient.

A New Approach to the Weapons Complex Nuclear Waste

The technology of vitrifying nuclear waste has been a difficult task for the Dept. of Energy.  Vitrification involves encasing wast in molten glass.  A project at the Hanford Reservation in WA has been a budget buster and is way behind schedule with all types of safety and design problems.

A startup company called Kurion has used some of its own innovation to lead the way for a workable and cost effective taylor-made vitrification process.  The Dept. of Energy is starting to take a look.  I think this is great news.  Kurion's VP and Chief Technology Officer hired me at SAIC about 20 years ago, so that makes me all the more happy about this success.  Let's hope this leads to a breakthrough for all the nuclear waste issues that have been plaguing the DOE sites for years.

Tesla Has Made It Through the "Valley of Death"

Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, is hanging in there with the production of the Model S sedan by meeting scaled-back production and deliver goals.  If they can increase production and get the cost of the can a bit lower, things may get even better for the fledging electric auto company.

It seems to me like Musk has a strong enough vision and drive that he is starting to look something similar to Steve Jobs.  I think it takes this kind of drive and commitment to have any success in this type of technology to the market place endeavor.  Go Elon go!

Windmill Power Overload

Without a way to store energy generated with wind power, the electric grids of eastern Europe risk blackouts.  Seems that a poor understanding of the supporting infrastructure needed to integrate alternative energy production into a modern and flexible grid system for getting electricity where it is needed at the moment.

The Island Where People Forget to Die

The lifestyle of the island Ikaria in Greece appears to be the place, or at lease one of a handful in the world where longevity and a high quality of life and happiness abides.   Social structure, naps, wine, and foods with high concentrations of antioxidants make a big difference.

Earth's Magnetic Field May Impact Climate

A Danish study indicates that the earth's magnetic field may have influenced the amount of precipitation in the tropics.  Carbon dioxide may not be the only variable in an incredibly complex climate system.  Read more here.

This is Huge! IBM Breakthrough To Replace Silicon

                                         Credit: IBM
It looks like this is truly a significant breakthrough for IBM in the computer chip business.  Carbon nanotubes may replace silicon due to superior electrical properties.  Moore's Law is nowhere near done just yet.

No, Felix Baumgartner Absolutely Did NOT Jump From "Space"

Here is a great analysis of the Red Bull Jump by Felix Baumgartner and why his feat was not at all very close to what is generally defined as 'space.'  It is amazing to me that a similar jump (although not quite as high) was made in 1960 and was successful.

Steve Jobs's Custom -Built Yacht

Steve Jobs never had a chance to see the final product, but his sleek yacht is ready for christening a little over a year since his death.  As you would expect, the controls use Apple monitors.  In fact, the design has similarities to an Apple store or to something Frank Lloyd Wright would imagine in the 21st century.

Big Idea - Bring Back the "Cold Fusion" Dream

Click here to read a good update on the so called "cold fusion" field fro Discover Magazine.  The more accurate term is low-energy nuclear reaction or LENR. Although there are skeptics, and there should be, many are hoping this technology can be verified to be the real thing.  The would would certainly be changed if this phenomena can be quickly developed and put to work.

A Hot New Solar Cell

Scientists from the Univ. of Warwick Dept. of Chemistry and scientists with Molecular Solar have demonstrated a solar cell with an open circuit voltage over 7 volts.  The standard lithium ion battery runs at about 4.2 volts.  This is a big boost for using solar technology for portable electronics such as e-book readers.  These devices could be recharged in low light levels and partial shading.

DNA: The Ultimate Hard Drive

DNA chips are now the storage medium with the highest known information density, says a recent report in Science magazine.

Steve Job's 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

It's been about 1 year since Steve Jobs passed away.  I think this commencement address will stand the test of time as something we should all remember and review every so often.

Redefining Medicine with Apps and iPads

Apple technology is improving efficiency in many clinics and hospitals.  The Apple revolution continues.

Hydrogen Cars: A Dream That Won't Die

The hydrogen powered automobile made an appearance at the most recent Paris Auto Show.  Abundant natural gas is providing a good source of hydrogen.  In Europe, they are building hydrogen filling stations.

Candidates

I don't do much political stuff in this blog, but here is my sentiments on the upcoming election in November.

Robert F. Christy - R.I.P.

Robert F. Christy, one of the last remaining "big names" on the Manhattan Project, has passed away at the age of 96.  There are just eleven or so of the old guard left.  In Oak Ridge, Tennessee, photographer Ed Westcott is still around.  Christy had a falling out with Edward Teller in the 1950s after Teller's testimony was instrumental in getting Robert Oppenheimer's security clearance pulled.

The iPhone 5 Is a Miracle

Don't let the glitch in Apple Maps lead you to the wrong conclusions, the new iPhone 5 has been built with an unprecedented level of quality.  The author if this article is amazed about how it "feels."  Read the whole article.

Tesla Motors Unveils a New Fast Charging Station

Tesla Motors has announced a plan to install about 100 rapid charging stations around the nation in the next year or so.  This stations will utilize solar voltaic cells to a large extent.  This is a bold step but necessary if electric vehicles ever make an impact on our highways.

Underground Nuclear Test in Mississippi

Here is an interesting historical tidbit.  In 1964 and 1966 a couple of underground nuclear tests were conducted near Hattiesburg, MS in a salt dome.

Cutting Photovoltaic Solar Cell Cost By 75%

RTI International has developed a new low cost, high efficiency solar technology using semiconductor particles known as colloidal quantum dots.  This is a fairly signifcant breakthrough.

Mysterious Bacteria on Nuclear Fuel

Savannah River Site scientists are puzzled about a strange collection of bacteria that has been growing on spent nuclear fuel.  The growth appears to be cobweb like and no one can determine where the bacteria get their source of foo.  Spent nuclear fuel is kept is ultra-pure filtered water and a food soure is not at all apparent.  Similar growths have been observed at other nuclear sites over the years, such as Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant.  It is amazing to me that the bacterial DNA is able to withstand the dense gamma radiation.

We're NASA and We Know It (Mars Curiosity)

Francesco Celani Demos His LENR Device Publicly

An important demonstration of a LENR device took place last week at the National Instruments trade show in Austin, Texas.

Human Stem Cells Found to Restore Memory

This is very interesting news coming out of a company called StemCells, Inc. in California.  When the clinical trials move on to people, it will be interesting to see if they can get similar results.

Steve Wozniak on Cloud Computing

The Woz is not a big fan of cloud computing.  I have similar reservations on the subject.

How The Future Happened

Femto Photography

A Global Alternative - Thorium Energy via LFTR

Source Code

I'm running a little behind in keeping up with good movies.  Just this evening I got around to watching "Source Code" with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan.  It kind of a sci-fi version of "Groundhog Day" but a lot more.  I was pleasantly surprised.  This is an intelligent movie and one should pay close attention.  I'm very impressed with the director, Duncan Jones.  I'm looking forward to what comes next from him.  I've seen his other movie "Moon" released in 2009 and I would say he has learned a lot and improved his craft significantly, not that "Moon" was a bad movie.

A Worldwide Energy Solution That American Can Supply

Click here to read a very good article by Dr. William H. Thesling on the promise of the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor and the challenges to increase energy production world wide to boost the standard of living for millions if not billions of people over the next generation.

I'm Farming and I Grow It

We depend on farmers more than we can imagine.  Enough said.

Natural Gas Sets Record by Matching Coal in Electric Power Production

With coal's continuing decline in output, electric power generation via natural gas has set a new record.  The question I have is whether natural gas production can maintain this production rate.

Higgs Boson Explained by Cartoon

This if for those people who relate better to illustrations for an explanation to complex concepts. Actually, this explanation of the Higgs Boson is more comprehensive.

Orion Crew Capsule Makes It's Debut

On Monday July 3 at the Kennedy Space Center, the first space bound Orion crew capsule was officially introduced.  Click here for more of the story.

What is the Higgs Boson?

Theoretical physicist, John Ellis, answers the question.

Color at the End of the Tunnel for Radiation Detection

 
This is a pretty big breakthrough in nuclear emissions detection technology.  It could be a real game changer for detecting difficult to measure emissions from special nuclear material.  Who would have ever thought that color would be the key?

High-Tech Paint Turns Any Surface Into a Battery

My buddy Clay sent me this link about some cool research taking place at Rice Univ. where a paint has been developed that can store electrical energy like a battery.  Just think, solar cells on the roof of your car and battery paint on the hood and trunk.

The down-side is that mixing the paint is right up there with the hazards of working in a meth lab.

Prometheus - Mythology Stimulating Scientific Discovery

Emory University Professor David Lynn is an internationally-recognized researcher and teacher in the general areas of molecular recognition, bioorganic chemistry and chemical biology. Watch as he discuses how stories and mythology help to stimulate the human imagination and push us to greater scientific discoveries all within the context of Ridley Scott's film Prometheus (2012).

The Heart of Matter

An overview of current research in nuclear physics.

Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror

This video is a followup and a behind the scenes look at the technical challenge to getting the Curiosity to land safely on the surface of Mars.  It appears to be very difficult.  There is no margin of error.  Keep you fingers crossed.

The First 100-Watt LED Bulb

Hitachi Appliances will release the 100-watt LED light bulb in July.  No information on the cost.  I'll be Germany is interesting in a few truckloads.

Dept. of Energy Releases New Video Looking at Cleanup Along the Columbia River

Interesting video showing the cleanup effort at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington State.  I had an assignment at the site in the mid-90s to do a study on some of the sludge at the bottom of a spent fuel pool.  They are a long way and a few billion dollars from finishing the cleanup effort.  The legacy of the Manhattan Project is creating work for generations. 

Top 10 Ways to Get Free Wi-Fi Anywhere You Go

Today's post is sort of a milestone.  It's my 800th post on this blog.  I've made an effort to be fairly consistent about posting something every two or three days.  I hope my research as been interesting and useful for most readers.

At the end of May I bought my blushing bride a new iPad.  She loves it.  I decided to get the Wi-Fi only model with 64 GB.  The display is as impressive as all the written hype.  It is about the best hand-held device I've seen for watching videos.  No problems with battery life.

That being said, click here to read about some creative ways to get free Wi-Fi.

Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Animation

One of the most ambitious NASA probe missions so far.  Great animation sequences.

The Known Universe

A video of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the known universe.  Wow!

The 6 Creepiest Lies the Food Industry is Feeding You

This is disturbing.  Even before I read this article, I have done my best to avoid eating anything from China, but that may be only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Kurt Sorensen Interviews MSR Guru Paul Haubenreich

Paul Haubenreich and Alvin Weinberg made history in the 50's, 60's and 70's at Oak Ridge National Laboratory developing, testing, and proving the concept of the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor.  Kurt Sorensen is on a mission to revive the technology to be part of the next generation of nuclear power generating reactors.  If it were not for all the lusting for plutonium in the weapons complex, nuclear power would be safer and more firmly established world wide.

Faulty Testing by Mitsubishi on the San Onofre Steam Generator Tubes

This is not good news for the So. Cal. Edison and their customers.  Probably the safest option is to replace the steam generators, but I'm sure it will be the most costly.  In the mean time, there may be a big sucking sound in the area as more natural gas gets diverted to electric power production.

Wasteland: The 50-Year Battle to Entomb Our Toxic Nuclear Remains

This detailed article covers a lot of ground and presents excellent graphics and some videos.  I would be surprised if Continuing Education Credits are  not offered upon  completion.

US Coal Use Falling Fast

The economics of natural gas and the environmental issues of coal burning for the production of electricity in the USA has caused a shift in most utilities.  The share of electricity coming from coal is expected to fall below 40% for the year.  Four years ago it was 50%.  That's big.

Harold Urey's Lunar Landing Sites (1961)

My graduate research professor, Paul K. Kuroda lectured often on some of Harold Urey's work.  They corresponded frequently over three decades.  Professor Urey was the scientist who coined the term "cosmochemstry" for the new discipline in the 1950s concerning the science of geochemistry as applied to extraterrestrial bodies.

Much of Kuroda's research was focused on the origin of the chemical elements and the mysterious isotopic anomalies of xenon in meteorites, which is a specialized area of cosmochemistry.  There was a lot of interest in the xenon isotopic distribution in lunar materials, which was compared to terrestrial and meteorite minerals.  Kuroda was able to predict the existence of extinct Pu-244 in the early solar system based on mass spectroscopic analysis of stable fission products in meteorites in the 1960s.

How Tim Cook is Changing Apple

Steve Jobs' successor is making his mark and trying to keep the Apple magic going.  Click here to read the story in Fortune.

10 Bets That You Will Always Win

What America Spends on Groceries

An article in the Planet Money Blog at NPR states that we spend less money today on groceries than we did 30 years ago.  Look at how the breakdown of money spent on food groups has changed.  Amazing.  No wonder we are in an obesity battle.

How to Lease Your Own Home Solar Power System

Here is an interesting approach to getting an affordable home solar power system.  If the price for solar cells drops enough in time for the solar tax subsidies expiration in 2016, this could be fairly popular.  I would also want a switch that would let me take my system off the grid anytime I wanted.

The New Internet Opened for Business Last Wednesday

Did you miss it?  I did.  The Internet was about to run out of IP addresses and this fixed the problem.  Click here to learn more.

Bizarro For the Day

Germany's Nuclear Phase-Out

Germany has it's hands full and it's wallet out as the German government and power industry try to find a way to transition to all nuclear power plants being phased-out by 2020.  It will not be easy and it will certainly not be cheap.

On Facebook 'Likes' Become Ads

The personal data mining continues on Facebook.  Click here to read about how your name and face could become the material for ads on Facebook.  It is amazing how freely we are giving ourselves to the marketplace and who knows what all else.  It's crazy, even this linked article has a 'Like' button.

Reset Your Password

Early Cancer Detection Method - Developed by a High School Student

This is amazing.

Debt Clock

Click here to check out the live Debt Clock.  Be sure to check out the tabs at the bottom for information on other items.

A Nuclear Family Series - Oak Ridge

At the Y12 National Security Complex website there are four links to the award winning series on the history of the Oak Ridge complex.  The title of the series is "A Nuclear Family."

Each segment is about 27 minutes in length and is worth the time if you are somewhat of a history buff.

Gasoline-Direct-Injection Compression Ignition

Delphi had developed a  modified gasoline engine that uses a new fuel injection technology that is claimed to improve fuel economy of gas-powered cars by 50%.  Apparently it depends on some significant computing power. 

Extent of Human Radio Broadcasts

This view our our impact on the universe is an eye opener.  Be sure to look within the enlarged view.  We are a small speck on a small speck of dust.

Liberty: Space Transportation System for Tomorrow's Astronauts

Liberty Launch Vehicle Capability

Is this the beginning of a commercial competition for aerospace development?  SpaceX will have to step up to the plate.

Energy Statistics

Click here to see electricity consumption (per capita) by country.  Some surprising results.

What Is Our Energy Future?

Thought provoking article on our energy future from Forbes.

A New Look At Prolonged Radiation Exposure

A new radiation dose study from MIT scientists Engelward and Yanch found when mice were expoed to radiation doses about 400 times greater than background levels for five weeks with no detected DNA damage.

Kodak Had a Nuclear Reactor

It turns out that Eastman Kodak had a small nuclear reactor containing 3.5 lbs of highly enriched uranium in the basement at Kodak Park.  Find out more here.

Robots That Fly and Cooperate

An intriguing technology demonstrated at 2012 TED involving small flying robots.  The applications of this technology could be quite varied.  No doubt the Pentagon has already investigated and you see some use in the lying drones in combat missions.  If this keeps up, the fighter pilot may soon become obsolete.

CT State Police Detects Radioactivity in Vehicles on the Road

Connecticut State Troopers apparently have the capability to detect a human who has been injected with cardiac stress test radioisotopes as they are driving down the street in their car.  This indicates that they have some fairly sensitive detectors in the patrol cars.

This would seem to be useful if authorities were monitoring people working on a 'dirty bomb' type device.  This type of weapon might emit gamma-rays of sufficient energy and intensity that detection would not be all that difficult.

If the device was a fission type of device containing enriched uranium or plutonium, then this device would be difficult to detect due to low energy gamma-rays.

Note that injections of medical radioisotopes typically contain a significant amount of radioactivity.  Not immediately life-threatening, but enough for doctors to warn a patient to stay away from young children.

I had a stress test about 10 years ago and my pocket dosimeter registered about 100 mrem in the first 24 hours.  It took about three weeks for the decay and biological half-life to get me back to background levels.  That 100 mrem is about 500 times lower than the amount of acute gamma-ray exposure need to alter blood chemistry, just for perspective.

Nuclear Test With Troops

Here is a silent color film of an above ground nuclear weapons test at the Nevada Test Site in 1959 with U.S. Army troops as guinea pigs.  They appear to be fairly relaxed.  All that is missing is the picnic baskets.

Want To Get Out of Facebook?

Here is a way to remove your account or public profile on most popular websites.

Michael Tilson Thomas: Music and Emotion Through Time

Orangutans at Miami Zoo Use iPads to Communicate

Well that settles it.  Time to buy an iPad.

3D Bio-Printers

Nuclear Free Japan

It has been almost exactly 40 years since the nation of Japan started up it's first nuclear power plant.  Just a few days ago, the last operating plant shut down for a long overdue outage.  The question is whether or when the Japanese government will allow a re-start.

Google and Facebook Gone in 5 Years???

Now here is someone at Forbes thinking out of the box.  Something called "liability of obsolescence" may be a play here.

Amish Farm Kids Have Fewer Allergies

Click here for this story.  It appears that raw milk may be the difference.  Did you know that selling raw milk in the USA will get you arrested by the Feds?  They may not vaccinate as much either.  More studies are planned.

Wind Power Without The Blades

Here is a new design concept for wind power, which I assume has none of the hazards for birds and bats.  The only negative is that you still needs large tracks of land to replace conventional power plants.

Space Weather Expert Has Ominous Forecast

As if we don't need something else to worry about.  Solar storms are the real deal.  Our electronic driven way of life is vulnerable to being neutralized if a powerful solar storm erupts in the direction of our planet.  The electrical distribution grid could be knocked out.  If many of the big transformers are damaged, then repairs could take weeks or years depending on the severity.

If telecommunications are neutralized, then things will get a little crazy.  Food, water and fuel will become critical if our normal distribution chains are disrupted.

The expert in this story puts the chances of a 'big one' at 12% over the next 10 years.  That is a pretty high probability in my humble estimation.  Just as you need a plan in your household for when a fire breaks out, you also need a plan to what happens when the gird is down for more than a few hours.

What A Space Shuttle Launch REALLY Sounds Like

Nancy Atkinson at Universe Today posts a video with an incredible audio sound track of a launch.  Put on some good headphones or plug into a good room audio system and enjoy.

Top 10 Highly-Desired Skills You Can Teach Yourself

Lifehacker gives us a chance to pick up some useful skills.  Check them out here.

The Crossover: Corporations & the US Government

Ok, I'm positing a link to an article that has a considerable amount of political content. The article shows 18 Venn diagrams showing how corrupted American 'democracy' really is. So many citizens appear to be concerned about separation of church and state. Maybe the most important issue is the separation of corporation and federal government. I'm not really sure how this can be fixed since it appears that the marriage of the two was set up almost from the beginning.

The Real Waste Problem

Click here for a graphic description of how much coal a typical coal plant burns per day. It is staggering. And all this coal needs to be replaced from a mine, someplace. This is not sustainable.

Forget WiFi: Connect To The Internet Through Lightbulbs

Near Death, Explained

Here is an interesting article in Salon by Mario Beauregard, Associate Professor at the Departments of Psychology and Radiology and Neuroscience Research Center at the Univ. of Montreal.  This is an excerpt from "The Brain Wars: The Scientific Battle Over the Existence of teh Mind and Proof That Will Change the Way We Live Our Lives.

Exploding Bat Lungs

Here is a perspective on wind power that certainly dimenshes it's appeal.  Massive wind farms appear to be devistating to bat and bird populations.  I don't think this is a viable alternative.

Donald Sadoway's Liquid Battery Project

Get the whole story here.  Looks promising.

Panoramic View from Mt. Everest

Would you risk your life to be able to see this view live and in person?  Over 140 climbers gave it all trying to get to the top.  It is an impressive sight.  I would be upset to make it on an overcast day.

A Brain Cell Looks to be the Same as the Universe

Scale of the Universe

Click here to zoom from the edge of the universe to the quantum foam of spacetime and learn about everything in between.  This is an amazing interactive map that gives you an idea about the size of everything we can conceive.

George Cowan, Ph.D. - RIP

George Cowan of Los Alamos National Lab passed away on Friday.  He was one of the last remaining original Manhattan Project scientists.

I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Cowan at the home of my graduate school professor, Paul K. Kuroda in the fall of 1977.  Several of the department graduate students were always invited to the Kuroda home when important visitors came visiting.

He was a chemist and a graduate of Princeton University.  One thing that I did not know about him was that he kept the Santa Fe Opera from bankruptcy with the arrangement of a bank loan several years ago.

The scientific community loses another legend.

Dolby 3D TV

Dolby and Phillips have collaberated to develop a new standard, Dolby 3D television. This technology appears to be a significant breakthrough in glassless 3D technology for hand-held devices as well as large screen HD televisions.

Breakthrough in Solar Cell Efficiency

Australian and German researchers develop a 'turbo' for solar cells that could be a game changer. The technology captures lost energy that is normally lost in the conversion of photos to electrons. More improvements need to be made but researchers say the path is now clear.

George H. Miley: Lets Find Out Whats There

Ruby Carat interviewed Prof. George H. Miley at the Nuclear and Emerging Technology for Space (NETS) conference in March. He explored nuclear science and plasma research for more than three decades at the Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champagne (UIUC). Since 1989 he has experimented with unique forms of cold fusion cells and manufacturing specialty nano-particles coated with thin films to host low-energy nuclear reactions (LENR).

Death to Word

Tom Scocca over at Slate expresses his frustration with using Microsoft Word software. I'm in his camp on this one.

I've loaded OpenOffice on my MacBook and like it a lot. It is free and opens all the Microsoft Office applications. You can even save your work in the Microsoft formats, is you wish.

Off The Grid in Mendocino, CA

C++ programming pioneer Loren Amelang built a home that is off the grid. I don't think he has elaborated on why his wife is no longer with him. This life style would be an adjustment but I think this quality of life is still higher than 81% of the world's population (About 2 billion people in the world have access to electricity).

The Story Behind US Gas Price Pain

Here is an analysis from the mining industry on the reasons for the current price of oil and gasoline. It appears that the potential for blockages in the Strait of Hormuz is a key pinch point. One point that was not covered was the relative value of the U.S. dollar.

Klipsch: Keeper of the Sound

Paul W. Klipsch certainly made an impression on me as a college sophomore with his lecture on acoustic theory one spring afternoon. This company originated in the humble town of my birth, Hope, Arkansas. WW-II brought Paul Klipsch to Hope and he loved the place. He started the speaker company in the later part of the 1940s and the speak line of fine hand crafted wood cabinets and world class audio took off. There are lots of interesting stories about PWK. I always heard about how he would take apart McIntosh stereo amplifiers and re-construct them to suit his discerning ear.

One of his marketing strategies back in the mid-70s created some anxiety for a good friend of mine, John W. Simmons, Jr. of Arkadelphia. Paul Klipsch's response to the supposed superior sound quality of one of his rival's speaker systems was "Bulls$&!+." This was on the backs of Klipsch T-shirts distributed about that time. One day in July 1977 in Fayetteville, John was walking down Dickson St. and the local law took issue with his clothing style.














(Photo from the July 13, 1977 issue of "The Grapevine")

If I remember correctly, within a few days the charge was dropped. Some local DA (no, not dumb a$$, district attorney) was trying to make a name for himself. It didn't hurt that one of John's good friends was a Klipsch sales rep. I suppose the Klipsch lawyer would have loved to pounce on this opportunity, but alas, it never came to that.

Solar "Climate Change" Could Cause Rougher Space Weather

Some research presented at the National Astronomy Meeting in the UK indicates that increased solar events may have some serious implications for humans and delicate electronic systems based on recent observations by solar astronomers.

The near-Earth space radiation environment may become much more hazardous over the next 40 years.

Will LENR Go Commercial Now?

Brillouin Energy is making some headway in getting its LENR unit ready for commercialization. Robert Godes explains "What you want to do is you want control the creation of the neutrons, and you generate a neutron by causing a proton to capture an electron." This reaction gives off heat which can be used to 'fire' a boiler.

Apparently Brillouin doesn't plan to manufacture LENR boiler units, they just want to license them. It will be interesting to see if all this comes about.

On This Day in 1951

Remington Rand sells the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau. 5,200 vacuum tubes, weighed 29,000 lbs (13 metric tons), consumed 125 kW in electric. The 'Geek Squad' used shopping carts filled with vacuum tubes to keep the thing running back in the day.

Pink Martini

I had the pleasure of seeing Pink Martini last night at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville. A great show by a very talented combo.

The Thorium Dream

A Burger, and Order of Fries, and Your Credit Card Number

There are 'hactivists' out there conducting high-profile cyber-attacks on servers used by retailers and restaurant franchises. The weak link is all about weak passwords. May be a good idea to not use bank cards tied to your checking and/or savings account when paying for dinner or snacks.

The Cost of Fear: The Framing of a Fukushima Report

Here is a good analysis of the Fukushima disaster one year later by NPR science correspondent Richard Harris.

The New iPad Review

Dan Nosowitz and John Mahoney over at Popular Science provide a pretty good early review of how the new iPad stacks up. I think I'm taking the plunge in a month or two. The opinion is that if you have an iPad 2, you might want to hold on and see what Apple produces in the 2013 version.

A Talk by a Cyborg Lawyer with Proprietary Software Connected to Her Heart

Software is now controlling our medical devices, our cars, our financial institutions, our voting machines, our phones, and just about everything else imaginable. This talk is well worth the time. She makes a good case for free and open source software.

3D Printing - The Next $1 Trillion Industry

3D printing has been on the technical radar for a few months and it appears to be gaining some economic traction. Could it change the global factory model? It might.

The NSA Is Building the Country's Biggest Spy Center

From Wired magazine. Well, isn't this comforting? The words to the Who's song "We Won't Get Fooled Again" kept running in my head as I read this. 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.'

A Test Jump from 13 Miles Up

Felix Baumgartner performed a test jump from 13 miles up in preparation for this planned 23 mile jump later this summer. In that big jump, he expects to break the sound barrier on the way down. I wonder how much Red Bull he drinks before a jump?

What's Really Making Us Fat?

It appears it is not only about energy balance of calories in vs calories out. Organic pollutants have a large role. Read this to find out more.

Peter Diamandis at TED

The Linear-No-Threshold Hypothesis: Ethical Travesties

Click here to read the transcript of Margaret N. Maxy, Ph.D., Professor, Biomedical Engineering, of the University of Texas at Austin discussing the basis of our radiation safety understanding. It's about time.

Outitting Cancer's "Deadly Fog"

Here is a story about progress in the development of a cancer vaccine.

How Apple's Tablet Strategy Parallels Its Unbeatable iPod Success

It appears that Apple, Inc. has again exceeded expectations with the new iPad. If you've been waiting like me, I think this is the version to buy. I like the Kindle but I think the iPad will eventually win out as a consumer favorite for overall functionality and fun.

There are some rumblings in the Dept. of Justice about electronic book price fixing that could be a bump in the road for Apple.

Coffee: Drug, Medicine or Sacrament?

All coffee drinks are advised to absorb this information. Note this quote from the article:

Coffee is also one of the only sources of "bitters" remaining in the sweet-fixated Western diet, which sadly comes with a certificate of guarantee that the bearer will likely develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease or cancer at some point in their life. Could the extreme bitterness of coffee be the reason why it has been repeatedly shown to reduce type 2 diabetes risk, as it is one of the only ways we can balance out the highly inappropriate excesses of carbohydrate in our modern dietary configuration? We don't normally think of grains as sweet, but they are on the glycemic index. Puffed rice, for instance, can make the blood sweeter than white sugar which is why carbs are known as "crouching diabetes, hidden sugar." Coffee contains a wide range of blood-glucose and insulin sensitizing compounds, making it an ideal complement to a carbohydrate-deranged diet.

A product that enhances this effect comes in the form of a modified coffee product made by Boresha company called "Skinny Coffee" which has substantial clinical data to back up company claims. I've been drinking this beverage since last September and I've seen my blood sugar drop at least 20 points.

Diabetes: An Entirely Preventable & Reversible Condition

And now, for something completely different. An interesting article at GreenMedInfo.com concerning diabetes. Some surprising information here. Given current trends in the development of diabetes, this condition will be afflicting a very large fraction of the people in developed nations.
Click here to see a version of America's nutrition evolution.

Energy From Thorium - Kirk Sorensen

Kirk Sorensen gives a nice explanation of why energy from natural thorium is something we need to consider and soon. You can find more at this website Energy From Thorium.

Thoughts From an Oil Executive's Son on the Oil Industry

The 26 year old son of a Canadian oil executive gives his thoughts and perspective on the impact of the oil industry and it's global implications are given here in the Vancouver Observer. Are we fooling ourselves thinking our industrial strategies are really sustainable?

Treating Cancer With Electric Fields

Solar Highways

This is thinking out of the proverbial box and not such a crazy idea. The environmental impact is certainly minimal. Why not?

Rhymes With Orange Cartoon for the Day

Nano-Transistor Breakthrough

The world's tiniest transistor has been built by scientists in Australia about 8 years earlier than predicted. This has important implications in the development of the quantum computer. A quantum computer is expected to be billions of times faster than today's computers. It may take another 15 years to develop a marketable quantum computer, but things are moving fast in that direction.

Stunning Tech Trends

At Techcrunch there is an article that predicts the number of mobile devices will exceed the world's population before the end of 2012. There are other amazing trends to explore here.

My concern is the rapid rise of video downloading will kill all the unlimited data plans that currently run a decent speeds. The service providers may not be able to expand the bandwidth infrastructure fast enough.

Ian Anderson + Cady Coleman Flute Duet In Space

Uploaded by tullmanagement on Apr 8, 2011

NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Perform First Space-Earth Duet. NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman, circling Earth aboard the International Space Station, and musician Ian Anderson, founder of the rock band Jethro Tull, joined together for the first space-Earth duet.

Cady Coleman is the wife of glass artist Josh Simpson. Pam bought me a small piece of his work about 20 years ago that sits on my desk. Looks like a glass planet with an ocean. Cool work by a talented guy.

Cady was featured today on NPR's Morning Edition in an interview with Paddy Maloney from the Irish Band "The Chieftans" listen to this morning's interview. Cady plays on one track of the Chieftan's new 50 year celebration album.

Kindle Touch 3G

Well, I finally broke down and got myself a Kindle Touch 3G a couple of weeks ago. So far I'm pleased. It does need some illumination in low-light conditions. That can be solved by purchasing a cover with a small LED lamp.

There is a more basic Kindle with Wi-Fi that is about $60 cheaper that works well too.

The choice was between the Kindle Touch 3G and the Kindle Fire. The Fire is nice, but I think I'll get an iPad 3 later this spring and this device will do better for magazines and video, plus it will contain a faster processor.

Radio Paradise - Wow!

Since about last September I've been listening to Radio Paradise on my iPhone TuneInRadio app. I cannot find another radio station that I like better. This is a non-commercial station in Paradise, CA. Good website with some cool HD slide shows to go along with the music.

Check it out.

Stunning Video Footage from Space

Time lapse sequences of photographs taken by the crew of expeditions
28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from August to October,
2011.

The Buffalo Photographer

In the fall of 2010 on a project near Niagara Falls, NY one of our RadCon Technicans was a fellow named Collin Casey who was taking courses at the Univ. of Buffalo. To say the least, he has done some traveling since last talked it him. He is one very talented photographer. It helps to have great equipment and to travel the world. These photos are, for the most part, jaw dropping. Lots of snapshots to explore here. Pass it on.

Hide From Google

Some tips from Wired.

"If you're not paying for something, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold." —blue_beetle, Metafilter discussion.

Who Would Pay $5,000 to Use Google? (You)

Internet users need to think about protecting personal information. After all, what could go wrong?

Google Privacy Policy Change

Beginning March 2, Google will implement a new privacy policy change. At that point, Google will be able to access and use all your personal data and browsing history. How can this possibly be good for individual freedom?

Here is a follow-up analysis by Scientific American.

Scientific Evidence The Universe is a Holoraphic Projection Around Earth?

Craig Hogan, a director at Fermi Lab's Center for Particle Astrophysics comes to some interesting conclusions based on data from the GEO 600.

The Cure for Cancer Begins With Understanding It

An interesting perspective on the origins of cancer from Mark Vincent of the Univ. of Western Ontario.

The Nest Learning Thermostat

The some of the brains behind the creation of the iPod has designed an intelligent thermostat for you heating and cooling system.

Cheap Tricks: Slow the Expensive Data Flow from Your Smartphone

Here are some tips on managing data flow on smartphones for those with limited monthly data flow plans.

Betting On Green

Vinod Khosla thinks most venture capitalist are being too cautious with their green investments. But is his own approach too risky?

Today In History - January 22

This was first shown during Super Bowl XVIII and it started a technical and cultural revolution. Good thing Steve Jobs never took the Dale Carnegie class "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

UrtheCast Web Platform Demo

Check out a high definition streaming video platform of planet Earth. This is a quick demo of some of the features launching on the UrtheCast web platform.

Learn How to Program?

Farhad Manjoo of Slate suggests that we make a free coding lesson our New Year's resolution. May not be a bad idea.

Obesity, Inflammation, and Diabetes

Chalk these results up to cheap processed foods, fructose additives, and marketing. We are in the process of killing ourselves with our food addictions and conveniences. I think better education and a little self discipline is in order. Let's hope that the nanny state doesn't get involved with legislation.

LENR Gold Rush Begins

More on LENR progress.

A Primer on Psychopaths

Ignore the still frame of this video. The scene is not what this video is about. See the whole thing.

Internet Disappearance

How to disappear completely from the Internet.

Widom-Laren Theory Explains LENRs and Why They Are Safe and Green

Good article by Institute of Science on the theory of low-energy nuclear reactions (LENRs).

NASA Scientist Briefly Explains LENR

New Evidence of LENR

Lately this has been some encouraging news concerning Low-energy nuclear reactions (LENRs). If this process is better understood and successfully demonstrated as a affordable and safe power source, much of the anxiety about CO2 and global warming could be on the verge of reversal.

This phenomena is a real game changer that can elevate the standard of living of millions within a generation.

Stanford Physicist Burton Richter on Climate Change

Prof. Burton Richter's moderate approach to climate change is gaining fans.

Prof. David MacKay's 2050 Pathways Calculator was designed to be used to forecast the costs or savings when implementing renewable energy technologies. If CO2 is a real problem, this could be a useful tool.

Chemistry Educational Links

Ken Marr of Green River Community College put together a pretty nifty Chemistry Educational Links page that covers a lot of scientific ground.

MP BioMass

This article gives information on a company called MP BioMass that claims to have a process to reduce CO2 (carbon dixoide emissions) and fly ash production. The CO2 deduction process is said to mimics a form of artificial photosynthesis. If this works as they claim, I would expect the electric power utilities to be lining up to purchase retrofits for all coal burning power plants.

ForLater

Here is something cool. Use this link to send reminders to yourself and others....now and in the future.

Ultimate Geek On-Line Tool: A Web Based Slide Rule

Click here for the on-line slide rule.

What if Low Enery Nuclear Reaction (LENR) Really Works?

There is a mix of speculation and factual information in this opinion article by Christopher Calder.

Special attention should be paid to Joseph Zawodny's PDF slide presentation which was obtained from NASA through the Freedom of Information Act.

I think sometime during 2012 this issue will see a significant degree of resolution. If LENR is for real, this is a global game changer.

Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.

Best wishes for 2012 and thanks for visiting my blog.

Click here to spend 10-minutes watching an amazing presentation by Louie Schwartzberg at TEDX.