Science Art: Aneroiddose für die Luftdruckkompensation des Pendels, by Sigmund Riefler
Sigmund Riefler was a physicist and precision clockmaker. He also created this, a precision barometer, or, rather, a barometer connected to a precision clock.
engineering
There’s a tunnel-bus driving the streets of China.
The Verge has some photos of – and the story behind – the new, tunnel-like city bus that cars can drive under in traffic:
… Read the rest “There’s a tunnel-bus driving the streets of China.”According to China’s Xinhua News, the TEB-1, or Transit
Drinking the ocean.
Scientific American (and notable author Rowan Jacobsen) reports on the dry, dry nation of Israel creating a water surplus by making the sea drinkable:
… Read the rest “Drinking the ocean.”Desal works by pushing saltwater
Bacteria movement could power tiny machines.
Wired is thinking big about something much, much smaller than a hamster in a wheel – powering microscopic machines with “bacterial windfarms”:
… Read the rest “Bacteria movement could power tiny machines.”The natural movement
Science Art: (The Wyttenbach Steam Steriliser) The book of fruit bottling, 1907.
Click to embiggenMmm. Jelly. Jam. Apple butter.
This is labeled “THE WYTTENBACH STEAM STERILISER” on on Wikimedia Commons, with some garbled dimensions. But you can tell… Read the rest “Science Art: (The Wyttenbach Steam Steriliser) The book of fruit bottling, 1907.”
3D printers make a methane-eating plastic… that excretes fuel.
Science Daily has more on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers who have 3D-printed a polymer that turns methane to methanol:
… Read the rest “3D printers make a methane-eating plastic… that excretes fuel.”Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Science Art: Philips H7 headlamp . Mo-cover filament polycrystals, by Ivan.V.Nemtsev
This is the filament of a headlight – a halogen bulb you put in the front end of your car, one of these – as seen many times its proper size under an electron microscope.
Tiny little… Read the rest “Science Art: Philips H7 headlamp . Mo-cover filament polycrystals, by Ivan.V.Nemtsev”
No foolin’: this pen “writes” in stem cells. It can draw new body parts.
Science Daily shows off a new medical device that grows new human parts in whatever shape you can draw them:
… Read the rest “No foolin’: this pen “writes” in stem cells. It can draw new body parts.”In a landmark proof-of-concept experiment, Australian researchers have used
Science Art: LEAF Sound Horn, by ESA – A. Le Floc’h
This is a big horn for making big noise. It’s the way the European Space Agency tests how satellites stand up to the noise of a rocket launch… which, of course,… Read the rest “Science Art: LEAF Sound Horn, by ESA – A. Le Floc’h”
Chinese tokamak makes fusion happen – for more than a minute.
Wired reports on the successful ignition of a fire three times hotter than the sun:
… Read the rest “Chinese tokamak makes fusion happen – for more than a minute.”The march to sustainable nuclear fusion appears to have made serious progress, after a Chinese research
Science Art: The “Johnson” Bucket Excavator, from American journal of railway appliances, 1886.
A triumph of engineering. It moves earth! Using “the bucket principle”!
As found in The Linda Hall Library.
NASA’s making low-pollution hybrid jets.
Popular Science reminds us that NASA’s first “A” is for “Aeronautics” – which is why they’re trying to make ultra-efficient hybrid jet … Read the rest “NASA’s making low-pollution hybrid jets.”
Bike helmets save lives. Bike helmet *laws* hurt people.
Outside has an interesting look at unintended consequences, examining a University of Colorado study into why bike-helmet laws increase injuries:
… Read the rest “Bike helmets save lives. Bike helmet *laws* hurt people.”Studies show that the laws deter people
Science Art: New invented Machine, for deepning and cleansing Docks, &c., 1775.
In 1775, Pennsylvania Magazine wanted its readers to be up to date on the very latest in technological advances, including this machine for… well, it seems to be … Read the rest “Science Art: New invented Machine, for deepning and cleansing Docks, &c., 1775.”
Science Art: Five of Spades, from Playing Cards: Engineering
This is one of a whole deck of… well, they’re practically a technological tarot, really. They’re playing cards illustrating concepts in engineering. (The two of diamonds… Read the rest “Science Art: Five of Spades, from Playing Cards: Engineering”