Posted on October 19th, 2009 by axb
In a move that brings to mind the all-powerful Greek weather god Zeus, Moscow’s mayor Yir Luzhkov has announced plans to eliminate the city’s snowfall this winter. Luzhkov intends to use the Russian Airforce to spray liquid nitrogen and cement particles into the clouds, forcing the snow to fall before it reaches the city. His idea, which is estimated to cost about $6 million, is expected to increase rainfall in rural areas, benefiting crops, while saving Moscow the expense (approx. $12 million each year) of cleaning snow from its streets. No word yet on how Russian schoolchildren feel about the impending lack of snow days. [TIME]
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Filed under: Agricultural, e-News, Environmental | Comments Off on Moscow Mayor Cancels Snow
Tags: Agricultural, Environmental, Weather
Posted on October 16th, 2009 by axb
Check out this year’s winners of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition: stunning images of nature under a microscope. Above is the entry that won first place, Dr. Heiti Paves’s photo of the anther (pollen-bearing part) of a thale cress plant. [NYT]
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Filed under: Biomedical, e-News | Comments Off on All the Small Things
Tags: Art, Biomedical, Technology
Posted on October 15th, 2009 by axb
Learn more about the periodic table with this cute video for “Meet the Elements”, a song by They Might Be Giants.
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Filed under: Chemical, e-News | Comments Off on Meet the Elements
Tags: Chemical, Music
Posted on October 14th, 2009 by axb
This year the legendary Irish band U2 is taking stadium rock to the next level with a colossal 360-degree rotating stage that looks as though it just landed from outer space – Bono himself calls it the “U2 Space Station.” The Claw, which is likely one of the largest and most complex sets ever to be taken on the road, is a massive four-legged structure that stands close to 100 feet and takes three days to set up. It was constructed by Atelier One, a structural engineering consultancy firm.
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Filed under: Architectural, e-News | 1 Comment »
Tags: Architectural, Art, Music
Posted on October 13th, 2009 by axb
Anne Forschner, a transportation design student at Pforzheim University in Germany, worked with BMW to create this jaw dropping fish-like car. The Lovos has 260 “scales” that can rotate via hinges to function as both solar panels and air brakes. [Core77]
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Filed under: e-News, Explore Engineering, Transportation | 5 Comments »
Tags: Cars, Transportation
