News: Sir Edmond Hillary dead at age 88

Sir Edmond Hillary, the first man to scale Mount Everest, died today.  Born July  19th, 1919, he was 88 years old when he died in his native country of New Zealand.

 

Tech: Earth barely large enough to support life

A recent study has concluded that Earth is almost the smallest a planet can be and support life. The reasons, says scientists, is that plate tectonics appears to be a prerequisite to stabilizing the planet's temperature long enough for life to form. They went on to say that "super-Earths" two to ten times the size of our planet are highly likely to have plate tectonics so may be the best places to search for signs of life. Fortunately, super-Earths are easier to find.

Tech: Pentagon laser targets optical systems

The Pentagon has developed a new laser weapon, but it's target is ordinary glass. The laser fires for less than a nanosecond, but in that time it can generate a pulse 1 million times more powerful that any other laser in the Pentagon's arsenal. The resulting pulse is so powerful that it warps the air, keeping the beam focused with minimal energy loss. When it strikes a glass surface it generates an explosion, leaving a crater as much as a millimetre in diameter. The total energy expenditure is relatively small, in the order of a few milljoules, so it can be generated by a portable unit. The Pentagon planes to use this against enemy optical systems such as night-vision cameras, sniper scopes, and binoculars, but the device can  also be used to render a windshield unusable. One test system was able to generate test pulses at a rate of 10,000 per second. At that speed, a lens can be rendered useless in less than one second.

Gadgets: Hot plate for active radiators

Those of you with an old-style radiator might find this product useful. The product consists of a ceramic tray that sits atop the radiator, sucking up heat. You can then place things on the surface you want to keep warm, like coffee or muffins. No word on when this product will move from concept to being offered in stores.