DVICE: Water jetpack may be man's greatest invention to date

DVICE: Water jetpack may be man's greatest invention to date

Video of a jetpack powered by water. On the downside, you're tethered to the ground by the hose providing the water. On the positive side, when the jets cut out, you just fall right back into the water. Looks like a fun way to fly!

Feature: Fire + Art = Fire Art

Feature: Fire + Art = Fire Art

Feature - Have fun storming the castle: Mongo the Trebuchet

Feature - Have fun storming the castle: Mongo the Trebuchet

Movies coming out in 2009

Here are a selection of movies coming out in 2009...the good, the bad, and the cheesy.
( Cut for length... )

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China birth defects 'up sharply'

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China birth defects 'up sharply'

China has experienced a 40% rise in birth defects between 2001 and 2006, from 104.9 to 145.5 birth defects per 10,000 births. It is believed that the rise in birth defects is linked to environmental pollution from China's rapidly growing industrial complex.

Fake finger reveals the secrets of touch : Nature News

Fake finger reveals the secrets of touch : Nature News

Experiments with a pressure sensor covered with artificial fingerprints seems to indicate that the ridges amplify vibrations caused by surface roughness, making it possible for deeply-embedded nerve fibers to resolve surface texture. An experiment compared a sensor with and without surface microridges, and discovered that the ridges amplified surface roughness data by more than 100 times. These results could be used to improve the sensitivity of next-generation tactile sensors by coating them with fine surface ridges.

Dust-Size "Crabs" Grab Living Cells in Lab Video

Dust-Size "Crabs" Grab Living Cells in Lab Video

A wirelessly-controlled micro-gripper has been videotaped grasping living cells as a demonstration of what it is capable of. Only now working in a laboratory situation, they hope to eventually have a device available for use in minimally-invasive surgery. The developers caution that a great deal of work still needs to be done so practical implementation is years down the road.

EarthNow! Landsat Image Viewer

EarthNow! Landsat Image Viewer

Ever wonder what the Landsat 5 is looking at now? The USGS provides near-real-time coverage of the data being acquired by the satellite, complete with a small window to show it's where it is above the Earth.