Acoustic Cloaks

As reported on the BBC’s website scientists in Spain are making breakthroughs in the future of soundproofing. Loads of practical uses for this, apart from the obvious military ones the technology will inevitably be used for. As pleasant as bird song is, during the day yes, not at 4 in the morning.

(Original link via VCTB)

What is Einstein’s Relativity?

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity made simple, by Michael Shirber, over on LiveScience.com

(Link via Slice of SciFi)

 

Get ready for the end of the world

Don’t Panic! Plenty of time to prepare. According to an article over on Space.com scientists have calculated that Planet Earth will cease to exist in about 7.6 billion years when it will be swallowed by the Sun’s expansion. Not that humanity is likely to be around to worry about this. We’ll probably be long gone by then, quite possibly from a gamma ray burst when the binary star system WR 104, 8000 light years away, goes supenova in few hundred thousand years, as reported in Cosmos Magazine.

(Links via Slice of SciFi and VCTB) 

Fly to the Northern Lights

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has announced plans to fly commercial passengers through the Aurora Borealis. Departing from Kiruna in northern Sweden the proposed 2 hour flight will cost a mere £100,000. Full story here.

Airships

Fantasy and SF fiction of late seems to have fallen in love with airships, the big hydrogen filled dirigibles of the ’30s which fell out of service after the Hindenberg disaster in 1937. Those who have a desire to experience this mode of transport can now do so once again. All you have to do is get yourself to Japan, where you can enjoy a 90 minute flight over Tokyo for a mere £550 daytime and about a third again for a night-time trip.

For more information visit zeppelintours.com

If We Had No Moon

An informative article from scientist Bernard Foing featured on the Astrobiology Magazine site.

(Link via SF Signal) 

Camping on the Moon

NASA have developed an inflatable tent to potentially provide astronauts with living and working accomodation on future expeditions to the Moon or Mars. Check out the BBC report here.

Fiction or prediction?

An article by Brian Aldiss published last month in the Times Online where he assesses some of his and his fellow SF writers foretellings of the future and how right or wrong they got it.

Killer Germs from Outer Space

NASA conducted research during last September’s shuttle flight into what happens when germs are taken into space. The results have surprised them and they don’t appear to know exactly why. Read more here or here. 

(Links via John Scalzi and VCTB)

Chili could be good for you

Researchers in Korea have conducted research into the stomach ulcer causing bacterium Helicobacter Pylori and discovered that the capsaicin present in chilis may have a neutralising effect. Article over on The Register. As if I need an excuse to eat more spicy food.

(Link via VCTB)