Thursday, December 28, 2017
Generating electricity from ocean waves with Wells Turbine
The ingenuity of this is a turbine that spins the same direction regardless of air flow direction, a Wells turbine. Not as efficient as a regular turbine, it is however much more mechanically simple, and hence more serviceable to install in remote locations along the seashore.
The Wells Turbine is better explained in this video, which shows the blades are shaped like a sailboat in a crosswind. At 3:13, the single direction of rotation is demonstrated very well with reversing airflow direction.
This video shows some flexible blades of plastic or metal that change shape as the airflow reverses, much like letting the sail out into a broad reach in a crosswind, which increases the efficiency.
Unfortunately, this ingenious project was shut down in 2013 due to lack of interest in funding the idea. https://mobile.offshorewind.biz/2013/03/05/voith-hydro-shuts-down-its-scottish-wave-business/
ToxiCity: life at Agbobloshie, the world's largest e-waste dump in Ghana
-what a horrible existence. Electronic trash from around the world is shipped to Ghana where scavengers pick apart the trash for useful metals, hoping not to get too sick from lead poisoning in the meantime.
NY City Shaped by Steam | Living City | The New York Times
- I had no idea this was the largest municipal steam system in the world by a factor of ten. I've seen the huge public steam pipes in Finland, but New York's are hidden underground.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Building the world’s most powerful gearbox for wind turbines - the Winergy 8 MW gearbox
I found this docuvertisment interesting. The gearbox for a wind turbine is not scalable, that is, the problems you encounter at bigger sizes can't be conquered by just scaling everything proportionately to the next size.
And in the testing phase, things that are hard to predict are vibration and efficiency.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Conjoined Teachers!
-intriguing, unusual, inspiring. Imagine just the simple act of walking, and how much cooperation that takes. Let alone getting to where they've gotten.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Birth of a New Island
-interesting correlations between both of a new island and life on other planets
An Elevator That Actually Goes Sideways
-interesting elevator that can go up and sideways using linear induction motors.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Robotic Farming of the Future
-a new era of farming. Detecting weeds and eliminating them one by one. Pruning, watering, picking...all by robot.
defrost your windshield with isopropyl alcohol instead
2/3 isopropyl alcohol and 1/3 water in a spray bottle
Monday, December 18, 2017
Bike Riding Robot! Can Cycle, Balance, Steer, and Correct Itself.
Ingenious cycling, balancing robot
Where life began... Maybe
-perhaps life began at the ocean floor's thermal vents, where a proton gradient exists in the sponge-like mineral deposits.
Hotel booking mistakes
Book through the hotel loyalty program
Pay with a credit card
Don't book too early or too late
Kilowatt Wind Turbine And Pole For Under $150 - OpenSourceLowTech.org
Thought you'd like this guy's approach.
How long do you think that bicycle chain drive will work?
Time-lapse of incrementally launched bridge construction
The method is better explained by this tedious animation:
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Friday, December 15, 2017
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Fisker patents car battery with 500 mile range
Fisker acknowledges they've tested a battery that charges in one minute that gives a 500-mile range, contains no liquid, and is cheaper to produce.
Most of our driving is ten miles twice a day, and trickle charging is actually fine for that. Fast charging is most useful for long drives, and you need an extensive infrastructure along interstate highways to make that useful.
It may actually be the trucking industry that makes best use of this technology.
Monday, December 11, 2017
All-Weather Tires Outperform Some Snow Tires | Consumer Reports
I'm quite surprised that Consumer Reports says that these "All weather" tires (NOT "All season") have outperformed some winter tires.
Friday, December 8, 2017
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Revealing how the magic trick "Girl crushed in box" works
Will explained, if you can make it through the extra-cheesy commentary.
Traffic flow measured on 30 different 4-way junctions
I thought you'd be interested in these projected numbers of cars getting through various intersection designs. Have you heard of the diverging diamond interchange, at 3:20 in the video? It crosses lanes of traffic before the intersection to decrease the number of points in the intersection where head-on collisions can occur. Apparently they're starting to build those near Seattle.
Some of the later designs after that in the video are quite elaborate and unusual. It's too bad they don't factor in the construction cost which would be a big impediment to improving congestion.
Tom.
environmental cost of free two-day shipping
Although online shopping probably uses less gas than everyone driving to the mall, this benefit may be negated by "rush" two-day shipping options that force a merchant to send delivery trucks out half full.
He argues that merchants should have a "green" delivery option, where the merchant tries to minimize the number of delivery truck on the road by consolidations shipping.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Dangerous Journey to School down a 2,624 foot Cliff
-incredibly isolated inaccessible village is treacherous to reach
President Trump Expected to Shrink Bears Ears by as Much as 90 Percent
"As one of the most intact and least roaded areas in the contiguous United States, Bears Ears has that rare and arresting quality of deafening silence.
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Accidental Inventions That Revolutionized Our World
-several of these came about by dropping substances on a hot stove.
-the scariest one is saccharin, where the clumsy chemist had enough lab chemicals on his hands when he came home to eat that his cookies were sweet. Imagine what else he must've ingested.
Marbella, Spain: Unabashed ostentation and excess
-Piers Morgan takes an in-depth look at the history, corruption, risks and rewards of living in a tax haven for the ultra-rich.
Friday, December 1, 2017
The forlorn ‘lorn’ - OxfordWords blog
-pleasant little blog about the word forlorn and it's congeners.
-I love forslug and forswunk.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Eerie walk through a factory suddenly abandoned.
Likewise in this article, lots of photos of the factory just suddenly abandoned.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3809684/Photographs-Longbridge-MG-Rover-plant.html
It seems the factory was bought by a Chinese automaker, who dropped plans of continuing production, and it's just too expensive to deal with the cost of moving these cars and parts or selling them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longbridge_plant
A Glider pilot's reflections on his two worst mistakes
This pilot seems to be a good teacher and is often filming himself, including these two incidents where he is humble enough to admit he was wrong and goes over the mistake in detail.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Lilium Jet – The world's first all-electric VTOL
Lots of hurdles to overcome, but a successful first step.
Monday, November 27, 2017
What they said in 1999 about Amazon com
-wow, a peek inside Amazon as it was just becoming sensational. An interview with Jeff Bezos as he was riding the wave of success, but still driving a Honda.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Autocorrect Fails
https://m.ranker.com/list/funny-autocorrect-fails/ashley-reign?ref=nxtlst&pos=1<ype=l&l=2169147&g=1&a=48&collectionId=1108
I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Use magic eraser pads to super clean the INSIDE of Your Windshield
Start watching at 1:45.
-microfiber towel (or paper towel - not as good),
-at 3:05, face backwards and backhand clean if necessary to reach the awkward spots
-microfiber towel (or paper towel - not as good),
-at 3:05, face backwards and backhand clean if necessary to reach the awkward spots
-moisten the magic eraser pads, dry with microfiber
-(can use isopropyl alcohol and microfiber for this step)
-then a regular glass cleaner. Chrisfix
Friday, November 24, 2017
Worst Overtaking
Wow, some close calls! And some bad decisions. All just to get a few seconds ahead.
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Watch "Waymo's fully self-driving cars are here" on YouTube
Self-driving cars bring tested in Michigan. Eerie to see no one at the wheel.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Emergence – How Stupid Things Become Smart Together
Many small simple parts make a complex and intricate whole.
"5 Reasons I Regret Purchasing Our Class A Motorhome"
These videos always take sooo long to make a few simple points. His entire video can be reduced to:
1) depreciates thousands a year
2) financing can double the cost
3) even new RV's have frequent mechanical problems
4) a 5th wheel might be better for boondocking, needed larger tanks and maybe a composting toilet
5) lack of cooking space
Friday, November 17, 2017
Median wage for truck drivers is $34,768
annual driver turnover for large truckload carriers reached a whopping 90 percent this year, and it projects 50,000-driver shortage by the end of 2017
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
The Slow Mo Guys" on YouTube
These guys are always funny and entertaining.
Football to the face
Slicing water bottles
Stuff My Kids Ruined | Parenting
-pretty funny what kids get into. Funny when it's someone else, that is.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Reddit - AskEngineers - Why the screw of plastic bottles have small gaps instead of being continuous?
I've always wondered why there are gaps in the screw caps in soda bottles, and now I know. The link for the video is a good illustration too.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/comments/372h8x/why_the_screw_of_plastic_bottles_have_small_gaps/
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Phenomenal map recognition: Nate Seltzer
-almost an idiot savant ability to recognize street maps of the most obscure locations
Monday, November 6, 2017
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Between the World and Me
How do I live in this black body?...The question is unanswerable, which is not to say futile.
...The violence rose like smoke from a fire.
... The fact that he was outnumbered didn't matter, because the whole world had outnumbered him long before.
... The streets could not let me see beyond the scramble of every day
"Between the woorld and me"
Thursday, November 2, 2017
compressed air turbo anti-lag system
Storing turbo pressure to provide a burst of air that spools the turbo up to speed faster from idle sounds like a good idea. The compressed air could come from an electric compressor, as in Volvo's system, or could be bled off the turbo system continuously and stored in a small tank for an extra burst during spool-up. This seems better than powering the turbo continuously by electric or belt drive (supercharging) because it's only for a few seconds that you need the power boost.
This sytem was expesive ($20K) and "way too costly to actual implement"
http://scrmgarage.com/anti-lag-vs-zero-lag/
electric compressor fills a storage tank -
https://jalopnik.com/volvos-powerpulse-technology-aims-to-end-turbo-lag-fore-1745961554
There are many potential problems with the method, though
-have to disable the engine computer
-additional air makes the mixture lean, if added on the intake side
-may force exhaust gases back into the cylinder
https://www.homemadeturbo.com/forced-induction-7/compressed-air-anti-lag-turbo-spool-659/
-temperature-stress on the turbo
-manifold pressure and temperature stress
http://rallycars.com/technical-stuff/bang-bang-or-anti-lag-system/
This sytem was expesive ($20K) and "way too costly to actual implement"
http://scrmgarage.com/anti-lag-vs-zero-lag/
electric compressor fills a storage tank -
https://jalopnik.com/volvos-powerpulse-technology-aims-to-end-turbo-lag-fore-1745961554
There are many potential problems with the method, though
-have to disable the engine computer
-additional air makes the mixture lean, if added on the intake side
-may force exhaust gases back into the cylinder
https://www.homemadeturbo.com/forced-induction-7/compressed-air-anti-lag-turbo-spool-659/
-temperature-stress on the turbo
-manifold pressure and temperature stress
http://rallycars.com/technical-stuff/bang-bang-or-anti-lag-system/
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Capsule Hotel Tokyo Experience
A surprising amount of common area space - vending machines, showers, massage chairs, view windows
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Friday, October 27, 2017
Lots of great travel hacks
What are the best airport tips? https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-airport-tips?share=06ee2749&srid=3um4T
Thursday, October 26, 2017
"How to trick yourself into eating better"
-trick yourself: make healthier foods more accessible in your fridge
-use lighter, smaller plates
-cut food into smaller pieces
-don't eat while watching TV
-don't shop when you're hungry
Sunday, October 22, 2017
NYTimes: Why Has the E.P.A. Shifted on Toxic Chemicals? An Industry Insider Helps Call the Shots
Why Has the E.P.A. Shifted on Toxic Chemicals? An Industry Insider Helps Call the Shots https://nyti.ms/2gW4h6S
-Wow. A long and convoluted tale of corruption to get an industry-backed person into power at the EPA, using timing (don't submit that document until Trump is in power) and appointment rules that circumvent checks and balances.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Friday, October 13, 2017
NYTimes: Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?
A tough article to read. A serious problem increasing in prevalence.
Perhaps the most useful part of the article is getting kids to write down their 3 biggest fears, and composing answers to talk down their fears with a "strong and powerful response" that counteracts them.
There seems to be a big emphasis on "exposure therapy" getting kids to face their specific fears. And they elucidate the dilemma that it's hard to know when it's worth pushing hard versus giving in to a specific anxiety situation.
Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety? https://nyti.ms/2kGzOOr
Thursday, October 12, 2017
very cool - breaking down how a hit was made
I'm surprised how much he reveals of his creative process. Interesting to hear how he just threw tracks together on his iphone and layered them.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
NYTimes: Shouldn’t Doctors Control Hospital Care?
The transition from physician- to businessman-led hospitals worries me. I've seen many surgeons become hospital employees with decreased productivity and I worry they will be pawns of management.
-"the number of non-medically trained hospital administrators has gone up 30-fold in the past 30 years, while the number of physicians has remained relatively constant. Independent practices are also disappearing, as hospitals buy them up and put doctors on salary. The result for many physicians is the feeling that they are pawns of a big organization that does not want to hear, let alone act on, their concerns."
Monday, October 9, 2017
Watch ""Jedi Force Prank" in a Coffee Shop" on YouTube
-funny prank. Really spooked customers!
Some background:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/07/carrie-prank_n_4059363.htmlGender ageism in movies
Is the average age of actresses getting older in movies? Is Hollywood finding more roles for older women?
I couldn't find a graph to specifically answer this, but came close: as George Clooney has aged, his love interest in each film has stayed young, while Scarlett Johansson has had love interests consistently older than herself and consistently about the same age.
If a lead actor is older, they are much more likely male:
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/wonk/wp/2016/09/19/these-charts-reveal-how-bad-the-film-industrys-sexism-is/
In relationship science, men are attracted to younger women, while women like older men.
Although their "preference" shows a bigger age difference than the actual relationships they end up in:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)