Published by Pat Galea on 17 Jun 2009
G-Shock Hacker’s Handbook now on Scribd
The G-Shock Hacker’s Handbook is now available for viewing and download on Scribd.
Visit the project page to see it.
Published by Pat Galea on 27 May 2009
Frontiers of Propulsion Science
Marc Millis and Eric Davis of the Tau Zero Foundation have released Frontiers of Propulsion Science, a compilation of emerging science relevant to interstellar propulsion technologies.
While decades of science fiction have accustomed us to the idea that the human race is destined to live on in distant solar systems, the harsh reality is that travel to the stars is really very very hard. Ridiculously hard. Even the closest stars to the sun are so far away that it would take thousands of years for a small probe to arrive using our current propulsion systems. Our technology is not even remotely close to being able to send humans on such a voyage.
But should we let our present limitations bind our conception of what is possible? Can we establish the limits of what physics will allow, even if the engineering challenges are beyond daunting at this stage? And having sketched out the theoretically plausible, can we work out a plan of action for tackling these problems both experimentally and theoretically so we can, in the near term, make progress toward our goals? Continue Reading »
Tags: interstellar, rockets, space, spacecraft, starship, warp
Published by Pat Galea on 10 Mar 2009
Hands-on RFID for Makers
Tom Igoe and Brian Jepson ran a great RFID workshop at ETech 2009.
As the description on the page says:
Ever wanted to get a real understanding of how RFID works? In this workshop, you’ll learn about the different classes of RFID devices. We’ll discuss what RFID can and can’t do, what devices are already on the market, and what kinds of future applications are possible. Then, using your own RFID reader and an Arduino microcontroller, you’ll learn how to move data from the tag to the screen to the database. You’ll learn how to read to and write from tags, and how creative thinking about RFID reader antennas can lead to all new devices.
And that’s exactly what we did. Continue Reading »
Published by Pat Galea on 02 Jan 2009
G-Shock Hacker’s Handbook v0.8
The G-Shock Hacker’s Handbook project is now being hosted on this site.
Version 0.8 of the G-Shock hacker’s handbook is available on the G-Shock Hacker’s Handbook project page.
Published by Pat Galea on 01 Jan 2009
The myth of the resilient internet
We’re often reminded that the internet was created back in the days of the cold war, an era in which an all-out nuclear exchange was perceived as a likely threat. The internet was designed to cope with the destruction of nodes; the traffic will just route around the damaged segments. The net as a whole may run slower in its degraded state, but the traffic will still get through by one route or another.
Recent events such as the Mediterranean cable cuts of December 2008 remind us that although the principle is true, in reality large sections of the net are actually connected to the other parts of the world by a small number of links, rather than a widespread grid of connections. Continue Reading »
Tags: internet, resilience
Published by Pat Galea on 20 Dec 2008
XCOR completes engine test-firing
XCOR has successfully test-fired the engine that will power its Lynx craft which will take paying customers to the edge of space.
The test took place at Mojave Air and Space Port, and used pressure-fed propellants. The final version of the engine will be fed using XCOR’s proprietary cryogenic piston pump for liquid oxygen and a similar piston pump for kerosene.
XCOR’s COO Andrew Nelson said:
Firing a new rocket engine is always an important milestone. It gives everyone on the team a tremendous sense of accomplishment and demonstrates to customers and investors that XCOR knows how to take new ideas and make them a reality. [...] XCOR’s revolutionary rocket engines are the heart of our vehicle design. They are a disruptive technology in the space launch industry because they make it possible to deliver payloads with much higher reliability, significantly shorter lead times and dramatically lower operating costs. Our safety-enhanced engines are also easier on the environment.
Tags: space, spacecraft
Published by Pat Galea on 10 Dec 2008
Amateur rocketry
Phil Charlesworth of the UK Rocketry Association (UKRA) delivered a fascinating – and entertaining – IET Christmas lecture at the University of Bath UK.
He brought several rockets with him, ranging from models that were the size of your hand, to examples that were taller than an adult, along with various parts that are used in the construction and powering of real rockets.
Published by Pat Galea on 06 Dec 2008
Superconductivity at 212K?
Joe Eck at superconductors.org reports that superconductivity has now been observed in a material at a temperature of 212K. This new substance is a copper-oxide, in common with all the other ‘high-temperature’ superconductors that have been discovered since the first rush of the 1980s. In this case, a tin-copper-oxide (which superconducts up to 200K) was doped with indium.
This is still a long way from the holy grail of research: room-temperature superconductors. We really have no idea whether such a thing is even possible, because we don’t yet have a general theory of superconductivity. And even if we did have such a theory, that wouldn’t necessarily imply that we’d know the upper limit of critical temperature.
Hat tip: Next Big Future
Tags: superconductors
Published by Pat Galea on 06 Dec 2008
RocketShip Tours announce flight prices
RocketShip Tours has announced that flights to the edge of space aboard the XCOR Lynx craft will be priced at US$95,000.
XCOR Chief Test Pilot and three-time Space Shuttle Pilot and Commander, Rick Searfoss said the Lynx will carry people or payloads to the edges of space up to four times a day. Seated next to him in the co-pilot seat, participants will undoubtedly experience the thrill of a lifetime. The awe-inspiring view of the curvature of Earth, the thin blue mantle of the atmosphere below, and inky blackness of space above will provide participants with unforgettable memories beyond description.
The Lynx craft will take off and land much like an airplane.
Per Wimmer and XCOR chief test pilot Richard Searfoss
Tags: space, spacecraft