Author: John

The Bamboo and Carbon Fiber Bike Frame

Bamboo bike frame
I got a comment on my post about bike frames made of bamboo today and figured it was worth of a new post

The bike is made from Bamboo that has been smoked and heat treated to prevent splitting. Lugs are available in carbon fiber or hemp fiber, for the all-natural look. The chainstays are available in carbon fiber for extra stiffness in the drivetrain.

As Sean says they are working on the paper and epoxy versions. I’m sure he is joking but hey, he knows his Gibson! If I were in the market for a bike and I wanted something that was light weight and strong but I didn’t want full carbon fiber I’d choose bamboo hands down. The stuff is strong as hell and looks great.

CalfeeDesign

STEREO Grabs First 3-D Images of the Sun

Our sun in 3DBreak out the 3D glasses because the big brains at NASA have done it again!

NASA’s Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the sun’s atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists’ ability to understand solar physics and there by improve space weather forecasting.

These are some of the best 3D astro images I have ever seen. For an even bigger treat download some of the videos. Seeing the mass ejections and sunspots with real depth is astounding.

Sun in 3d

New Cogs in the Machine

Dancing Stars by decafinataI’d like to introduce the latest contributor to TeamDroid, Alexandria. She is just starting out in the blogging world so some of her posts might be a little rough around the edges but should improve with age. So be on the look out for new topics and views in the near future.
-John

LolCat Builder

My very own LolcatWhile not having much to do with technology or science, it has everything to do with the Internet. Trust me, it’s one of those ‘meme‘ things the ‘net is full of these days. The whole ‘lolcat‘ thing had me confused as hell, I was wondering where all of the "I’m in ur [object], [present tense/derived nominal] ur [object]" cat photos were coming from. Turns out many of them might have been created on this site. Choose an image (or upload one of your own like I did), type in some l33t text and select the style you want. Preview and save. Go make your own, share them with your bewildered friends and smirk at your l33tness.

[via techchickblog]
LolCat Builder
Massive collection of photos all search able via tags on I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?

Handheld Terahertz Device Wins Prize

Handheld 'T-ray' device earns first ever lamelson-Rensselaer student prizeI for one can’t wait to get a terahertz dev kit. How much fun could you have with that? I’m talking real X-Ray Specs!

Schulkin’s “Mini-Z” is dramatically smaller and lighter than any previous terahertz device, and it already has proven its ability to detect cracks in space shuttle foam, image tumors in breast tissue, and spot counterfeit watermarks on paper currency. The system, which weighs less than five pounds and fits snugly in a briefcase, could open the door to a wide range of applications in homeland security, biomedical imaging, and nondestructive testing of industrial components.

Campus.News: Online News for the Rensselaer Community – Handheld “T-ray” Device Earns First-Ever Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize

Supercool Water

This is an excellent example of super cooled liquids. If pure water is not disturbed and is truly pure, it can be chilled well beyond its normal freezing point (0 degrees C). If there is nothing for the water to crystallize around all is fine, it stays a liquid. The water can stay liquid down to -42 C, past that the water will crystallize on it’s own. If something is introduced like a mote of dust or tiny bubbles caused by moving the water, a chain reaction occurs and the body of water freezes.
More super cooling examples are here:
Supercooling Experiment 1
Supercooling Experiment 2
Supercooling Experiment 3
BTW, the guys on Digg are saying that it’s a hoax. I doubt it, I’ve had this happen to be before. Its happen with bottles of water or water in an ice tray in the freezer, and even a can of Coke. The Coke froze into a can of slush as soon as it was opened, I think the vending machine was set a little too cold that day. Conditions need to be just right for this to happen in your home freezer. The circulating fan will more than likely cause your supercooling experiments to fail. If you unplug the refrigerator just remember to plug it back in. Looks like fun, I have some water in the freezer in hopes I too can make instant ice.
[inspired by digg]
Wikipedia entry on supercooling