Category: Mad Science

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

3D Video Blogging the Next Big Thing?


Ok kids, grab your anaglyph (red/green) glasses and see if you think that this might be the ‘next big thing’ to hit the ‘Net.
What you are about to see is the product of two DV camcorders, a firewire interface and some nifty software. The nifty software is ‘Stereo Movie Maker’ and it’s free and quite handy for making all thing moving and stereo. The firewire cards and DV camcorders, well your on your own getting your hands on those. By the use of red/green glasses a 3D stereo effect is achieved. The sudden inclusion of depth in the moving image and impressive to say the least. I just wish there were more people doing this out there on the Interweb. You can see more examples of 3D vlogging on RogerTube’s YouTube page or better yet, go visit his web page for even more theory and application of this very interesting method. Enjoy!

GFS-UAV N-02 ‘UFO’ Takes to the Sky

GFS-UAV N-01AAt first glance this flying craft looks like a simple ducted fan with a weird skirt under it. Fancy hovercraft? Kind of. In reality the skirt has no air flowing through it only over it. Something called the ‘Coanda effect‘(wiki) causes the air to ‘stick’ to the outside of the craft and in effect creates an inside out hovercraft. The high efficiency electric motor in the top housing forces air to flow over the outside of the main body to create lift. The torque of the motor and the spin created by the prop wash are countered by the fins that ring the mid section and the direction is controlled by the four lower flaps. The platform is quite stable and looks to be a very good platform for just about any UAV application.

[via MAKE]
The GFS-UAV N-02 is now ready to do tests flights

R/C Helecopter With Rockets!

ROV with teethOne of the captions on the page says it all:

Unmanned Attack Helicopter, Ver. 2, 2004
Gas Powered Radio Control Helicopter modified to carry and remotely fire model rockets

Oh yeah… This would liven up the company picnic don’t you think? I wonder how he managed to ignite the rocket without throwing the chopper into a nasty spin? Any one else have something like this? BB gun mounted on a glider maybe?

The artist also has some very impressive sculptures listed in his online portfolio. I like the ‘Bronze Skull’ ones myself.

[via jaf project]
The Sculpture of Christopher Conte
Bronze Skull prototype