You know what smartphones are about. They’re the shiny, techie status symbol of the decade; they Google bizarre factoids when you need them in conversation; and if you’re reading this column there’s a 78% chance you’re using one right now to order scallion pancakes or play “quiz” on a triple word score. But is that … Continue reading
Welcome to Cosmic Revolutions’ Topic Guides, where we wrap up all the CR articles on a particular subject and serve them to you in a nice neat package with a bow. Today’s topic is a big one: The Singularity. The term became popular thanks to sci-fi writer Vernor Vinge, who called it an “intellectual transition” … Continue reading
(That’s Pinoccio without the “h”, for reasons that remain unclear. The reference to the little wooden boy does appear to be intentional, perhaps because it helps your otherwise inanimate objects acquire a life of their own). Anyway, never mind what it’s called. Just what is this wonky little circuit board we’re looking at? It’s a … Continue reading
Have you ever had your power knocked out by a storm? If so, you know that with no electricity, your lifestyle regresses about 100 years into the past. And if you were out of gas, too, you’d be really stuck. So I’m not exaggerating when I say that cheap and plentiful power is the lifeblood … Continue reading
When’s the last time you made a call by dropping a coin into a public phone? I know I haven’t done it since I was a teenager. And with the cell-phone era in full swing, there’s probably an entire generation of people now who don’t even know what a payphone is. But the phone booth … Continue reading
It’s not exactly breaking news that freight trains produce enormous vibrations. But until now, it’s never occurred to me that it might be possible to capture that vibrational energy and convert it to electricity. From NBC News’ FutureTech, engineering professor Lei Zuo has invented a device to do just that. It attaches to the tracks … Continue reading
Ah, Christmas lists: the classic childhood tradition of filling a page with all the cool toys you don’t have, then mailing it off to a rotund stranger in a distant land. Well, wishlists aren’t just for kids – here’s one that will satisfy future enthusiasts of any age. Send it to your clueless aunt who … Continue reading
