ThansCorner

Boston College: Illustration shows light propogating around the East Coast of the US according to instructions from the metamaterial device

Looking for an invisibility cloak or a car that blends right into its surroundings? Researchers at Boston College have managed to use what they call ‘metamaterials’ to instruct a beam of light to follow particular pathways.

The researchers accomplished their feat by developing a much more precise set of instructions, which create a grid-like roadmap capable of twisting and turning a beam of light around objects or space. Their discovery is an extension of earlier metamaterial “cloaking” techniques, which have conjured up images of the Harry Potter character disappearing beneath his invisibility cloak.

“Our method combines the novel effects of transformational optics with the practicality of dielectric construction,” Padilla and Landy report. “We show that our structures are capable of guiding light in an almost arbitrary fashion over an unprecedented range of frequencies.”

The process is definitely still in its early stages but the mere thought that such a thing is possible is quite incredible.

[via nanowerk.com]

(Source eartheasy.com)

With auto makers such as General Motors hesitant to adopt fuel efficient designs and paying dearly for it,  it’s time to start stepping up to do something about the problem.  Though gas prices have dropped down to a pretty reasonable level, the memory of prices greater than $4.00 a gallon is still all too sharp.  Here are a few things each of us can do to save money at the pump.  They really add up with just a little bit of effort.

Driving Habits:

1. Avoid hard breaking
2. Avoid quick acceleration 
   • Note: 1 and 2 increases travel time by 4% but can decrease consumption by 40% and reduce emissions to 1/5th.
3. Keep moving without coming to a complete stop
4. Drive between 5o and 60 mph when possible for most efficient performance
5. Anticipate stopping and just glide to a stop with less braking – breaking throws away energy
6. User higher gears if you have a choice
7. If stopped for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine rather than idling
8. Use cruise control for long flat areas, it smooths out acceleration
9. Do not use cruise control in hilly areas
10. At speeds <40mph, crack windows instead of AC, (>10%)
11. At speeds >40mph, close windows
12. Draft behind larger vehicles – semis can’t slow down quickly so less following distance isn’t as dangerous

Car Maintenance:

1. Inflate tires properly
2. Change air filters regularly (clogged filters use 10% more fuel)
3. Change oil regularly (clean oil is more efficient)
4. Tighten gas cap (gas evaporates and escapes)

Trip Planning:

1. Remove unnecessary items from the car
2. Park in the shade to reduce need for AC and fuel evaporation
3. Use a block heater in the winter since fuel is more efficient when warmed up
4. Combine trips and errands
5. Telecommute when possible
6. Carpool or use mass transit
7. When choosing a route, avoid traffic, hills and construction
8. If you have a choice about when to go out, save driving for non-windy days

For anyone writing a PHP Twitter App to interact with the Twitter API, TwitterOAuth is an incredibly helpful piece of open source code.  It handles the secure authentication through OAuth, and then includes function calls for using that authenticated status to carry out any desired GET or POST exchange with the Twitter API.

The project is located at: http://twitter.abrah.am/

The author is pretty careful to remind readers that the library is still in beta, incomplete and likely to change.  Nevertheless, his documentation, comments, and live examples make this library a must use.

I read a blog post here a few days ago outlining self-imposed ‘internet free zones’ where you choose to disconnect for the sake of focus and freedom from distraction. As I sit on the north shore of Lake Superior at Neys Provincial Park, utterly out of touch with the outside world, I am overwhelmed by the vitality of it all, and the energy of a simpler life. Unfortunately, life does not afford such a regular opportunity to get away.

As an option, though, what about implementing a ‘connectivity-free zone’ now and then to step back and consider the broad scope of a project, a relationship, an important decision, or life itself? Camping for a day, or even taking a day trip by bike without phone, iPod, email or so much as a newspaper might do the trick. Life these days is overwhelmed by the continuous flow of information.

The never-ending barrage is draining and we need ways to turn it off, recognizing and remembering that the world will be okay without us for awhile, and us without it.