Ran Prieur writes: “Why do geeks love nuclear power? More precisely, using Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, why do people with high logical-mathematical intelligence like nuclear power so much more than people with high intelligence in other areas? Framed this way, it’s an easy question. In the world of logic and numbers and predictable machines, nuclear power is totally safe. Chernobyl doesn’t count because, for political reasons, the plant was not designed, regulated, or run correctly. Fukushima doesn’t count because, for economic reasons, the plant was not built to withstand an 8.9 earthquake and tsunami. Nuclear power would be perfect if only you stinky primates would obey our beautiful science!”
Developed nations dangerously over-reliant on GPS
March 9, 2011 by Filed Under: Maps, Navigation, Random
“As technologies become easier to use and more cost effective their use can become almost ubiquitous. If they present a more convenient solution to an old problem, they can usurp older technologies very quickly, forcing obsolescence on otherwise excellent technologies and taking a dominant position. The use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for deriving position, navigation and timing (PNT) data is such a case. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is currently the most widely used and best known example of GNSS.”
“Today, the relative ease of use of GPS in-car navigation systems means that many motorists rely entirely on GPS for navigation and if they have a road map as a back-up, it is not likely to have been used or updated in a long time. This is a trivial example of reliance on GPS with neglect of back-up systems, but the use of GPS signals is now commonplace in data networks, financial systems, shipping and air transport systems, agriculture, railways and emergency services. Safety of life applications are becoming more common.”
“One consequence is that a surprising number of different systems already have GPS as a shared dependency, so a failure of the GPS signal could cause the simultaneous failure of many services that are probably expected to be independent of each other.”
Global Navigation Space Systems: reliance and vulnerabilities (pdf). Summary.
Pay-per-swing Hammers
A reader at Metafilter reacts to the news that Harper Collins is putting a cap on the number of times their ebooks can be loaned out from libraries:
“I’ve argued that the ultimate endpoint for Digital Rights Management (DRM) is the pay-per-swing hammer. This isn’t as unlikely as it seems. Ball bearings in the hammer could be arranged, via electromagnetism, to configurations which either take away much of the force of the blow or leave it somehow off-center, or a dead-on impact. Ubiquitous wireless access will finally mean that microtransactions are more feasible. Press your fob against the hammer and, once your account has been verified, we will rearrange the bearings in the hammerhead to give you a better swing. A penny per swing. At this point, the only hard part would be getting the existing hammers out of circulation.”
Via Things Magazine. Somewhat related: Know your bolts.
How to Make an Adult Soapbox Kart
March 5, 2011 by Filed Under: DIY, Gravity Powered Machines, Low-tech cars, Racing, Random
“This guide will teach you the basic aspects you’ll need to consider to make yourself a road-worthy gravity-powered vehicle. Full suspension on gokart wheels, driver restraints, a ridgid frame with roll bar, and balanced drum brakes are features of the example kart I’ve built that weighs in at under 100lb.”
Of course, this thing only works downhill and is useless as a practical means of transport. But could we please get rid of the Indy 500 and the Formula One circus and race these karts instead? Seems like a lot more fun to me. Previously: DIY replicas of 1930s race cars.
Environmental Impacts of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are advertised as environmentally friendly because they are energy efficient and mercury free. However, the material content of the LEDs, which generally include group III-V semiconductors, presents its own set of potential environmental impacts. The rapid growth in the LED industry implies that, ultimately, LEDs will contribute to the solid waste stream, and could impact resource availability, human health, and ecosystems in much the same way as generic electronic waste (e-waste) from computers and cell phones has generated concern in recent years.
DIY Book Scanning
March 3, 2011 by Filed Under: Books, DIY, Photography
“Do-It-Yourself Book Scanning is using cheap, compact cameras and free software to scan books quickly and efficiently. DIY Book Scanners can be as simple as a camera and a piece of glass [PDF] or as involved as the Instructable that brought our community together [PDF / Vimeo]. We’ve come a long way since then. We have GPL-licensed laser cut designs, aluminum designs, and detailed instructions for beginners. We have built hundreds of scanners and freely shared thousands of design improvements.”
More at the DIY Book Scanning Community, a group of over 300 DIY’ers who believe that the future of digital books is too important to be decided solely by corporate interests. Related: DIY Book Binding & Kite Aerial Photography.
