prototype car runs on electricity, not gas

Unbelievable! The price of gas has gone up again! At this rate, I'm gonna be broke. I can't afford to pay $5.00 a gallon for gas. There goes the money for books and tuition. Hell, my car could be the next one to go. With the surging rise of gasoline prices, hybrid car owners are suffering less than non-hybrid car owners because hybrid cars are half-electric/half-gas vehicles. Hybrid car owners doesn't need to pay as much as non-hybrid car owners like myself. I wish I had a hybrid car. Wait, better yet, I wish I had a car that fully runs on electricity alone. This way, I don't have to spend money on gas at all. This article from slashdot provides the idea.

According to the article, there is a prototype car that runs on electricity alone. The car does not even have an exhaust system. The prototype is currently being developed by engineers in the University of Delaware. I think that this is an awesome idea because it eliminates the need for spending money on expensive gas. In addition, I find the system of the prototype to be efficient because of the way it works. The system is called "V2G" which means vehicle to grid. It works by letting "electricity flow from the car's battery to power lines and back." By doing this, the system can store surplus energy which can be used later when surges in usage is needed. I like the system's concept of storing energy because this is helpful in emergencies such as low battery. The stored energy can be used as backup. In addition, the article mentions that the stored energy can provide electricity to utilities.

Since the prototype car does not have an exhaust system, the car will produce no carbon emissions. I believe that this is a positive benefit for the environment because harmful chemicals such as carbon dioxide are not emitted unlike most vehicles that continually pollute our skies with CO2. This prototype car is clearly environmentally friendly.

I really hope this prototype make it to the market soon. Because of the positive benefits it provides, the car will tremendously help me and the public. I guarantee once this car enters the market, I will seriously consider buying it. But, as of my current monetary situation, I guess I have to start saving up.

robo tank

When I was a kid, I received many remote controlled cars. They came with different colors, sizes, and appearances. I'd play with them for hours inside the house or out in the backyard. However, these tiny remote controlled vehicles can't withstand missile or any lethal weapon attacks. It would be awesome to have a remote controlled car that can have these capabilities. According to this article from slashdot, there exists a remote controlled vehicle that are anti-missile and anti-personnel weapons. In fact, this machine is a remote controlled tank.

According to the article, the US Army awarded $14.4 million to Carnegie Mellon improve existing remote controlled vehicles. I think that this is a great idea because the US Army is funding for the development of unmanned tanks as well as preventing injury to military personnel. Basically, these tanks are remote controlled and soldiers don't have to be put in dangerous situations where missiles and bullets are pouring. Instead, these soldiers are somewhere far, controlling the robotic tank from a safe distance.

In addition to the safety of military personnel, these robotic tanks can climb steep hills and negotiate deep ditches. I think that these are important capabilities for a remote controlled vehicle to possess because they can easily maneuver their way out of dangerous situations. Also, as mentioned earlier, I also believe that the anti-missile aspects of the robo tank is a great idea because it can withstand blows from missile attacks. I think that both the maneuverability and anti-missile aspects of the robo tank are important features to have in order to sustain and lengthen the life of the vehicle.

Obviously, these remote controlled tanks are WAY better than those tiny remote cars that I received. It would be awesome to play with a tank than a tiny car. However, chances are that it's not going to happen. Oh well, it was just wishful thinking.

metal detector for nuclear radiation

Imagine being in the military. The general just ordered your team to go to New Mexico because it is suspected that nuclear weapons are somewhere in the vast sands of the country. This mission is very dangerous and risky. Your team needs to find these nuclear weapons and secure them. Basically, the whole world is depending on you. However, it is impossible to locate the nuclear weapons without the proper equipment. Basically, you need a Neutron Scanner Camera. According to this article from slashdot, the Neutron Scanner Camera can not only detect where the nuclear radion is but also how much radiation is present.

As the paragraph above mentions, the Neutron Scanner Camera can detect the location of nuclear radiation as well as the amount of radiation present. In addition, the scanner can also detect presence of radiation meaning that it can indicate if there is any radiation in a particular area. I think that this is breakthrough in science technology field. Obviously, we have had similar devices in the past. But this achievement shows the results of researching advanced technology and improving existing radiation devices to enhance performance. As the scenario above explains, this device can be used to effectively detect and find the location of the radiation.

The article also mentions its ability to scan radiation from far distances as well as scan through various types of shielding. I think this is evidence of advanced technology. Armed with such capabilities, the Neutron Scanner Camera is a reliable tool for detecting radiation. This is very helpful in certain instances such as "in-transit" situations where the device can be used to detect presence of possible radiation onboard a ship. Also, I like the advanced capability of the system where radiation confined in thick, heavily guarded walls can easily be scanned by the device. Basically, any radiation under difficult situations can be found.

However, despite the advanced features of the Nuclear Scanning Camera, the device has a limitation. The scanner is bulky. It is not portable and it is not easy to carry around. I think that this sort of limitation is expected from such a device. I was not expecting a hand-held system that can be easily handled. This device is highly advanced.

I believe the Neutron Scanner Camera is definitely an innovative success in the field of technology.