Curiosity Gets More Curious

NASA did it. In a stunningly perfect landing, they did what the Russians have failed to do nineteen times in a row: land a craft on Mars. But no matter, the whole world gets to share in this endeavor. In what was surely the most complicated maneuver imagined for a planetary mission, Mars Science LaboratoryContinue reading "Curiosity Gets More Curious"

Faraday Porteur

Hot on the heels of a story of a cardboard bike comes something a little more high tech, but similarly ingenious. Just two blocks from my office is a bicycle in a front window that won the 2011 Oregon Manifest award. The bicycle in question is called the Faraday, and it is a collaboration betweenContinue reading "Faraday Porteur"

Izhar Gafni’s Awesome Cardboard Bike

Izhar Gafni is definitely someone I'd like on my side if the Apocalypse ever hits. An engineer by training, this Israeli set out to prove that a cardboard bike isn't just technically feasible-but that it can look cool at the same time. Via Cnet: Gafni ran his idea by some engineers who told him toContinue reading "Izhar Gafni’s Awesome Cardboard Bike"

Weekend Fun: 8 Of The Ugliest Cars, Ever.

Read up on some of the ugliest cars of all time!

California’s High Speed Rail Inches Forward

I've always been a big fan of high-speed rail, and I've been embarrassed that other countries have sped past the United States for decades, when it comes to transportation. Japan's Shinkansen HSR (high speed rail) system has been operating since 1964, five years before we landed men on the moon. Yet somehow in the ensuingContinue reading "California’s High Speed Rail Inches Forward"

Aerodynamics Through the Years

Some excellent aerodynamic cars throughout many different eras. Starting way back in 1914 with the Alfa Romeo Aerodinamica "Siluro Ricotti", the Hispano-Suiza Dubonnet Xenia, The Norman E. Timbs Buick Streamliner, the Pink Panther car, Ford Probe Concept, VW L1 Concept, Bertone Nuccio, and finishing with the thoroughly futuristic Toyota Fun Vii.  

The Great Gatsby, 3D

Epic is an overused phrase, but it seems apt in describing Baz Luhrmann's upcoming adaptation of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel. Maybe you haven't read the book since high school, but you probably never imagined it as lushly or cinematically as this interpretation. Shot in the latest 3D technology, this film releasesContinue reading "The Great Gatsby, 3D"

Tesla: Exceeding Expectations

I'm a sucker for new technology, especially when it is smart and clean.  And I have followed the development of the next car from Tesla for a number of years. It's called the Model S, and it hopes to compete head-to-head with internal combustion luxury cars like the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series. However,Continue reading "Tesla: Exceeding Expectations"

Extinct Sporting Events

Perhaps some sports are best to be left in the past. From the Library of Congress' Flickr page, some photos of "Auto Polo", back when the automobile itself was still new. Pretty amazing images.