Everyday Object Robot Hand

So these researchers at Cornell University invented a Robot hand/gripper out of household objects that seems to be pretty efficient. It is actually made of a balloon filled with coffee beans! The balloon is pressed onto the surface that needs to be gripped. Then a vacuum sucks all the air out of the balloon which grips the object! Pretty nifty

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Oct10/UniversalGripper.html

3D Printer Review: Radman 3.1

http://mkt.alibre.com/3dprinting?_kk=3D%20printer&_kt=5e02460d-19d9-44e0-9766-a3610b0f9db9&gclid=CNuJwKOjnasCFUSW7QodJViTgg

1. Which type is it? That is, does it carve out a block of material or build from layers of material?

a. polymer rolls in a variety of colors and material types ranging from ABS plastic to Poly Vinyl Chloride

2. How much is the device, what is the price?

a. $1,699

3. How much are refills for the material?

a. $80 for 1 kg

4. Is the material easy to buy? That is, is it easy to find the place to buy it

a. Yes

b. You can buy it online from the website that sells the printers

c. http://www.alibre.com/store/pc-202-14-rapman-31-3d-printer-with-alibre-design-personal.aspx

5. How precise is the machine’s printing?

a. Low compared to other preassembled 3d printers

b. See pdf page for specifications

6. What format does the model need to be software-wise for the machine to work? That is, what software do you need to make the 3d model on the computer, maya, sketchup or something else

a. Alibre Design Personal 3D CAD software

b. Includes 3D design, basic 2D documentation, and export options to your 3D printer

c. Comes with the purchase of the Radman Package

7. How would you rank it?

a. Pretty good—are better versions but is a pretty good price

Cool Website

This website is entertaining and contains lots of random facts! It is perfect for when you're bored!

didyouknowarchive.com

Local 3D Printing

Brad Bourgoyne, a local artist, uses 3D printing for art. 3D printing is like regular printing except it uses thin layers of material (plaster for Bourgoyne). After printing something, he has to let it dry overnight then he coats it with a plastic binding. There is a store called Composite Effects that houses the best 3D printer in Louisiana that creates costumes and props. 3D printers can also be helpful in making models for many fields (medical, engineering, and architectural).

http://www.225batonrouge.com/news/2011/sep/01/another-dimension/

Einstein may stand corrected?

Many people have attempted to prove Einstein wrong over the years, but all have miserably failed. However, on Thursday of this week, scientists of France's National Institute for Nuclear and Particle Physics Research and Italy's Gran Sasso National Labratory announced that there was a subatomic particle, a neutrino, traveling faster than the speed of light. If this is indeed true, the physics world today could be completely changed. I think it is great that scientists are making new discoveries and questioning early theories because it means we will not remain stuck in the past. It also makes me wonder just what else is left to be discovered... certainly more than already discovered!

Satellite Crash

A twenty year old satellite, UARS, crashed into the pacific ocean this weekend. It was about the size of a bus and weighed 6 tons! Some debris might have landed in North America towards the North West.

As I was reading about this satellite, I came across this map that was eyeopening. It shows how many objects are orbiting this earth such as satellites, etc. I didn't realize just quite how many satellites were orbiting around the earth!

Cool Image Based Personality Test

One of my friends showed me this, and it has been pretty accurate for each of my friends. Its crazy how just by selecting one picture over another you can completely find out someone else's personality!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/A4d6P1/designbyadrian.com/96pix/

Mind Illusion

There is a particular section of your brain that recognizes faces however your brain can't recognize faces when they are upside down.. crazy right? Go to this website for an example:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/illusions/form.html

Unbelievable!

Henrietta Lacks Book

I have been wanting to read this book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and I am going to read it for my final project for Computer Architecture. I read the prologue on amazon, and it explained how the author, Rebecca Skloot, became interested in Henrietta Lacks. She was at a community college where she wasn't very interested in trying her best or being that great of a student until her biology class. Her biology professor was very passionate and told them a little about Henrietta Lacks. Skloot went home from there and decided to research her and her life. She ended up deciding to write this book. In writing the book, she met many interesting characters through her research, including Henrietta's family.

Ever Wonder Why?

These are funny and they really make you really wonder why?

1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
6. Why do "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7. Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?
10. Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting?
11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
15. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
16. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
17. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
18. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
19. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
20. How come abbreviated is such a long word?
21. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
22. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
23. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?
24. Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
25. Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/69zsmd/www.amigamccc.org/journal/1106why.htm

Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

British Scientists have solved the riddle! And the answer is.... the chicken! The eggshell is made of ovocledidin-17 which is found in a chicken's ovaries, therefore they concluded the chicken must have come first. It still seems to be a debate among scientists today though because of how dinosaurs hatched from eggs. Now they have moved on to study how eggs are formed in general instead of arguing over whether the chicken or the egg came first.

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-07-14/world/england.chicken.egg.riddle_1_chicken-crystal-structure-human-skeleton?_s=PM:WORLD

Best Commercial Ever

You will never guess what this commercial is for! It's so funny and it definitely catches your eye... must have been some pretty smart advertisers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGb8pMIeY6w

Magic Mirror

The research lab of New York Times Co. is putting out a new interesting product, the Kinect- Assisted Mirror. This mirror not only tells you the news, but it gives you coupons, fashion updates, and allows you to refill prescriptions. When you try on an outfit as well, it might suggest a new combination, etc. I think this could be pretty cool!
http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2011-09/ny-times-kinect-enabled-mirror-delivers-news-coupons-and-fashion-tips-you-brush-your-teeth