| September 2010 |
| Energyland |
| The road to clean energy is full of enticing opportunities – and perilous pitfalls. Picking the best path requires avoiding both starry-eyed hype and cynical fatalism. In this special report, PM debunks 10 of the most pernicious myths that could derail our progress. |
Myth No 1
Nuclear power isn’t a safe solution
In a recent US poll, nearly three-quarters of respondents expressed concern about potential accidents at nuclear power plants. Some... |more| |
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| August 2010 |
| Zeppelin 101 |
| Piloting a Zeppelin Airship is a rare privilege – and harder than it looks. |
Floating through the air 60 metres above the ground, i glide past a cluster of buildings, a stand of trees, the shoreline of a shimmering bay. A golf driving range drifts into view. four men stop... |more| |
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| The Popular Mechanics Inventor’s Handbook |
The five steps of invention, from inspiration to a market-ready product.
- By Jim Gorman |
The metaphorical lightbulb above Tim Leatherman’s head clicked on while he was touring Eastern Europe on the cheap in 1975. Desperate for a way to turn a stripped radiator handle in his freezing... |more| |
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| July 2010 |
| Backyard flamethrower |
| Blasting innocent vegetables in the name of science. |
It’s a beautiful day for... a flamethrower ...or a catapult or a spud gun - any day works for bill gurstelle, mad scientist of Minneapolis. A crowd gathers in the parking lot of the Susan B... |more| |
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| Ideas unlimited |
| Far-out engineering concepts. |
In this, our latest look at the creations of unfettered minds, we showcase an ‘urban waterfall’ in the sky, a ‘hyper-submersible’ with excellent underwater manners and the world’s first... |more| |
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| Expired patents can be treasure chests for those seeking to weather the stormy economic climate |
| Theo du Preez |
The enormous rate at which information and knowledge is being created, distributed and disseminated renders it crucial that minds creating them enjoy protection and... |more| |
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| The man in the black flying suit |
| Fear junkie pushes the limits |
Up in the sky: a black dot, like a speck of pepper on a white tablecloth, hurtling through the air. I was plummeting at more than 150 km/h myself, the jet roar of wind blasting by, but the speck was... |more| |
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| June 2010 |
| Putting the fun back into flying |
| Air travel is awful. But next-generation air taxis could help remake the skies. |
When I was a kid, I travelled a lot, and I loved to fly. Nowadays, I travel less, and I also enjoy flying less. I don’t think it’s me. I think it’s that flying has become a lot worse – and slower.... |more| |
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| Welcome to the Brooklyn Academy of Mechanical Arts...and Ballistic Sciences |
| For the mechanical pranksters of New York’s Madagascar Institute, there’s nothing that can’t be improved by adding a fire-spewing pulse jet. |
Chris Hackett’s face and broad hands are marked by scars, the evidence of a dozen years of explosions and scrapes. Some are thin, flat lines, while others are deeply grooved or as thick as callouses... |more| |
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| Unpacking the physics of soccer |
| Without ability, all the science and scholarly research in the world won’t produce a top-class soccer player. However, the skilled player exploits basic physics every time his boot touches the ball – usually without realising it. |
Bill Shankly, former manager of Liverpool football club, once said: “Football is not about life or death. It is more important than that.” This month, as South Africa prepares for the start of the... |more| |
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