27 October 2011

DIY flight

It’s good to be an amateur aircraft designer in the United States. Engineering software is sold on the shelves, American airspace is the most permissive in the world, and hordes of fellow tinkerers are on hand to help build. There’s no greater thrill than constructing your own plane – except flying it safely. 

03 October 2011

Backyard genius 2011

The most animatronic, ecological, microscopic, hydraulic, rhythmic, jet-powered, home-brewed, jury-rigged, highly flammable, robotic, oddball creations of the year.  

03 October 2011

Great South African Inventions

As we approach the third annual Inventors Conference, part of PM’s groundbreaking INVENT 2011 initiative, we have pleasure in introducing some of the many inventions to emerge from South Africa over the years. The items featured here are extracted from the book Great South African Inventions, by Mike Bruton. 

03 October 2011

Drilling down: Fact vs Fiction in the great
Fracking debate

Deep beneath rural Pennsylvania and its freshwater aquifers, dogleg drilling and hydraulic pressure combine to fracture the Marcellus Shale and siphon its vast natural gas reserves. But the techniques raise environmental concerns. 

21 September 2011

Area 51: what really happened?

America’s notoriously secretive military compound returns to the limelight, thanks to a new book that makes fantastic claims about its purported UFO and alien past. By Earl Swift 

01 September 2011

Secrets of the Navy Seals

Beyond Bin Laden: how they train, how they work, how they think 

01 September 2011

Hometown heroes: 10 ways to change the world

How to change the world (starting in your own backyard) 

24 August 2011

Aviation safety: flight risks

Automated cockpits, new engines, composite parts: are modern planes overengineered? 

01 August 2011

Lessons from Japan

An epic earthquake and tsunami leave hard-won knowledge in their aftermath. 

01 August 2011

101 gadgets that changed the world

The answering machine edges out the sewing machine. The electric guitar trumps the electric toothbrush. But from alarm clock to zipper, all of the items on our list have cultural signifi cance that belies their physical size. Ground rules: A gadget is something you can hold in your hands. Mechanical or electronic,...