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Category Archives: Science & Technology

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Nissan All-Electric Opus Camping Trailer

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Nissan x Opus concept camping trailer
Nissan x Opus concept camping trailer(Credit: Nissan)

The RV market probably isn’t quite ready for a full-blown electric motorhome just yet, but electric vehicles can still have a positive impact on vehicle camping by lending their powerful battery technology. With the new Nissan x Opus camping trailer, Nissan shows how EV batteries can fully power the equipment of a non-engined camper. The Leaf-derived Energy ROAM battery pack gives the innovative, award-winning Air Opus inflatable six-sleeper enough juice to keep campers comfortable and fed for up to a week, all without the emissions and noise of a gas generator.

Nissan already offers travelers an all-electric mini-campervan option, and now it shows how that very same battery technology could be used in a non-powered trailer, with all the battery power going to onboard amenities like the lighting, microwave and fridge. read more

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The Von Braun Rotating Space Station

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The Von Braun Rotating Space Station: a hub-and-spokes design evolved from the toroidal spinning space station...
The Von Braun Rotating Space Station: a hub-and-spokes design evolved from the toroidal spinning space station proposed by Wernher von Braun in the 1950s.(Credit: Gateway Foundation)

The idea of using centrifugal force to create a sensation of gravity in space originated as early as 1903, but a group of space enthusiasts believes its time has come. Check out Gateway’s vision for the Von Braun Rotating Space Station. read more

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Weapon Wednesday – Navy’s New Orca Unmanned Submarine

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BOEING

The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract to Boeing for four Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (XLUUVs). In other words: giant drone subs.

The unmanned submarines, called Orcas, will be able to undertake missions from scouting to sinking ships at very long ranges. Drone ships like the Orca will revolutionize war at sea, providing inexpensive, semi-disposable weapon systems that can fill the gaps in the front line—or simply go where it’s too dangerous for manned ships to go. read more

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Are Universal Stem Cells in Our Future?

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Human heart muscle cells derived from the new CRISPR-engineered "universal" stem cells
Human heart muscle cells derived from the new CRISPR-engineered “universal” stem cells(Credit: Xiaomeng Hu)

In an incredible milestone, scientists have for the first time created “universal” stem cells by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce pluripotent stem cells that can be transplanted into any patient without generating an immune system response. read more

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Motorola’s New Budget Phones

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Motorola is aiming for the budget end of the Android market again with the Moto G7...
Motorola is aiming for the budget end of the Android market again with the Moto G7 series(Credit: Motorola)

Motorola has carved out its own niche in the Android phone market – decent specs for very decent prices – and it’s back in that same groove for 2019 with the Moto G7 line-up. Four phones make up the range: the G7, the G7 Play, the G7 Plus, and the G7 Power. read more

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Smart Cloth to Warm You Up or Cool You Down

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A new fabric can sense body heat and automatically vent it to the outside air

A new fabric can sense body heat and automatically vent it to the outside air(Credit: Faye Levine, University of Maryland)

Wearable gadgets are making clothes smarter all the time, but one of the most basic functions you’d want in a garment – the ability to warm you up or cool you down as needed – is still frustratingly elusive. Now, researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have developed a new material that senses how warm a person’s body is and automatically adjusts how much heat it traps or releases. read more

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Weapon Wednesday – New Grenade Brings Down Drones

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A 40-mm practice grenade, similar in appearance to the anti-drone grenade, is loaded into a portable...
A 40-mm practice grenade, similar in appearance to the anti-drone grenade, is loaded into a portable launcher(Credit: US Air Force)

As last month’s grounding of flights at Heathrow Airport showed us, drones can cause a lot of problems – and they can even pose a security risk – when they’re flown in the wrong places. Engineers with the US Army are developing a countermeasure, in the form of a drone-netting grenade. read more

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30th Anniversary Mazda MX-5 Miata

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Mazda unveiled the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary in Chicago
Mazda unveiled the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary in Chicago

Mazda originally debuted the MX-5 Miata at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, so it’s only fitting that the Japanese automaker has chosen to celebrate the 30th anniversary of that car by making the world premiere of the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary in Chicago. Only 3,000 examples will be built, but if you’re in the US, you’re already too late to claim one. read more

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New F-150 Raptor Even More Impressive

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One thing we noticed in our week of off-pavement good times in the 2019 Ford F-150...
One thing we noticed in our week of off-pavement good times in the 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor was the amazing amount of wheel reach it achieves(Credit: Aaron Turpen / New Atlas)

The 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor upgrades the now-legendary off-pavement dirt flinger with some added goodies. These improve the Raptor’s already impressive off-road performance with better digging, crawling, and bouncing capabilities. We loved the redneck dream truck in 2017 and love it even more now. read more