Google was kaput

The reason why google was broken this afternoon: Some more background info here

Railgun on track for 2012 deployment trials on US warships

Yes, it's not science fiction anymore. Railguns are being succefully tested. Recent tests have shot a 3,2kg projectile at mach 7, with an acceleration of 20.000g. A railgun is a purely electrical gun that magnetically accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails (wiki).

Another more energetic test video. Railguns have a few advantages. The impact of the round relies purely on kinetic energy, so there is no explosion and thus less collateral damage. The ship doesn't have to carry explosives anymore, so there no danger of the ammunition room blowing up during combat. The railgun under development also has a planned range of 200 miles compared to 13 miles for the typical navy artillery. Read more... ESA has also studied the use of railguns to launch cargo into space.

The Energy Scale

Zombies again

I Want the New Lumix DMC-TZ7

Information on this camera has only just been released and it will be on sale in April. A few highlights: - 12x optical zoom - 12 megapixel CCD - Wide-angle LEICA lens, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 - HD-ready video recording at 1280x720 with stereo sound - 3" LCD Price is not yet known. Full specs...

Ricky Gervais - Bad Excuse

99% Nuclear Waste Destruction

U of T at Austin scientists propose destroying nuclear waste from other nuclear fission reactors using a fusion-fission hybrid reactor, the centerpiece of which is a high power Compact Fusion Neutron Source (CFNS) made possible by a crucial invention, the Super X Divertor. The CFNS would provide abundant neutrons through fusion to a surrounding fission blanket that uses transuranic waste as nuclear fuel. The fusion-produced neutrons augment the fission reaction, imparting efficiency and stability to the waste incineration process. One hybrid would be needed to destroy the waste produced by 10 to 15 LWRs (light water reactors). So Seven or eleven hybrids would be needed to match up with the existing 104 nuclear reactors in the United States. Thirty to forty-five would be needed to match up with the worlds existing nuclear fission reactors. The process would ultimately reduce the transuranic waste from the original fission reactors by up to 99 percent. More...

Via Next Big Future, a very interesting blog following technological development. If this works there is one less reason for those environMentalists to whine about nuclear energy.