20 Things You Didn’t Know About… Lab Accidents

LSD, gunpowder, Viagra, and the Incredible Hulk all have something in common.



1 - There went our best chance: In the ninth century, a team of Chinese alchemists trying to synthesize an “elixir of immortality” from saltpeter, sulfur, realgar, and dried honey instead invented gunpowder.

2 - German scientist Hennig Brand stored 50 buckets of urine in his cellar for months in 1675, hoping that it would turn into gold. Instead, an obscure mix of alchemy and chemistry yielded a waxy, glowing goo that spontaneously burst into flame—the element now known as phosphorus.

3 - Soldiers supplied the raw material in vast, sloshing quantities until the 1750s, when Swedish chemist Carl Scheele developed an industrial method of producing phosphorus. He discovered eight other elements, including chlorine, oxygen, and nitrogen, and compounds like ammonia, glycerin, and prussic acid.

4 - Scheele was found dead in his lab at age 43, perhaps owing to his propensity for tasting his own toxic chemicals.

5 - Kevlar, superglue, cellophane, Post-it notes, photographs, and the phonograph: They all emerged from laboratory blunders.

6 - The Flash, created in 1940 for All-American Publications, was the first comic book hero to develop superpowers after a lab accident, attaining “super speed” after inhaling “hard water” vapors.

7 - Other beneficiaries of the Freak Lab Mishap include Plastic Man (struck by a falling drum full of acid), the Hulk (irradiated by an experimental bomb), and of course, Spider-Man (bitten by a radioactive spider).
8 In real life, perhaps a bigger risk comes from lab-contracted diseases. The world’s last documented case of smallpox killed photographer Janet Parker in 1978 after the virus escaped from a lab at the University of Birmingham in England.

9 - But sometimes humans strike back: Alexander Fleming, famous for his serendipitous discovery of penicillin, also chanced upon an antibiotic enzyme in nasal mucus when he sneezed onto a bacterial sample and noticed that his snot kept the microbes in check.

10 The lab-accident rate in schools and colleges is 100 to 1,000 times greater than at firms like Dow or DuPont.


11 - In 1938 DuPont chemist Roy Plunkett opened a dud canister of tetrafluoroethylene gas and discovered an amazing, nearly friction-free white powder. He named it Teflon.

12 - Perhaps he should have chucked it out instead: In 2005 the Environmental Protection Agency identified a Teflon ingredient, perfluorooctanoic acid, as a “likely carcinogen.” It is now in the bloodstream of 95 percent of Americans.

13 - After a 1992 drug trial in the Welsh mining town of Merthyr Tydfil, male subjects reported that sildenafil citrate hadn’t done much for their angina, but it did have an unusual side effect on another part of their anatomy. Today the drug is sold as Viagra.

14 - In 1943 Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman inadvertently absorbed a small quantity of lysergic acid through his fingertips and experienced “dizziness . . . visual distortions . . . [a] desire to laugh.” The age of LSD had begun.

15 - Hoffman’s long, strange trip continues. He turned 100 this past January.

16 - Why he’s not the father of the electric chair: While trying to electrocute a turkey, Benjamin Franklin sent a whopping jolt from two Leyden jars into his own body. “The flash was very great and the crack as loud as a Pistol,” he wrote, describing the incident as an “Experiment in Electricity that I desire never to repeat.”

17 - In 1965 astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson scrubbed their Bell Labs radio antenna to rid it of pigeon droppings, which they suspected were causing the instrument’s annoying steady hiss.

18 - That noise turned out to be the microwave echo of the Big Bang.

19 - The world has scores of superpowerful particle accelerators. Last year, a fireball created at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in Upton, New York, had the characteristics of a black hole. Physicists are reasonably sure that no such black holes could escape and consume Earth.

20 - Reasonably.

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Amazing Contemporary Sculptures

Black Whole Conference: made of 72 chairs
The Black Whole Conference chair sculpture was made out of 72 chairs by Michel de Broin on 2006. It was part of the Québec Triennial "Nothing is Lost, Nothing is Created, Everything is Transformed" exhibition at the Musée d’Art in Montreal.


Sound Wave: made of melted vinyl records

On 2007, korean artist Jean Shin created Sound Wave out of melted vinyl records. The sculpture was part of The Museum of Art and Design’s exhibit "Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary." The artist explained the sculpture shows "the inevitable waves of technology that render each successive generation of recordable media obsolete."



Controller of the Universe: dozens of tools suspended in the air

The 2007 sculpture by Damián Ortega Controller of the Universe consists of scores of suspended hand tools pointing outward as though in midexplosion. It’s part of the exhibit "That Was Then ... This Is Now" at the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center.



Economy: Melting Ice Sculpture

To symbolize today's economic meltdown, artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese made this ice sculpture of the word "ECONOMY" and set set it outside in downtown Manhattan. They did it on October 29 because it was the 79th anniversary of the 1929 stock market crash leading to the Great Depression.



Reach for Light: a Skateboard Flower Sculpture

Reach for Light is a Skateboard Flower Sculpture made by Ted Hunter form Roarockit Skateboard Co. The flower petal designs are actually printed using photo’s of real tulip petals. It was shown on 2005 at the Wood Turning Center in Philadelphia.



Jones' Book Sculptures: made of old books

Australian artist Nicholas Jones turns old books into fine art. Using old books he finds at the bins of the University of Melbourne library, Nicholas makes incredibly detailed cuts and folds with each page, and transforms each piece into a work of true work of art.


On Gold Mountain: San Francisco's cityscape made of stainless steel cookware

Displayed at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, On Gold Mountain is cityscape of San Francisco created by artist Zhan Wang using stainless steel pots and pans and silverware.



Very Hungry God: made of 1,000 kg of kitchen utensils

Made out of hundreds of kitchen utensils, pots and pans, Very Hungry God made by the artist Sudobh Gupta on 2006 is now on display at the Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park, London.


Hellraiser’s Pinhead: an amazing sand sculpture

This sand sculpture of Pinhead (a character from Hellraiser movies) was made by Latvian artist Helena Bangert on Zeebrugge (Belgium) in 2004.


Elvis: a sculpture made of 50,000 matchsticks

This Elvis bust was made by David Mach, a scottish sculptor and installation artist, using no less than 50,000 matchsticks!

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Rocket Fuel Chemical Found in Baby Formula

When a parent puts a bottle of baby formula to a child's lips, the parent might not know exactly what ingredients are in that thick, nutritionally packed mix. But rocket fuel? That's not an ingredient many expect to find.
A study by government researchers released Thursday tested 15 different brands of formula and found a chemical -- also found in rocket fuel -- contaminating every single one.

While the levels of the chemical, perchlorate, have been deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, some worry public health is at risk.

Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested the formula for the presence of perchlorate, a chemical used as the main ingredient in solid rocket fuel. It's a worry because perchlorate can interfere with the production of thyroid hormones by inhibiting the absorption of iodine.

The CDC study found cow's milk-based formula contained more perchlorate than that made with soy or other ingredients.
The two brands with the highest levels -- more than double that of the other milk-based products -- command 87 percent of the market share for infant formula.

The report does not specify the brand names of any formula tested.

Perchlorate has been found in the water supplies of 35 states and has been detected in everything from vegetables to milk. In the case of dairy, the rocket fuel in the water flows into grass, which is eaten by cows, and is then passed along into milk.


The perchlorate was found in levels within a range that's been deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency.

CDC researchers write that "this is reasssuring at first glance," but add that it could be problematic because drinking water in 26 states has high perchlorate levels. So, mixing contaminated powdered milk with contaminated water in those places could result in a dangerous exposure.

"The widespread penetrance of these products, and the potential for utilization of water for reconstitution that has even minimal concentrations of perchlorate," the researchers write, "suggest that a significant number of infants consuming bovine milk-based [powdered infant formula] with lactose, will have perchlorate doses in excess of the [recommended limit]."
Advocacy Groups Says Risk Is Understated

The Environmental Working Group, an organization that advocates for stricter limits on a variety of chemicals, contends EPA's recommended limit is set "too high to protect public health" and understates the risk.

"Perchlorate contamination of drinking water is a very serious concern, particularly for infants," said Dr. Anila Jacob, an Environmental Working Group scientist.

Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatrician who works on environmental health issues at Seattle Children's Hospital and at the University of Washington department of pediatrics, said it's difficult to say whether this sort of exposure is dangerous.
"Considered in isolation, these perchlorate concentrations in formula are not concerning for child health," Sathyanarayana wrote in an e-mail to ABC News. "The reason that some may be concerned about health effects to children is that there are several sources of perchlorate in our environment ... and, therefore, the cumulative dose of perchlorate to an infant may be much higher than that found in the formula."

"That being said," she added, "the most well-respected studies (only a handful exist) on perchlorate contamination have not found any link between perchlorate contamination in water and health impacts in children. Therefore, we truly do not know if this kind of contamination may be leading to health problems or not."


Another professor of pediatrics, Keith-Thomas Ayoob of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, considers the findings "disturbing" and "a wake-up call to municipalities to clean up their water supplies, if at all possible."

At her confirmation hearing in January, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson agreed to take another look at the safety of perchlorate.

The study appeared in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.

The CDC study is based on a handful of samples bought in one city and includes the caveat: "The results of this study may not be relevant throughout the United States."

Still, Ayoob told ABC News, "This is a perfect example of how polluting one area of the environment can be magnified."

"It's not causing harm to the animals or most consumers, but you can see how the effect can be magnified," Ayoob said. "If we get rid of the perchlorate, then the infants, their parents, all consumers, and even the cows and the farmers will be better off and happier."

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First In The World

The world's first motorcycle (1885): Daimler "riding car"
The world's first motorcycle was designed and produced by German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt'e (Stuttgart). In essence, it was a motorized bicycle, although most of this thing called "innovators Reitwagen (" riding car "). This also was the first liquid-fuel powered vehicle.

The world's first electric built ... In 1884

If approved this will be the recently discovered photographs authenticated, what pavaizduoj

Wright Brothers Airplane

Orville and Wilbur Wright were born in 1871 and 1867. They spent a lot of their
time growing up studying all kinds of birds and how they flew.The
brothers noticed that birds fly with the wind, and manouver their
wings to turn the direction of their flight and the height. Over the
next three years, the two designed a bunch of different fliers, some
were kites and some were piloted, or controlled.They plotted and
drew out many designs and possible ways for a plane to work and
realized controlling it would be the hardest thing.


The world's first web server and website (1990): NeXT Computer CERN'e

Info.cern.ch was the world's first web site, the web site address, created by Tim Berners-Lee was http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html.


The world's first computer mouse (1964), created by Douglas Engelbart

This mouse, made of wood, consisted of two wheels, located perpendicular to one another. This enabled the mouse to move in one axis.


The world's first digital camera (1975), created by Kodak engineer Steve Sasson

1975-s in December, Steve Sasson has created what later revoliucionavo snapshot: World first digital camera. It was tosterio size and had a black and white photographs of 100x100 resolution (0.01 megapixels). Photos, within 23 seconds was recorded to tape. Photo reading was developed a special computer and the tape reader, which you can view the images on TV. Each photo scan required 23 seconds.


The world's first MP3 player (1998): MPMan 32MB

Produced by Eiger Labs, had a 32MB internal memory, expandable to 64MB. The player cost 69 dollars + shipping costs. Dimensions: 91 x 70 x 16.5 mm.


The world's first skyscrapers (1885): house hedge pasatatas Chicago.

This 42-meter-high building, is considered the world's first skyscraper, the unusual architecture. Building demolished in 1931, and his place pullulate "Field Building. Now in the place LaSalle National Bank. It was the first house, a metal used in the construction and the inside and outside to strengthen the fire-resistant metal.


First World MOTELS (1925): "Motel Inn"

This motel is in San Luis Obispo, California. It was built by Los Angeles architect Arthur Heineman, who applied the term "motel" ( "motor hotel"). Then, the night in this motel cost 1.25 dollars. This motel does to this day.


The first X-ray photograph of the World (1895): The X-ray image, with hands

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Vurburgo physics professor at the University, late at night, one carried out experiments with electrical discharge. Since it was dark outside, he noticed on the walls glow. This radiation is called the "X". After several months of "playing" with the discovery of its rays, he observed that in front of them to help the objects on the wall consists of various images. Later, he used the plate and helped his wife's hand in front of radiation. For his discovery, Roentgen was awarded the Nobel prize for achievements in physics.
The world's first crossword puzzle (1913): Arthur Wynne invention

Arthur Wayne has worked in newspaper "the New York World", and every week had to come up comic puzzle department of "Fun." Yes, the December 21 date was printed on the conundrum, which he called "word-cross".


The world's first microprocessor (1971): Intel 4004

The Intel microprocessors has created three engineers: Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, Stan Mázor. The invention changed the look of your computer: CPU share, memory, input and output control - everything in one store a small detail, so the computer has considerably decreased.


The world's first magazine (1731): GENTLEMEN Magazine

Edward Cave, editor of the Journal, signed on behalf of Sylvania Urban, the first given the term "magazine" (the magazine - in English.). The word stems from the Arabic "makazin" which means "warehouse".


The world's first photograph (1826): "The view through the window Gras'e"

The inventions of chemical and optical fields, allowed the emergence of the world's first photograph. French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce this snapshot made their home. The window shows the second floor courtyard and surrounding buildings. This photograph was made by the addition of bitumen coated plate in the camera obscura, and keeping it on a windowsill for several hours.


The world's first novel (1007): Ganji story

More than a thousand years ago, the Japanese lady completed what is now considered the world's first novel. Lasting 75 years, with more than 350 players and filled with romance series, the novel tells the history of the emperor's son, his search for love and a lot of women, which he agrees way. It wrote the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu.


The world's first album cover (1938): "Smash Song Hits by Rodgers and Hart"

23 years old designer Alex Steinweiss "invented" an album cover. Until then, the plate was dispersed paper autum

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The Hudson River Happy 400th!

The Mighty Hudson
In September of 1609--11 years before the Mayflower landed--an English explorer named Henry Hudson sailed into New York Bay and up a river that would later be named after him. To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Hudson's voyage, LIFE searched its archives for the best shots of the river. Pictured: Artillery at West Point, site of the famous military academy, in 1859.


Small Harbor on the Hudson
This is what Yonkers looked like in 1859: A small harbor with sail boats and piles of timber ready to move down river.


Ferry Station, 1859
A quaint landing for a ferry that provided transportation across the Hudson, between Garrison (pictured) and West Point.


Waiting for the Train, 1859
A group of men standing at Garrison Railroad Station on the east side of the Hudson River.


Rush Hour, Circa 1896
Early morning commuters disembark from the Pavonia Ferry at the foot of West 23rd Street at the Hudson River, New York City.


Ice Breakers
Spectators on the docks watch New Jersey Central tugboats slowly cross the ice-filled Hudson River in the winter of 1925.


Building the George Washington Bridge
A worker stands near the top of the George Washington Bridge--which connects New York to New Jersey--during its construction, circa 1930.


The Banks of the Beautiful Hudson, 1939


A River Ran Through It
Members of a Mohawk tribe greeted Henry Hudson when, sailing under a Dutch flag, he landed on the banks of the Hudson.


Canoe Party on the River


Lighting the Way, 1939
A lighthouse stands in the middle of the mighty Hudson, near the historic village of Athens, New York.


Roosevelt's Guide
Noah LeCasse was with Theodore Roosevelt, serving as his wilderness guide, when the news of President McKinley's assassination reached them at a remote spot on the Hudson river.


Grande Dam
The Croton Dam near the Hudson River.


Gore Vidal at Sunset
Author and essayist Gore Vidal on the porch of his home, in Barrytown, New York, 1960.


Bound for the City
Hudson River Day Liner, the Alexander Hamilton, passing under a bridge on its way to New York City.


View From the Sky
The piers and docked ships along the Hudson River in lower Manhattan.


River Traffic
Ship and tug boat traffic on the Hudson picks up as New York City becomes an industrial powerhouse.


Here Comes the Queen
Luxury ocean liner Queen Mary steaming down the Hudson River past a bustling 42nd Street.


Big River
Dozens of Navy battleships anchored in the Hudson River--from above the George Washington Bridge to the southern tip of Manhattan--during the first post-war Navy Day.


Rounding the Bend


One Ferry, Three Cars


The Glistening River, 1976


The Little Lighthouse That Could
Since 1921--ten years before the George Washington Bridge above it was completed--the "Little Red Lighthouse" has stood in this location, the only lighthouse in the city.


A Sense of Scale
That same lighthouse, dwarfed by the George Washington Bridge.


The G.W. Bridge at Night


Hudson Valley Green


The Hudson in January


Friends of the River
Environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (L) and riverkeeper John Cronin helped revitalize the Hudson through their Riverkeeper organization which fights industries that pollute the river.


July 4th on the Hudson
Looking across the river at fireworks above the Manhattan skyline, 2009.

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Unique Steampunk Insects

Since the late 1990’s style steampunk is becoming more and more popular, and not only in the literature. Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by enthusiasts into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style. And often this stylization gives very unexpected results. Like, for example, art works of american sculptor Mike Libby. His studio Insect Lab make robots from dried insects. Insects for his works come from around the world, from Africa, China, New Guinea, Brazil, Texas, etc. Each cog or gear wheel from antique pocketwatches and wristwatches are used as mechanical components. Each small robot from his collection is unique and costs a lot of money - price for the one robot ranges from $600 to $2500.

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Unique Steampunk Insects

Since the late 1990’s style steampunk is becoming more and more popular, and not only in the literature. Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by enthusiasts into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style. And often this stylization gives very unexpected results. Like, for example, art works of american sculptor Mike Libby. His studio Insect Lab make robots from dried insects. Insects for his works come from around the world, from Africa, China, New Guinea, Brazil, Texas, etc. Each cog or gear wheel from antique pocketwatches and wristwatches are used as mechanical components. Each small robot from his collection is unique and costs a lot of money - price for the one robot ranges from $600 to $2500.

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KABOOM! - World's Biggest Non-Nuclear Explosions

For most of us BOOM, KABLAM, KABLOOIE mean a mushroom cloud and a cute little animated turtle talking about ducking and covering – as well as the possible End Of All Life As We Know It.

But not every monstrous explosion began with J. Robert Oppenheimer saying "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds"... Even putting aside natural blasts such as the eruption of Krakatoa (which was so massive the sound of it was heard as far away as London), the Earth has still to be rocked by more than its fair share of man-made, non-atomic BOOMs

Ship with 3,000 tons of munitions collides with pier loaded with explosives

One of the more terrifying non-nuclear explosions ever to occur was in 1917 up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Back in December of that year the Mont-Blanc plowed into another ship, the Imo, starting a ferocious fire. Ten minutes later the Mont-Blanc went up, creating what is commonly considered to be one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in earth history.

The Mont-Blanc was a big ship carrying a lot of extremely dangerous cargo -- almost 3,000 tons of munitions bound for the war that was then tearing Europe apart. What happened that morning, which lead to the blast and the nightmarish loss of life, reads like a textbook example of whatever could go wrong, did.

To avoid being torpedoed, the Mont-Blanc wasn’t flying any dangerous cargo flags, so no one except for her crew knew her cargo was so dangerous. When the fire got out of control, the Mont-Blanc’s crew tried to warn as many people as possible – but they only spoke French and the language of Halifax was English. Not realizing the danger, crowds began to form to watch the blaze. The Mont-Blanc, on fire, also began to drift toward a nearby pier … that was also packed with munitions bound for the war.

When everything finally came together – the criminal negligence, the miscommunication, and worst of all the fire and the explosives – the blast was roughly equal to 3 kilotons of TNT. The fireball roared up above the town and the shockwave utterly destroyed the town and everything within one mile of the epicenter. Metal and wreckage fell as far away as 80 miles from the blast and the sound of the detonation was heard more than 225 miles away. The explosion was so huge it generated a tsunami that roared away from the epicenter and then back into the harbor again, adding to the death and destruction.

It wasn’t until days later that the true horror of what had happened was realized: Halifax was completely gone, erased from the face of the earth, along with every ship in the harbor and most of the nearby town of Dartmouth. Approximately 2,000 people died from the explosion and another 9,000 were injured.

Unfortunately Halifax wasn’t the first such explosives-related accident in 1917. Unbelievably, before the Mont-Blanc destroyed the town, 73 people were killed in the explosion of a munitions factory in Silvertown in West Ham, Essex. The sound was heard as far away as 100 miles. A year earlier, the Johnson Barge No.17 went up Jersey City. Although only a few people were killed, the explosion managed to damage not only Ellis Island but also the Statue of Liberty. There were many other blasts as well, but these are only a few of the more dreadful highlights.

"A U.S. Navy "Trident" missile goes awry shortly after a test launch from a submarine off the coast of Cape Canaveral several years ago. The missile exploded shortly after this photo was taken. There was no injury to the submarine or its crew... The submarine captain, watching the test through the sub's periscope, was reported to have been mesmerized for several hours."


Other massive explosive accidents

You’d think after these nightmarish explosions, caution about things that go BOOM would have sunk in a bit, but the Second World War also saw more than its fair share of explosive accidents. In 1944, for instance, the SS Fort Stikine went up while docked in Bombay, India. When her cargo went up, the blast killed 800 men and injured 3,000. The fire that followed took more than three days to control.

Also in 1944, the UK experienced what is commonly considered the largest blast ever to occur on British soil when 3,700 tons of high explosives were accidentally detonated in an underground munitions store in Fauld, Staffordshire. The explosion was so massive it formed a crater three quarters of a mile across and more than 400 feet deep -- and destroyed not only the base but a nearby reservoir (and all the water in it).

One of the largest non-nuclear, man-made, blasts in the history of the world

But one of the biggest blasts – aside from the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan – was also one of the largest in human history, and one of the most tragic.

Once again in 1944, on July 17 to be specific, munitions being loaded onto a ship in Port Chicago, California, (very close to San Francisco) detonated. No one knows what exactly caused the blast, but the damage was biblical. All in all, more than 5,000 tons of high explosives, plus whatever else was in the stores on the base and on any ships docked, was involved. The explosion was so massive it was felt as far away as Las Vegas (500 miles distant) and people were injured all over the Bay Area when windows were shattered by the immense pressure wave.

320 were killed immediately and almost 400 were seriously injured, but that’s not the real tragedy. Most of these men were African American and this single disaster accounted for almost 15% of African American casualties during that war.

Still fearing for their safety, the remaining men, who had just spent three weeks pulling the bodies of their fellow sailors from the wreckage, refused to load any further munitions. The Army, in a characteristic show of support, considered this an act of mutiny and court-martialed 208 sailors, sending an additional 50 to jail for 8 to 15 years.

Fortunately, the ‘mutineers’ were given clemency after Thurgood Marshall fought for them, though the final member only received justice in 1999 in the form of a Presidential pardon by President Bill Clinton. Today in Port Chicago there’s a marker on the spot and it states that the event was a step toward "racial justice and equality."

And all it took was one of the largest non-nuclear, man-made, blasts in the history of the world -- and the deaths of 320 sailors.

"A Titan IV-A rocket explodes on the morning of August 12, 1998, loaded with a billion-dollar, top-secret "Mercury" spy satellite. The explosion occurred 40 seconds after launch at an altitude of about 20,000 feet and was loud enough to set off car alarms 20 miles away."

Navy Blasts its Way to Victory






More explosive blasts and awesome artillery shots:





Fireball at the "Burning Man" event in 2007:

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World's 7 Most Expensive Cars

1933 Delage D8S
Sold for: $3,740,000By: RM AuctionsWhen: Aug. 17, 2007Where: Monterey, Calif.This French car has a one-of-a-kind body. The car was presented at the Salon de Paris, the Paris auto show, in 1933, according to RM Auctions. The car could go from 0 to 60 mph in 15 seconds, which was faster than a supercharged Bentley of the era, the auction house said. Sports Car Market called it a "spectacular car with known ownership since new," which adds greatly to the value.

1935 Duesenberg SJ
Sold for: $4,400,000By: RM AuctionsWhen: Aug. 17, 2007Where: Monterey, Calif.This over-the-top car was a "Doozy for a Floozy"—at least, she played one in the movies. This Duesenberg was supposed to have been designed for Mae West, but she never took delivery. According to RM Auctions, this was one of only 36 cars supercharged by the factory. The passenger compartment is finished in an Art Deco design with burgundy upholstery.

1931 Bentley 4-Liter
Sold for: $4,510,000By: Gooding & Co.When: Aug. 18, 2007Where: Pebble Beach, Calif.This rare find is one out of only 43 remaining examples, out of 50 units of the so-called "Green Hornet," according to Gooding & Co. It sold for just over $4.5 million last summer, despite what Sports Car Market described as a "leaky engine, ripped seat, faded paint, and ratty top." However, such authentic touches in a rare model make it even more desirable than inauthentic restoration.

1966 Shelby Cobra
Sold for: $5.5 millionBy: Barrett-JacksonWhen: Jan. 18, 2007Where: Scottsdale, Ariz.This Shelby Cobra has a supercharged V8 that produces 800 hp, according to Barrett-Jackson. It was originally configured as a competition car, and then retrofitted as a street-legal car. At one point it was used by Carroll Shelby himself, according to the auction house. Sports Car Market said Bill Cosby once owned a similar car, in which a later owner was killed. Sports Car Market called the sale "a crazy price for a crazy car."

1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM
Sold for: $5.7 millionBy: RM AuctionsWhen: May 20, 2007Where: Maranello, ItalyThis Ferrari racer is about as rare as they get. It is one of only two surviving models of its exact type, out of only three ever built, according to RM Auctions. It is restored to look as it did when it was driven in the Carrera Panamericana road race in Mexico. In May, it fetched $1.5 million above the highest pre-auction estimated price, thanks to what Sports Car Market called "potent provenance, rarity, 5-liter V12 power, stunning on-the-button condition, and great beauty."

1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM
Sold for: $9.3 millionBy: RM AuctionsWhen: May 20, 2007Where: Maranello, ItalyThis well-traveled V12 race car was the 1962 Le Mans winner, driven by the legendary Phil Hill and the late Olivier Gendebien. It raced on other circuits like Bridgehampton and Sebring, and crashed at Le Mans in 1963. Believe it or not, it was a daily driver in New York City from 1965 to 1974, according to RM Auctions. Sports Car Market called it "one of most important Ferraris ever to cross the auction block." Ironically, it was offered for $8 million in 2005 and didn't sell.

Think the $1.4 million Bugatti Veyron is the world's most expensive car? Here's a list of 15 cars that sold this year for $2.8 million to $9.3 million each

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The Most Powerful Diesel Engine in the World!

The Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine is the most powerful and most efficient prime-mover in the world today. The Aioi Works of Japan 's Diesel United, Ltd built the first engines and is where some of these pictures were taken. It is available in 6 through 14 cylinder versions, all are inline engines. These engines were designed primarily for very large container ships. Ship owners like a single engine/single propeller design and the new generation of larger container ships needed a bigger engine to propel them. The cylinder bore is just under 38" and the stroke is just over 98". Each cylinder displaces 111,143 cubic inches (1820 liters) and produces 7780 horsepower. Total displacement comes out to 1,556,002 cubic inches (25,480 liters) for the fourteen cylinder version.

Some facts on the 14 cylinder version:

· Total engine weight : 2300 tons (The crankshaft alone weighs 300 tons.)
· Length: 89 feet
· Height: 44 feet
· Maximum power: 108,920 hp at 102 rpm
· Maximum torque: 5,608,312 lb/ft at 102rpm

Fuel consumption at maximum power is 0.278 lbs per hp per hour (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) . Fuel consumption at maximum economy is 0.260 lbs/hp/hour. At maximum economy the engine exceeds 50% thermal efficiency. That is, more than 50% of the energy in the fuel in converted to motion. For comparison, most automotive and small aircraft engines have BSFC figures in the 0.40-0.60 lbs/hp/hr range and 25-30% thermal efficiency range. Even at its most efficient power setting, the big 14 consumes 1,660 gallons of heavy fuel oil per hour. A cross section of the RTA96C:

The internals of this engine are a bit different than most automotive engines. The top of the connecting rod is not attached directly to the piston. The top of the connecting rod attaches to a "crosshead" which rides in guide channels. A long piston rod then connects the crosshead to the piston. I assume this is done so the the sideways forces produced by the connecting rod are absorbed by the crosshead and not by the piston. Those sideways forces are what makes the cylinders in an auto engine get oval-shaped over time. Installing the "thin-shell" bearings. Crank & rod journals are 38" in diameter and 16" wide:

The crank sitting in the block (also known as a "gondola-style" bedplate). This is a 10 cylinder version .Note the steps by each crank throw that lead down into the crankcase:

A piston & piston rod assembly. The piston is at the top. The large square plate at the bottom is where the whole assembly attaches to the crosshead


Some pistons And some piston rods:


The "spikes" on the piston rods are hollow tubes that go into the holes you can see on the bottom of the pistons (left picture) and inject oil into the inside of the piston which keeps the top of the piston from overheating. Some high-performance auto engines have a similar feature where an oil squirter nozzle squirts oil onto the bottom of the piston. The cylinder deck (10 cylinder version). Cylinder liners are die-cast ductile cast iron. Look at the size of those head studs!:

The first completed 12 cylinder engine:

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Intel's Ultrasmall Flash Hard Drive

Last Friday, Intel introduced one of the smallest flash-memory-based hard drives on the market. The chip, also known as a solid-state hard drive, competes with similar chips from Samsung, which store data in gadgets such as Apple's iPod nano and iPhone. But the Intel chip comes with a standard electronics controller built in, which makes it easy and inexpensive to combine multiple chips into a single, higher-capacity hard drive.

The move highlights Intel's effort to establish itself as a leader in flash-memory chips and to make them a replacement for the bulky and conventional magnetic hard drives that store data on most of the world's computers. Smart phones and so-called ultramobile computers will require some kind of dense, durable storage system in order to bring the power of desktop computers to handheld devices.

Since it found its way out of the lab in the late 1990s, flash memory has revolutionized consumer electronics. Because flash-memory chips are smaller, more rugged, and more energy efficient than magnetic hard disks, they have been the ideal replacement for hard drives in handheld devices such as MP3 players, and even in some high-end laptops. Flash is a solid-state memory technology, which means that it has no moving parts and stores data using silicon transistors like those found in microprocessor chips. Because it uses microprocessor technology, it also roughly follows Moore's Law, the prediction that the number of transistors on a chip doubles about every two years. For processors, this means that they get faster, but for flash-memory chips, it means that data storage doubles. And the market has responded to flash's burgeoning capacity: in 1999, the flash-memory market was nonexistent, but in 2007, it amounts to $15.2 billion.

At a press event, Don Larson, the marketing manager of Nand products at Intel, showed off the new chip. Called the Z-P140, it's about the size of a thumbnail and weighs less than a drop of water. It currently comes in two- and four-gigabyte versions, which are available to manufacturers for use in handheld devices. The first products featuring the new chips will be available in January.

Since the new solid-state drive has standard control electronics built in, it can be combined with up to three other Intel chips that don't have controllers, for a maximum of 16 gigabytes of storage, says Troy Winslow, flash marketing manager at Intel. While that may not seem like a lot compared with the 160-gigabyte hard drives in desktop computers, Larson pointed out that two gigabytes is enough to run some operating systems, such as Linux, along with software applications. The chip's electronics also allow it to work well with Intel processors, which make it useful for the ultramobile-PC market. And by 2010, Larson said, Intel expects to be able to cram 64 gigabytes of storage into a piece of silicon about the size of the new chip.

Flash has drawn criticism because its memory cells, which hold the electrical charges that represent data, tend to wear out quickly. But Winslow says that in the new chips, a memory cell can have data written to it and erased from it up to 100,000 times. And to ensure that no single cell gets overused, the chips have "wear-level" algorithms programmed into them, which evenly distribute reading and writing. Thus, flash memory could start to show signs of wear in about five years, depending on how it is used. In addition, the static electric field that holds charge tends to degrade over time; data losses in this case could occur after about 10 years.

Researchers at Intel and other companies are looking for the next solid-state technology that could replace flash. Winslow says that Intel is currently testing phase-change memory, a type of memory in which the crystal structure of a material changes in response to heat; particular orientations of the crystal correspond to 1s and 0s. Phase-change memory has many of the benefits of flash, such as its ruggedness and small size. But data can be written to it many thousands of times faster than it can to flash

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The Cheapest Car in the World - Tata Nano

Tata Motors, Indian car manufacturer presented a new car model, Tato Nano that costs only about $2,500 that makes it the cheapest car in the world. The low price is justified by the absence of air-conditioner, radio or anything else that can make driving in the car at least a bit more comfortable!

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7 Green Technologies of the Future

Image Sandia National Laboratory

A dramatic shift in the EU’s approach to energy consumption and generation has led to a more aggressive policy agreement in Europe. By 2020, the EU hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% while increasing the reliance on renewable energy sources by 20%. The policy also states that energy efficiency must be improved by 20%, also by 2020.

It will be a mammoth task to hit these targets as most EU countries are still largely dependent on imported fuels, and traditional energy technology and sources. The only conceivable way of achieving these goals is to invest considerable money and effort into existing renewable energy projects which are already proving to be sustainable. So far, several technologies in development are providing a glimmer of hope that might help the EU achieve its energy goals.

1. Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Image Wim Malfait

The overall objective of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) is to harness the heat naturally generated by the Earth to produce electricity. In order to do so, wells are drilled into high temperature basement rock which is naturally fractured. The fracture network is enhanced to create a reservoir into which additional wells are drilled. Cold water is then pumped into the fracture network, via the wells, absorbing the heat of the rock as it passes through. As it surfaces in the connected wells, the heat is captured and converted into electricity via steam turbines and the water is released back into the fracture network to be reheated.

Successes at EGS projects like at Cooper Basin in Australia, where they achieved a third to a half flow capacity after drilling into 250°C rock four kilometres below ground, have been encouraging. EGS is a base-load resource, which gives it the ability to produce power 24 hours a day. It is also economically viable as it costs less to set up an EGS operation than to set up a new clean coal burning power plant.

Image: MatterNetwork

With zero carbon emissions, this technology will certainly help in the overall reduction of CO2 emissions. Identifying the potential of enhanced geothermal systems has led to more intensive research and test centres in countries around the world such as Germany, France, Switzerland and the US.

2. Nanosolar

Image St Stev

Solar energy has always been one of the best renewable energy sources as it doesn’t release noxious gasses into the atmosphere, and once installed requires little maintenance. However the manufacturing and operational costs have historically been quite high, especially in comparison with more traditional but carbon-intensive means of producing energy. This is soon set to change as Nanosolar Inc. leads the way having created the most cost efficient solar energy source to date.

Nanosolar managed to reduce production costs from $3 per watt to 30 cents per watt during the manufacturing of their PowerSheet cells. They managed this impressive cost reduction using an innovative technology which coats metal sheets, as thin as aluminium foil, with a microscopic layer of printer ink containing minuscule solar cells. As these panels do not require silicon they can also maximise the transfer of sunlight into power. The company has ambitious plans to mass produce cost efficient solar energy at their plant in San Jose, which is expected to produce 430 megawatts per year – or four times the combined production of all the existing US-based solar plants.

European companies have been lagging behind in developing cost effective solar energy but fortunately Nanosolar’s innovative solar panels will soon be making their way to the European market after EDF Energies Nouvelles invested $50 million in the company.

3. Orbiting Solar Arrays

Image tonibduguid

One technology still in the discovery stage is orbiting solar arrays. Scientists are currently investigating the feasibility of this potential renewable energy source. In theory an array of solar panels would be constructed outside of the Earth’s atmosphere and placed into orbit. These panels would then beam the solar power back down to a receptor where it could be converted into electricity.

The main attraction of this technology is the ability to tap into an unimaginably huge energy source several orders of magnitude beyond all other known sources combined. Building the array and positioning it to orbit the Earth means there would be no interruption of the flow of solar energy to the arrays due to adverse weather conditions or it being night.

Image National Space Society

Aside from the technical challenges in getting the energy back to Earth, the major concerns are the massive installation and operational costs. However those involved in the investigations are enthusiastic about the project as it has the potential to power not just cities, or a country, but the entire world.

4. Concentrated Solar Power

Image Tecnica Vertical

Another alternative solar energy technology is Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). Similar in concept to the ancient ‘burning mirrors’ used by the Chinese back in 700BC, this modern version takes the form of solar farms in which multiple rows of mirrors concentrate the sun’s rays onto a fluid-filled vessel, which in turn powers generators or steam turbines.

Building solar farms in many countries is not a viable option for obvious reasons; however the Spanish, Moroccan, Algerian and Egyptian governments are starting to invest in the development of CSP plants. It is said that each year the desert receives the solar energy equivalent of 1.5 million barrels of oil per square kilometre, making CSP a very feasible alternative energy source.

Once these plants are up and running, it would be possible to import the energy from Africa to Europe via a high voltage direct current (HVDC) super grid. These grids would be a great improvement on the existing grids as they only lose around 3% of the power per 1000km, compared with the approximate 50% loss on the current HVAC grids.

Concentrated Solar Power definitely seems the most likely way forward in producing cost effective and clean renewable energy. So far support, at least amongst European countries, is growing and it is quite possible that in the near future Europe will gain a more efficient electrical super grid, transporting solar power originating from North Africa.

5. Smart Grids

Image Kuw_Son

According to a report [PDF] from the International Energy Agency, between 2003 and 2030 more that $16 trillion will have been spent worldwide on designing, developing and installing smart grids. The primary objective of smart grids is to overcome the endemic problems common to current electrical grid systems. Smart grids will make the distribution and consumption of energy more efficient and cost-effective.

The design of these smart grids will take into consideration the integration of alternative energy sources, including wind and solar, as well employing an advanced metering infrastructure. This system will help energy companies to identify peaks and lags in consumption, limit electricity loss and enable them to distribute loads more efficiently.

Image Internet Revolution

Utility companies will be able to maximise the use of low cost energy sources while keeping the power flows optimised. The advanced meter technology will mean that these savings could be passed onto the consumer as the rates are constantly adjusted according to the energy source used. In addition to this, the implementation of smart grids will see CO2 emissions reduced quite substantially.

6. Carbon Capture & Storage

Image nixter

Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), also known as Carbon Sequestration, could account for almost a third of the CO2 reductions needed by 2050, according to the International Energy Authority. Coal burning plants utilising this technology separate carbon dioxide during the electricity generation process and then bury it deep underground.

Leading the way in Europe is the Spremberg plant in Germany, which is producing affordable electricity without polluting the atmosphere. The carbon emissions from this plant are said to be 90% less than traditional facilities. The intention is to have twelve commercial scale demonstration plants in operation by 2015 throughout Europe, in accordance with EU legislation.

Image Cambridge University

It seems likely that the implementation of CCS plants is among the most viable options if Europe is to meet its 20% carbon reduction target, as we are still largely reliant on fossil fuels for our energy, and the demand is set to double by 2030.

7. Nuclear Fusion Power

Image Mark Lamerton

Nuclear fusion is a clean, safe technology which has the potential to create much larger volumes of energy than traditional or alternative renewable energy sources. It is quite possibly the best long term energy solution currently being explored.

One of the biggest nuclear fusion projects to date has been the Joint European Torus where they achieved a peak production of 16.1 megawatt fusion power in 1997. More recently two complimentary projects have been initiated.

The High Power Laser Energy Research (HiPER) project aims to use a high-powered laser pulse to compress the hydrogen isotopes, Deuterium and Tritium, to a very high density. Then to produce the actual energy from the compressed DT fuel, a second pulse is fired raising it to fusion temperatures of more than 100 million degrees Celsius. The hydrogen nuclei would then fuse to form Helium and a colossal volume of energy would be released.

The ITER project uses a similar concept to HiPER but instead of using laser pulses to initiate the fusion process, it uses the ITER device. The design is based on the tokamak concept where hot gas is confined by a magnetic field in a torus-shaped vessel. It is said that once the gas reaches fusion temperatures, it is capable of producing 500 MW of power

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Antonov An-225 - World's Largest Aircraft

The Antonov An-225 Mriya is a heavy-lift transport. It was designed to carry piggy-back loads which are too big to fit into its fuselage. For example, the Buran Space Shuttle. Mriya means dream. It is the world's largest aircraft in the world. It was derived from the An-124. The An-225 uses 6 engines, whereas, the An-124 has 4 engines.
The An-225 first flew on 21 December, 1988. Only one An-225 was built, however, a second plane may be built

Specifications

• Type: Heavy Transport
• Powerplants: Six ZMKB Progress Lotarev D-18T turbofans with 229.50kN of thrust each
• Max take-Off Weight: 600,000kg
• Max Payload (internal or external): 250,000kg - 275, 000kg?
• Wingspan: 88.4mLength: 84mSpeed: 800km/h
• Height: 18.1mCargo Hold: Length: 35.97m;
• Width: 6.4m; Height: 4.39m
• Range with Max Payload: 4,500km
• Range with Max Fuel: 15,400kmCrew: 7

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FIGHTER and MILITARY AIRCRAFT Pictures

FIGHTER and MILITARY AIRCRAFT Pictures

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