Thursday, 9 February, 2012

It’s a fact of life: Hurricanes and floods happen. So why are people rebuilding in the path of storms and floods? Is there a smarter way to plan development?

Trucks create a lot of turbulence at the rear. Can a simple set of plates reduce this turbulence and save 10 percent on an 18-wheeler’s fuel bill?

The solar clock doesn’t quite line up with the atomic clock. We use leap seconds to make them match. Should we dump the leap second?

An international team of scientists selected the Homestake goldmine to be the world’s deepest underground lab, but the project may sink.

Chandra, the X-ray astronomy telescope, is three years old. We ogle some of its greatest hits. Caution: These bangs are BIG!

Airbus crashes in New York — composite material fails and tail fin falls off. Why are composites (usually) so strong? How are they used in roads, bikes and planes?

Before some building projects, salvage archaeologists save what they can. What can you learn with a quick-and-dirty dig? Is it worth the hassle?

Organic solvents are handy hydrocarbon chemicals used to carry coatings — typically paint — to objects. New invention could filter these solvents out at the factory, reducing air pollution.

Mars Polar Orbiter: Lost in space. What else goes wrong in the great blue yonder, and what could we do to prevent more problems?

Missile defense: Protective shield, or dangerous myth? New tests do little to solve the problem.