Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Returns to Earth After a 15-Month Secret Mission



X-37B After Landing Air Force crews tend to the X-37B secretive space plane after it returned from its maiden voyage Dec. 3, 2010. U.S. Air Force/Michael Stonecypher
The Air Force’s X-37B--its secret robotic space plane that’s been orbiting the Earth on a mission shrouded in mystery for more than a year--landed safely in the wee hours Saturday morning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Orbital Test Vehicle 2 (OTV-2) is the second X-37B test vehicle to successfully complete an orbital mission and autonomously return to Earth, following sister spacecraft OTV-1’s 225-day mission in 2010.
That original mission lasted 224 days, a figure that at the time was mind-blowing for a top secret robotic spaceplane. It led to wide speculation about what the X-37B’s are really capable of--the Air Force maintains that it is simply learning how to quickly recover and launch robotic spaceplanes, nothing more--as well as what their pickup-truck-sized cargo bays might be holding (the Air Force is silent on the latter point).

Regardless, OTV-2 just blew OTV-1 and even its own design parameters clean out of the water. The most recent OTV mission lasted for 469 days on orbit, more than twice the length of OTV-1‘s inaugural mission and surpassing its own 270-day mission profile by 199 days. So the 29-foot mini-shuttles are showing some serious promise, we’re just not sure what for.
If anything, this most recent mission is proof that the Air Force is getting somewhere with its stated goal for the orbiters. With OTV-2 on the ground, OTV-1 is already being prepped for another mission slated to launch later this year. The Air Force likely won’t be any more forthcoming about the payload or objectives of that mission either, but rumor has it that Boeing Phantom Works--maker of the X-37B--is exploring the possibility of building a larger version tentatively titled the X-37C that would be nearly twice as large and could carry up to six astronauts.

Revealed: Google's Car Fleet Has Been Driving Around Unmanned For 140,000 Miles Already


Stanford's Pikes Peak-Climbing Audi TT-S Stanford University has a long tradition of building autonomously navigated cars, like this Audi TT-S designed to race the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Now, researchers from Stanford and Carnegie Mellon University – itself no stranger to building autonomous vehicles – have teamed with Google to build a fleet of robotic vehicles that negotiate traffic without human intervention.
When it comes to artificial intelligence Google has a head start, what with all that free data we give them every time we search for a 30 Rock clip. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the search giant is the latest enterprise to pursue a future where cars drive themselves via complex, decision-making artificial intelligence software. Over the weekend it was revealed that Google has seven test cars that have driven 1,000 miles each without any human intervention whatsoever.
Of course, the cars aren’t exactly driverless. There is always someone sitting behind the wheel, ready to seize control should something go awry. There’s also a passenger, a technician to monitor the navigation system and ensure the software is running smoothly. But the cars do pretty much all of the work – one of them even negotiated San Francisco’s famously treacherous Lombard Street (that steep stretch of pavement that’s more or less a series of sharp switchbacks). If you count up all the miles that required only occasional human intervention, the cars have logged some 140,000 miles altogether
In fact, the Stanford Professor behind the team that won the second DARPA Grand Challenge with the Stanley robot car is the brainpower behind Google’ fleet of artificially intelligent automobiles (he’s also a Google engineer). That fleet is made up of six Toyota Priuses and one Audi TT.
The idea behind all of this, of course, is to make roadways safer and reduce energy costs. A fleet of shared smart vehicles means cars could be summoned only when they are needed rather than being owned (and parked) by each individual. Robot drivers also react faster than humans – who are increasingly distracted by a growing cacophony of technological noise in our cabs – have 360-degree vision, and remain sober and alert even after weddings and football games. And if roadways were packed with automated, networked robo-cars rather than angry, lane-weaving, stop-and-go drivers, traffic would move more efficiently as well.
Ambitious predictions say self-driving autos could be deployed in the next eight years. Getting them certified for the road and brought within the letter of the law is going to cause unenviable headaches along the way, but the end result could be a complete re-engineering of car culture beginning before the decade is out.

Four Driverless Vans Complete 8,000-Mile Transcontinental Trek From Italy to Shanghai


VisLab's Driverless Auto VisLab
Back in July, two all-electric, driverless vans set out from Italy bound for China, an 8,000-mile trek through two continents, several countries, and endless driving variables like traffic, weather conditions, and roadway conditions. A few dings and only a handful of human interventions later, the vans arrived at the Shanghai Expo today, marking the first transcontinental journey by driverless vehicles that we’ve heard about.
The vans – which carried technicians to run the sophisticated computer and sensor systems as well as to take the wheel if a situation turned dangerous – operated without human stimulus or direction for nearly the entire trip using an artificial vision system called GOLD (Generic Obstacle and Lane Detection). The system analyzed the roadway ahead and the lane markers on the road, adjusting the wheel, acceleration, and braking to keep the van cruising comfortably down the road.

That’s pretty impressive, considering the vans forged through everything from Moscow traffic to remote regions of Siberia and the Gobi Desert. Running at a maximum speed of 38 miles per hour, the toughest obstacles seemed to be the least daunting; while the human teams had to intervene once in Moscow gridlock, the only recurring obstacle requiring human intervention were tolling stations.
Otherwise, the four solar-charged laser sensors and seven video cameras on each van performed well in variable weather conditions and in sometimes adverse driving conditions. There were no maps; the vans found their own route to Shanghai. One van even pulled over at one point to offer a hitchhiker a lift.
The trip was less a demonstration and more a data-gathering experiment. The reams of information collected from the sensor suite will be used to improve the vision system, correct mistakes in computer judgment, and hopefully to program in a stern warning about the dangers of picking up shiftless drifters on remote stretches of highway.

A motorcycle with an aerodynamic shell gets more than 200 miles per gallon


Cool Storage Besides increasing fuel economy, the shell allowed builder Allert Jacobs to add a trunk in the back. Hans Pieterse
Dutch vehicle designer Allert Jacobs knew that his fuel-sipping, shell-encased motorcycle was street-legal. Unfortunately, the police didn’t, and impounded it after pulling him over during a test run.
Allert Jacobs' Aerocycle:  Hans Pieterse

But Jacobs has a lot of patience. He first built a resistance-reducing nose cone in 2007, in an attempt to increase his Honda Innova 125i’s 114-mpg rating. That design fell short, so he built a 1:5 scale model, followed by a full-size polyurethane and wood mold. By 2009, he was crafting the fiberglass shell. Steel tubes welded to the bike’s frame attach it, and a frame and rails added to the front of the bike allow the front of the shell to slide forward like a door and lock shut. Last winter, he even made aerodynamic cones with indicator lights for his side-view mirrors.
In the Shell : The top view of the motorcycle  Hans Pieterse

Most of the mileage boost comes from the aerodynamic shape, but Jacobs also converted the bike’s automatic clutch to manual to keep it from slipping. Altogether, the changes worked: On one long trip, the bike got 214 miles per gallon. And as for the impound? “I got it back,” he says, “and they had to apologize.”
Time: 3 years Cost: $5,000

HANDLING

Jacobs can put his feet down to steady himself when stopped, but the shell prevents him from planting them out wide. He’s considering building a new version with open sides in order to reduce balance issues.

COMFORT

After lowering the seat and raising the footrests above the wheel, Jacobs decided that they would improve steering if they were closer to the hub, so he welded tubes to the frame parallel to the front forks and attached the footrests to them.

SECURITY

Jacobs welded and bolted a steel rail to the front of the bike so that half the shell can slide forward 18 inches, allowing him easy access and exit. There’s a security bonus too, since he can lock up his bike along with any valuables inside.

3 More MPG-Boosting Mods

Duct-Taped Dream: Thanks to ecomodder.com, a community of DIYers hell-bent on adding mileage, for help with this article.  Chang Ho Kim

Duct-Taped Dream

Chang Ho Kim, who runs an auto-repair shop in Massachusetts, skipped doing airflow calculations and modified his 1989 Honda CRX HF largely on instinct. He added a narrow, wedge-shaped acrylic nose to move the air over the hood and roof, taped the seams between the body panels to prevent turbulence, and installed acrylic skirts to keep air flowing past the rear tires. An aerodynamic tail extends down off the hatchback glass. A few screws and lots of aluminum duct tape keep the pieces together. The mods yielded results: Previously, his Honda ran at 40 miles per gallon; now it routinely tops 60.
Greenie Van :  Courtesy glassmarcus.com

GREENIE VAN

Glass artist and furniture maker Marcus Sabathil’s Toyota Previa minivan is a moving example of his dedication to green principles: He increased its highway mileage from 20 mpg to 36. Sabathil made more than a dozen mechanical modifications, crafted a clear Lexan plastic aerodynamic tail with stainless-steel trim, and added interior side-view mirrors so he could fold in the outer ones on the road.
Wonder-Trailer:  Courtesy Phil Knox

WONDER-TRAILER

Phil Knox, an aeromodding legend, attached an inverted and partially sawed-off boat to the top of a utility trailer and added fairings in front of and behind the wheels, as well as a smooth aluminum belly pan to reduce drag beneath the trailer. As a result, unlike normal trailers, Knox’s 430-pound creation—still awaiting a few tweaks before it’s finished—does not appear to reduce his pickup truck’s mileage.
WARNING: DIY can be dangerous. your safety is your responsibility. Always wear protective gear, take proper safety precautions, and follow all laws and regulations

Kepler Spots Two Planets Locked in Super-Close, Never-Before-Seen Orbit


Kepler Planets Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Imagine crawling out of bed and seeing a gigantic red Mars instead of the Sun. That's basically the situation for two newly discovered planets. Astronomers working with NASA's Kepler Mission recently found them 1,200 light years away, and they're 30 times closer than any pair of planets in our solar system. Actually, the scientists aren't totally sure how that happened--just another sign that our solar system is not the only way planets can be arranged.
One is a rocky planet 1.5 times the size of Earth and 4.5 times the mass; the other is a gaseous planet 3.7 times the size of Earth and eight times the mass. How two planets with disparate densities like that made their way into or stayed in such close orbit is a puzzle for right now. It's pretty odd behavior, at least compared to here in our solar system, where the rocky, warm planets like Mercury and Earth stay close to the sun while the icy ones keep their distance. There are still some knowledge gaps when it comes to planetary orbit and rearrangement, and researchers are hoping this sparks some discussion.

Chinese Astronauts Return to Earth After 12-Day Mission


Taikonaut Liu Yang AFP/Getty Images
Chinese astronauts have returned to Earth in a re-entry broadcast live on Chinese television, landing safely in Inner Mongolia. We saw the historic launch and docking earlier this month, and now, after more than a week of running tests aboard the solar-powered Tiangong 1 space module, the crew of three is back. Needless to say, this is another big leap for the country.
The Shenzhou 9 flight was China's fourth manned spaceflight, and the crew of taikonauts--as astronauts are known in the country--includes the first Chinese woman to make the journey into space. The module won't be retired just yet; it could stick around for another two years, officials say, set to accommodate more missions.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Mars Might Have a Lot More Water Than We Knew

Researchers have discovered evidence that there's a lot more water on Mars--at least on parts of Mars--than anyone previously thought. Using new technology, scientists examined the water content in meteorites from the planet, and it points to a lot of it in the Martian mantle.
The meteorites they studied are called shergottite meteorites, and they likely broke off from Mars about 2.5 million years ago. Even though the meteorites had a different elemental composition, the amount of water was consistent, bolstering the idea that they're representative of the planet as a whole.
We've actually known there's been water on the surface for a while, but how it got there was a little hazier. Now we have an idea: volcanoes sent it out. As Carnegie Institution For Science investigator Erik Hauri, who performed the analysis, explained in a statement:  There has been substantial evidence for the presence of liquid water at the Martian surface for some time. So it’s been puzzling why previous estimates for the planet’s interior have been so dry. This new research makes sense and suggests that volcanoes may have been the primary vehicle for getting water to the surface.
Water under the mantle also clues us in a bit to the planet's geological history, suggesting H2O played a role in its formation.
So how much water are we talking about? At least in the samples, a lot of it. On average, a little more than Earth has. The samples suggested parts of Mars have between 70 and 300 parts per million water, while Earth's mantle averages about 50 to 300 parts per million. Two questions it raises: Could Mars ever have sustained life in the past, and would this make it easier to do in the future?

How Astronauts Train at the Bottom of the Sea


Under the Sea To create conditions that better mimic microgravity, astronauts 63 feet below the ocean’s surface wear small pieces of foam on their wetsuits to become more buoyant. NASA
Since 2001, planners at NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) program have been sending people to live in Aquarius, an underwater laboratory three and a half miles south of Key Largo, Florida. Last month, during NEEMO’s 16th mission, three astronauts lived there for 12 days, testing strategies for future asteroid expeditions, evaluating the best spacewalking techniques, and planning how to sample rocks and soil.
Deep Space:  NASA
At night, after hours of walking on the ocean floor, aquanauts recognize their undersea habitat by a strange light in the distance. “You see the glow coming out of the portholes,” says astronaut Mike Gernhardt, who has logged 43 days in space and also works on the NEEMO program. “It really is like coming back to a spaceship.” Aquanauts enter their school-bus-size underwater home by swimming up through a hole in its floor. Aquarius constantly hums with white noise from carbon dioxide scrubbers that, similar to those on the space shuttle, make the air safe to breathe. The main living area is kept at 2.5 atmospheres of pressure so that residents can swim outside without becoming ill. The heavy, pressurized air makes it difficult to whistle.
Down Below:  NASA
At the end of their mission, the aquanauts open Aquarius’s vents to depressurize the habitat and themselves over the course of 16 hours. Then they don their wetsuits and swim to the surface.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

New facts about the pyramids: a new miracle of the Qur’an



 
Last scientific discovery stated the following: French and U.S. researchers assert that the huge stones used by the Pharaohs to build the pyramids are just clay that has been heated at high temperatures…
Will the pyramids that we know as one of the Seven Wonders survive in the world? Did scientists find an answer to the puzzle of how the pyramids were built in ancient Egypt? Are some people still believe that the Jinn are the builders of these pyramids? Is it possible to believe that creatures from outer space built the pyramids of Egypt? ...
These speculations filled the world and lasted for several centuries, but the new discovery made by scientists from France and America will change the scientists` look forever. It will also give a simple scientific explanation to the mystery of building the pyramids, but more odd is that this mystery has been in the Qur'an fourteen centuries ago!!!
It was believed that the pharaohs have carved the stones but the question here is: How come all the stones are so identical that you cannot find a distance between one stone and another? And where are the equipments and chisels that were used in carving those stones? Until now, they have not been found? This discovery confirms that the scientists were wrong when they thought that the pyramids were built of stones. The nearest answer to logic and truth is to say that the civilization of the pharaohs was built on the clay!!
 
This is a picture from top of Cheops the Great ` pyramid, as we can notice this pyramid was the highest building in the world with a height up to 146 meters. Millions of stones were used in the construction: each stone weighs several tons. It is an enormous work that gives evidence to the powers the Pharaohs reached before 4500 years ago.
New scientific facts
One of the scientific facts that the great pyramid with the height of 146 meters was the highest building in the world for the last 4500 years and continued until the nineteenth century, The new theory proposed by French Professor Joseph Davidovits, the director of Geopolymer Institute asserts that the pyramids were built mainly of mud and that clay was used as a mean to move the stones on special railway.
The research suggests that the mud and other materials were taken from the Nile`s soil and these materials were put together in tight stone molds .Then they were heated at a  high temperature, leading to the interaction of these materials and  forming them into stones-like volcanoes stones, which were formed millions of years ago. Scientist Davidovits affirms that the stones which were used to build the pyramids were mainly from limestone, clay and water. The tests made by using Nanotechnology (the branch of engineering that deals with things smaller than 100 nanometers) proved the existence of large quantities of water in these rocks; such quantities do not exist in natural stones.
Furthermore,there is also consistency in the internal structure of stones which confirms that it is unreasonable  that these stones were brought, then  were carved in this way. The most realistic possibility is that they poured the clay in molds to make identical stones just as today as we pour plastic tools in templates so all the pieces are quite equal and similar.
Electronic microscope was used to analyze samples of the pyramids stones. The result was closer to the opinion of Prof. Davidovits and the quartz crystals appeared clearly as a result of heating the mud. He stated that we don`t have in the nature like these stones which his confirms they were made by the Pharaohs. The analysis by Mini E scale indicated the presence of silicon dioxide too. This is another proof that the stones are not natural.

The picture shows Professor Michel Barsoum standing next to the Great Pyramid. He stress that these stones were poured into molds of clay! This what he proved in his researches after results of long experiments that these stones are not natural. Pro. Michel Barsoum confirmed after Electronic microscope analysis that they are a result of a quick interaction between clay, limestone and water at high temperatures.
Davidovits famous book entitled “Ils ont bati les pyramides” ,published in France in 2002, has resolved all problems and puzzles which were told about the way that the pyramids were built. Moreover, he put a simple geometric construction mechanism of mud. It was very convincing to many researchers in this field of science. Some researches emphasized that furnaces or stoves were used in ancient times to make ceramics and statues. The common use of fire was to build status of clay, mixed with metals and natural materials. After that, they lit a fire until the statue solidifies and takes the shape of real rocks. Many civilizations used the heated clay for making stones, statues and tools. All researches confirmed the this method used by the pharaohs in high buildings such as pyramids.
They made wooden rails that went round the pyramid in a spiral way like the grapes tabernacle which grows around itself and ascends to the top.
Other researches reach the same result 
Other analysis using X-ray proved existence of air bubbles in the samples taken from the pyramids which were formed during the pouring stones from mud and evaporation of water from mud. Furthermore, these bubbles do not exist in natural stones and this adds new evidence that the stones are made of clay and limestone not older than 4700 years.
Mario Collepardi, an Italian Prof. studied the architecture of the pyramids, emphasized that the Pharaohs brought the limestone dust available a lot in their area, mixed it with normal soil. Then they added water from the river Nile and lit fire to a temperature up to 900 degrees Celsius. This heat gave the stone strength and a shape similar to natural rocks.
The new idea does not cost a lot of effort because workers will not carry and raise any stones, all they have to do is to make the templates in which they pour mud and transfer mud from the ground and raise them in small containers. Each worker carries a container with mud to fill the templates. Then comes the process of lighting fire until the stone is shaped and stayed in place making sure by this way that there are no spaces between the stone and the other. Using this method helped in keeping the pyramids safe for thousands of years. 
 
The picture shows two adjacent stones of the pyramid's stones. We can notice the small oval cavity between them which is referred to by the arrow. It is a proof that the stones had been poured from mud in the rock template because this cavity was formed during casting stones, not as a result of erosion. It is originally out of these stones.
The Scientific fact corresponds with the Quran
After all these facts, we can reach to this result, which is: the technique used in the Age of the Pharaohs to build massive buildings such as pyramids, was mainly using the normal mud available near the River Nile. Then mixing it with water, placing it in templates and finally lighting the fire until it solidifies and stones are shaped the way we see today.
This technique remained hidden as a secret until 1981, when that scientist put his theory. Then in 2006, other scientists proved the validity of the theory, beyond any doubt, by laboratory analysis, this technique was entirely unknown at the time of Quran. But what does the Quran say? Let`s my brothers and sisters consider and praise Allah, Almighty.
After Pharaoh has become an oppressor and declared himself as a God of Egypt!! What did he say to his people, consider this:“Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) said: "O chiefs! I know not that you have an ilâh (a god) other than me.”( AlQassas :  38). To that extreme extent, his challenge and arrogance reached. However, the Pharaoh did not stop, he wanted to challenge God`s power and build a high monument in order to climb it to see who is Allah Almighty. Therefore, the Pharaoh wanted to prove to his people, the ones who were like him, that Moses (peace be upon him) is not honest, and that the Pharaoh is the only God of the universe!!
The pharaoh asked Haman, his deputy and partner, to build a huge monument to prove to the people that God does not exist. Here Pharaoh resorted to the technique used at that time in construction which was lighting fire on stones in order to pour the needed stones for the monument. The Pharaoh said after that: “So kindle for me (a fire), O Hâmân, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Sarh (a lofty tower, or palace) in order that I may look at (or look for) the Ilâh (God) of Mûsâ (Moses); and verily, I think that he [Mûsâ (Moses)] is one of the liars."( AlQassas :  38).
But what was the result? Look and think of the fate of the Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers, the Almighty says: (And he and his hosts were arrogant in the land, without right, and they thought that they would never return to us * So We seized him and his hosts, and we threw them all into the sea (and drowned them). So behold (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) what was the end of the Zâlimûn [wrong-doers, polytheists and those who disbelieved in the Oneness of their Lord (Allâh), or rejected the advice of His Messenger Mûsâ (Moses) (peace be upon him]. .( AlQassas :  39-40).
One might ask, is the monument the same as the Pyramid? We say it is not often. The monument is high as a tower or high lighthouse used in order to ascend to high altitude. Allah punished the Pharaoh and destroyed him. Allah Almighty also destroyed his monument to be a verse for the ones who comes after him. This monument that he build to challenge God was destroyed and we do not find it anywhere. The story of the Pharaoh and his black fate was told by Allah in this verse: “And we destroyed completely all the great works and buildings which Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) and his people erected.” ( Al Aaraf: 137 ). Already some scattered stones were found buried by sand during thousands of years.
 
The picture shows one of the three pyramids at Giza with the top still covered by a layer of mud. This layer is from the same stone used in building; which indicates that clay was fully used in building the pyramids. This “ Pharaonic  technology” was perhap a secret of the strength of the pharaonic civilization and kept on as a secret not mentioned even in manuscripts and inscriptions. Therefore, the Qur'an tells us about one of the hidden secrets that cannot be known only to Allah, and this is strong evidence that the Koran is the book of Allah!
The miracle
1.             This researcher and other dozens of researchers confirm that clay is the building material of the pyramids, and these buildings are the highest buildings, known from ancient history to the modern era. All these facts confirm that the Quran verse is true and consistent with science and one of the verses of the scientific miracles.
2.             The technology of making stones from mud using heat, was not known at the time of revelation of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not have any knowledge about the way of building the pyramids. Accordingly, this verse is to be considered a great scientific discovery as it linked between the mud and heat as a means of building in the Age of the Pharaohs. On the account of this fact, it led us to know that construction at that time was based on this method. This scientific fact has not been recognized only a few years ago by using very advanced technologies!
3.             This miracle is an evidence of full consistency between the Qur'an and science and truthfulness of Allah Almighty when He said about his book: “Do they not then consider the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than Allâh, they would surely have found therein many a contradiction.”(Al Nisaa:82) The verse is a response to the atheists who claim that the Quran was written by Mohammed (peace be upon him), as how can he predict such a matter as the pyramids are far from his time and he never see it before!
4.             he certain facts confirm that the Greatest Pyramid in Giza or the so-called pyramid of Cheops was the highest building on earth for 4500 years. It was the Pharaohs famous buildings or monuments. Allah destroyed the monuments and buildings built by the Pharaoh, who claimed divinity, whereas   pyramids which were built by other Pharaohs were saved by Allah and kept as a witness of truthfulness of the Book of Allah, the Almighty!  
5.             In the verse “And we destroyed completely all the great works and buildings which Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) and his people erected.” Look at the word (erected) which indicates the technique used in ancient Egypt to put the rocks on top of each other! In Arabic language we find the word in “Al Qamoos Al Muhid” dictionary:(erected) build an arbor(erected the grape arbor: raise the plant on wood, (erected) the house: build the house, put the roof. The result: the word (erected) refers to putting the wood to raise stones up. That whatscientists and researchers say today: the Pharaohs used the wooden  rails to  raise  mud by  climbing in a spiral way  around the building just like a pergola, which wrap around the pillar upon which it is based on  in a spiral way.  
 
The drawing shows the way of building the pyramids through the placing wooden rails in a spiral way in order to transfer mud to make stones, wrapping around the pyramid up just like the bowers grape that wrap around and climb. Allah Almighty used the word (erected) to indicate the geometrical mechanism of constructing buildings and monuments. Mostly destroyed by Allah, leaving only the pyramids to be evidence of the truthfulness of the Qur’an
6.             This miracle is an answer to those who claim that our greatest prophet (peace be upon him) took the Sciences and stories from the Bible or from Monk ‘Buhira” or the priest “Waraqa bin Nawfal”, because the technical construction by mud was not mentioned in the holly Book “AlTorah”.On the contrary, any reader of “Torah” comes to a conclusion that stones were brought in from places far from the Pyramids and were natural stones not related to mud. This is what prevented some western scientists from recognition of this scientific discovery because it contradicts the holly book.
7.             The research presented by Professor Davidovits invalidated all biblical (The holly book of Torah) claims that thousands of workers have worked for many years in these pyramids. It also invalidates the idea that stones were brought from distant places to build the pyramids. Therefore, we are looking at physical evidence that the Torah story contradicts science.
It means that there is a big difference between the Holly book of Torah and scientific facts, and this shows that the current copy of Torah is written by humans, not from Allah Almighty. This fact was confirmed by the Quran: " Do they not then consider the Qur’ân carefully? Had it been from other than Allâh, they would surely have found therein many a contradiction. (Al Nisaa: 82). It also indicates that the Quran is from Allah Almighty because it always matches science!
Some questions to those who are skeptics of message of Islam
1. How did Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him know about the presence of high buildings Pharaohs build in their time? And if he has derived his information from the Torah, he would have come to the same information mentioned in the Torah. Where did he come up with the idea of architecture at all?
2. How was the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) aware that technique of clay was used in construction in the Ages of Pharaohs? And what made him talk such historical and metaphysical issues as it would not provide anything to him in his massage. If the Prophet wrote the Quran (as some people claim) it would have been better that he tells them about Arab Legends which are the closet to people to accept his massage!
3. How did Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) know that the Pharaoh Claim divinity? And that he build monuments? And how did he learn that these monuments have been destroyed? And only the remains are left as an evidence of their existence in the past. Allah Almighty says: (And those are their dwellings, which have not been inhabited after them except a little. And verily! We have been the inheritors.)(Al Qassas :58)
4. Is it possible If Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) wrote the Quran to say such a thing:
“Do they not travel in the land, and see what was the end of those before them? They were superior to them in strength, and they tilled the earth and populated it in greater numbers than these (pagans) have done: and there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs. Surely, Allâh wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves." (Al Room: 9) Allah Almighty makes contemplating through these pyramids and other ancient monuments remain a mean of realizing Allah`s power and fate of arrogant people who challenge Allah.
These facts are physical proofs reflected in Allah`s holly book that shows the truthfulness of this book, one might say: The theory of building the pyramids by mud had not become a scientific fact, so how do you explain the Quran with such theory, and I say: this theory did not come from a nowhere but it was a result of scientific and laboratory analysis and does not contradict reality. It matches the Quran. However the science develops, it will not discover facts, and only the ones which match the Quran, in order these facts are means of seeing miracles of Allah in his book. He said: "We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’ân) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a Witness over all things? (Fusselat: 53.).
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2011 Invention Awards: A Better Mechanical Hand


A prosthetic hand that’s as functional as an electronic model—but at a fraction of the cost

In The Workshop One of the inspirations for Mark Stark’s [below] invention was an artificial hand designed for NASA. “It was a challenge,” he says. “I thought, ‘I can do better than that.’" John B. Carnett
Prosthetic hands typically come in three varieties: purely cosmetic models; hooks and other low-cost mechanical appendages that provide a limited range of motion; and electronic versions that better mimic natural hand movements yet can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Mark Stark’s prosthetic incorporates the best elements of each. Although its minimalist plastic assembly is nearly as light and inexpensive as a common steel hook, it looks and moves like a high-end electronic hand.
Stark, who makes his living designing valves for dryers and other appliances, got into prosthetics in part to help his friend, Dave Vogt, who was born without a left hand. Stark’s creation is electronics-free, but its fingers each have three knuckles (two on the thumb) that bend separately to conform to anything the wearer grasps, including irregularly shaped objects that a hook can’t hold.

Hooks attach to a socket at the end of an amputee’s arm and are operated by a cable that runs up to a shoulder harness. When the wearer shrugs his shoulders, the cable pulls the hook open; when he relaxes, the cable slackens and the hook closes. The Stark Hand screws into the same socket-and-cable system but adds a lever on the palm that connects to five more cables, each running up the back of a finger. A shoulder movement triggers the lever to tug all five fingers open at once, and the individual cables let each finger rebound on its own. Springs in each joint contract until each finger comes to rest on an object, so some fingertips can curl around, say, a wineglass stem while others grasp the cup. The springs exert a level of pressure gentle enough to hold an egg but strong enough that you can lift a chair.


How It Works: The Stark Hand: The prosthetic hand attaches to a cable that runs from a shoulder harness worn by an amputee. A lever on the palm opens all five fingers at once, and separate cables in each finger and springs at each knuckle allow the fingers to close individually and bend around objects with a secure grip.  Blanddesigns.co.uk

In 2004, Stark constructed a proof-of-concept from hardware-store supplies and gave it to Vogt to try out. Within an hour, Vogt caught a ball left-handed for the first time in his life. Since then, he has helped Stark test and improve four more prototypes. Stark designed stronger, compact springs, re-engineered the fingers into a few easy-to-manufacture shapes, and set the thumb at a new angle to better replicate a real thumb. He also strengthened the joints in the hand against side impacts after Vogt broke a prosthetic knuckle when he hit something while swinging around on the dance floor.
Vogt now wears the hand everywhere except to his job as a machinist, where he has to do heavy lifting for which a hook still works better. A more durable production version, which will use tougher plastics and sleeker parts, could be on the way as early as this winter. Edison Nation, a company that helps inventors develop their ideas, recently selected Stark’s hand for commercial development and is now in talks to license it to a major prosthetics manufacturer.
Name: The Stark Hand
Inventor: Mark Stark
Time: 7 years
Cost: $17,000–$18,000

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Old battery gets a high-tech makeover


A rechargeable battery patented by Thomas Edison more than a century ago is staging a comeback. The nickel-iron battery may yet prove to be a viable power source for electric cars, as the inventor had intended.
Thanks to a redesign, Edison’s battery can now store almost as much energy, gram for gram, as the lithium-ion battery in Nissan’s all-electric car, the Leaf. But the redesigned battery charges faster and promises to be cheaper and safer, researchers report online June 26 in Nature Communications
“People abandoned this type of battery in the 1970s because there were better batteries at the time,” says Hongjie Dai, a chemist at Stanford University. “We have made the Edison battery interesting again by drastically increasing the ability to charge and discharge it.”
Edison’s original design, patented in 1901, calls for two metal electrodes. A mixture of iron compounds and carbon gives off electricity that flows to a sheet of nickel, discharging the battery. Though hardy, it didn’t usher in the revolution in electric cars that Edison had hoped for. Ultimately it was eclipsed by other technologies, including the lithium-ion battery, that stored and delivered more energy.
To resurrect Edison’s battery, Dai and colleagues reshaped its electrodes at nanometer scales. Instead of simply mixing iron and carbon, the researchers grew iron pellets on top of atom-thick sheets of carbon chicken wire called graphene. Tiny plates of nickel perched atop carbon tubes formed the other electrode.
This attention to detail united each metal and its carbon counterpart with chemical bonds that provided a superhighway for electrons. A small prototype battery charged in about two minutes and discharged within 30 seconds, nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional nickel-iron designs. That speediness could be useful for juicing up a car in a hurry or storing and releasing the energy flowing through the larger power grid.
If scaled up for use in cars, nickel-iron batteries may be cheaper than batteries made from lithium, which is less abundant in Earth’s crust. Also, the fluid electrolyte between iron and nickel electrodes isn’t flammable, so the battery won’t have the safety problems that have caused lithium-ion batteries to explode, says Dai.
Despite its advantages, the Edison reboot still has a ways to go to prove itself. It faces competition from new lithium technologies under development that promise to store more than twice the energy in current lithium-ion batteries. And the researchers still need to show that their laboratory battery can scale up to larger sizes.
“Quoting power and energy density from small lab cells is not realistic,” says M. Stanley Whittingham, a chemist at Binghamton University in New York. “Real cells typically have capacities of only 20 percent of the numbers calculated in the lab.”
Building a bigger battery may be the only way that Edison’s 20th-century scheme will come of age in the 21st century.