There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a motorcycle with a huge 2,458 cc engine is one of them. That’s what powers the new Triumph Rocket 3 TFC (Triumph Factory Custom), which sets a new record for the largest engine in a production motorcycleEngine: 2,458 cc in-line tripleMSRP: $29,000 Available: December 2019For context, Genesis makes a sport sedan, the G70, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine—that’s 2,000cc of displacement....
Media Platforms Design TeamThe future of renewable energy may be a train with a bunch of rocks packed in on it. No, really: Advanced Rail Energy has a plan to use the rails as a better way to store energy when it’s not needed.It works sort of like the pumped hydro-storage method, where water is stored above and moved below when energy is needed. In this case, excess energy produced by the grid (hopefully from other renewables) pulls the train cars up a hill....
Wet mangroves line the rivers that meet the ocean along Colombia’s Pacific coast. The dense tropical canopy beneath them makes for stifling heat—and the perfect cover from prying U.S. satellites. For the past 25 years, drug smugglers have hidden entire manufacturing operations beneath these trees. Not drug-manufacturing operations—they’re making submarines. In the middle of the jungle. And, for the first time ever, they’ve gone electric. Last summer, the Colombian military captured a drug sub powered by smaller, quieter electric engines and more than 100 batteries....
Drones are primarily known for what they can do in the sky, like aerial photography or shutting down airports. A new project out of University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) takes things in a different direction: This drone digs holes.View full post on YoutubeBuilt by UNL’s NIMBUS Lab, the quadcopter is equipped with a big ol’ drill that, once the drone has gingerly landed, can be used to burrow into the dirt, sand, or clay beneath it, primarily for scientific purposes....
CABOT, Vt. — Welcome to the resurrection of my blog. For the past year, I’ve been checking in on the progress of our Solar Home Project, a series of stories that have run in Popular Mechanics (the grand finale is scheduled for the January 2007 issue). If you’ve somehow missed all the excitement, allow me to bring you up to speed. I live with my family (wife and two sons, ages five and two) in northern Vermont in an off-grid home....
Usually if you want to get uranium, you’re going to have to do some mining. However, a new study out of Stanford suggests an unusual and potentially major source of uranium in the future: seawater. Scientists have long known that trace elements of uranium exist in seawater, which covers approximately seventy percent of the Earth’s surface in case you forgot the exact, impressive percentage. Furthermore, since 1983 scientists have been aware of an extraction method....
The U.S. Department of Defense wants to test a directed energy weapon in space, one that it hopes will someday destroy ballistic missiles moments after launch. The weapon, a so-called neutral particle beam, would be boosted into space and tested from orbit in 2023.Neutral particle beams don’t get as much attention as lasers but are attractive in their own right. The weapons work by accelerating particles without an electric charge—particularly neutrons—to speeds close to the speed of light and directing them against a target....
The U.S. Navy plans to buy ten new warships over the next five years that won’t carry any sailors. These drone ships are designed to carry sensors and weapons. Measuring up to 300 feet long and displacing 2,000 tons, the vessels are meant to extend the sensor range of fleets at sea. The ships will also likely carry weapons, giving the fleet greater firepower and an asset commanders won’t hesitate to send on the most dangerous missions, since that won’t mean endangering the lives of sailors....
Just three weeks after commissioning the USS Zumwalt, the U.S. Navy has admitted it is canceling ammunition specially developed for the ship’s high-tech gun systems because the rounds are too expensive. The guns, tailor made for the destroyer, will be unable to fire until the Navy chooses a cheaper replacement round. The Zumwalt-class destroyers were conceived in the late 1990s as the first of a new generation of stealthy warships. The radar signature of the 610 foot long warship is that of a 50-foot fishing boat, making the Zumwalts great for getting in close to an enemy coastline and then using the 155-millimeter Advanced Gun Systems mounted on the front of the hull....
The map above was created by entrepreneur Max Galka, who creates infographics using data available from organizations like the U.N. and NASA. It shows where human populations are concentrated, with half of the world’s population in the yellow areas and the other half dispersed throughout the black. Galka used gridded population data compiled by NASA to create this map. Rather than separating population numbers by state or municipal boundaries, the map represents a grid of 28 million square-shaped cells that measure about 3 miles by 3 miles....
Nearly five years after the Fukushima disaster, there’s plenty of clean up to be done. Over 500 spent fuel rod assemblies still sit in the spent fuel pool in reactor 3, throwing off so much radiation no human could hope to get close. That’s where Toshiba’s new robot comes in. The mechanized monstrosity will be tasked with venturing into reactor 3 to clear debris and extract 566 fuel-rod assemblies sometime in 2017....
When it comes to wind power, you might think bigger is better. Taller structures, larger blades, and more powerful generators will produce more electricity, so of course it’s best to build all of these as big as we possibly can. Except, according to the data and industry experts, that’s not what’s happening. Instead, wind turbine manufacturers are deliberately putting the brakes on the maximum generation capacity of their turbines—holding back the peak possible power....
Media Platforms Design Team GM ignored a herd of elephants in the room. On the small stage, a calm and confident Susan Docherty, GM’s North American vice president of Buick, Pontiac and GMC, revealed the GMC Terrain and GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid. She outlined the specifications and benefits of each vehicle and presented them—and a few of the vehicles within her three brand group as trumping competitors in key areas. But there was no mention of GM’s troubles, and not a peep about the company’s specific plan moving forward....
Today’s the day. In an open commission meeting starting Thursday at 10:30 AM EST, the FCC will take up a number of issues including “a Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order that will restore Internet Freedom”—in other words a full repeal of net neutrality. You can watch the proceedings below. Related StoriesFCC Preps to Destroy the Internet As We Know ItThe Twilight of the Internet’s Golden AgeDespite protests both physical and digital, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has shown no indication that he has changed his mind on the matter of repeal, which will all but certainly be put into effect today....
Media Platforms Design Team LOS ANGELES — Newly divorced Chrysler has been in the news a lot lately, and this time it’s good to be able to talk about cars and trucks instead of analyzing business strategies. So, the 2009 Durango and Aspen, twin SUVs marketed as Dodge and Chrysler products, will be available in 2008 with hybrid electric powertrains. Like the GM vehicles we’ve driven, the hybrid drive is encased in an otherwise normal transmission case behind the engine....
Media Platforms Design TeamOn-Sale Date: NowPrice: $29,195 to $38,595Competitors: Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota HighlanderPowertrains: 3.3-liter V-6, 290 hp, 252 lb-ft; six-speed automatic, FWD or AWDEPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 18/25 (FWD); 18/24 (AWD)What’s New: The Santa Fe is the bigger of two new Hyundai crossovers. It shares the name and the basic front-drive architecture with the five-seater Santa Fe Sport, but the Grande version comes with a longer wheelbase, three-row seating, and a robust V-6 powertrain....
On-Sale Date: January 2013Price: $24,145 to $29,225Competitors: Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Nissan Rogue, Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5Powertrains: 2.5-liter I-4, 176 hp, 172 lb-ftEPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 24/31 (FWD), 22/29 (AWD)What’s New: The RAV4 is the OG of the small crossovers. Well, as OG as a four-cylinder wagon can be. Still, the 1995 RAV4 was the first car-based crossover, and it paved the way for the auto industry’s move from truck-based SUVs to the gentler-riding, lighter-duty, and much more fuel-efficient vehicles of today....
Media Platforms Design TeamOn-Sale Date: NowBase Price: $47,395 Competitors: Acura RDX, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLK250 BlueTEC, Volvo XC60Powertrain: turbocharged diesel 3.0-liter V-6, 240 hp, 428 lb-ft; eight-speed automatic, AWDEPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 24/31What’s New: The bones of Audi’s successful Q5 remain largely unchanged for 2014. The most significant additions are two new engines: the Q5 TDI and the high-performance SQ5. We’ll hop into the SQ5 later this month, but the diesel we drove uses the same powerplant as found in the A6, A7, A8, and Q7....
Ocean PearlMedia Platforms Design Teamcompany: SEAmagine Hydrospace | passengers: 2 | displacement: 7000 lbmax depth: 500 ft | max speed: 2.5 knots endurance: Up to 8 hours, with 72 hours of life support1. Sonar: A forward-looking sonar sensor is mounted near the front of the vessel. A screen in the cabin displays obstacles obscured by murky water or low light. 2. Flotation Bladders: On the surface, inflatable sacs provide the vessel with more than 30 in....
Media Platforms Design TeamNeglecting Sanitation"The primary foes of new brewers are wild yeasts and bacteria," says Chris Cohen, founder and president of the San Francisco Homebrewers Guild. You can do everything else perfectly during your brew day, but if your sanitation practices are poor, you’ll likely end up with a beer that’s been fermented by something other than brewer’s yeast. “The result is typically a bad beer that can be sour, over-attenuated, and can have phenolic flavors,” Cohen says....
