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Media Platforms Design TeamSidewalls: Two carbon-fiber reinforced sidewalls Red zones: Continuous center rib and aggressive shoulder blocks for “ultra high performance” Solid blue: All-season zones offer traction in snow and wet conditionsDETROIT — How many ways can you design a tire? With 350 brands of tires from 75 manufacturers on the world market, you may think that the design cache of tire styles would be emptied many times over. But that’s wrong....

When Samuel L. Jackson hits theaters today in Shaft, the latest installment of a franchise that debuted in 1971, most eyes will fixate on the man himself. After all, the character’s swagger and unflappable cool—and Jackson’s, for that matter—is the stuff that builds Hollywood legends. But a big part of the audience will likely also be captivated by the hero’s sidekick.We’re not talking about Shaft’s estranged son, played by Jessie T....

Q:I know the normal questions that you answer in your column are usually more related to troubleshooting. However after reading about your extensive pedigree on the track I was wondering if you could space some advice to a 20-something who wants to get into racing—be it tracking cars, or even possibly motorcycles. Growing up I was lucky enough to have access to a full set of tools, welding equipment and even a lift....

You may remember Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer as the guy who cut his finger on a drone, delaying his start in an American League Championship series game two years ago. A mechanical engineering student in college, Bauer taught himself how to build drones in 2014. He explains the basic components you need for each.FrameCarbon fiber offers the best blend of strength, weight, and durability. That’s great for when you’re starting out and crashing a ton....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe wavemaker at OSU’s lab can generate both regular and random waves.More than half of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of the coast, where it is vulnerable to hurricanes, tsunamis and other severe weather. Researchers at Oregon State University’s O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory believe that engineering solutions could prevent the loss of life and property along America’s seaboards—and they’re using a giant wavemaker to prove it....

This is so cool. You’ve got to see the short 40-minute IMAX documentary film about Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Called simply ROVING MARS, it’s not just boring black-and-white images of the red planet beamed back through space. In fact, the movie actually takes you through the planning stages of the mission–three to five years ago–then melds together images from both the rovers (still operating on Mars today long after their three-month life expectancies) and from previous spacecraft....

Media Platforms Design TeamHELMET SUBSYSTEMThe Kevlar Advanced Combat Helmet weighs approximately 3 pounds — half the weight of current models. An eyepiece (A) bolted to the helmet acts as a full-color computer interface, displaying maps and images from the camera on the weapon. A boom mic (B) and over-the-ear headphones (C) allow troops to communicate.SOLDIER CONTROL UNITA computer “mouse” (D) shaped like a gun grip is strapped to the chest and used to toggle among screens in the eyepiece....

The blue ice of Michigan has returned. The natural phenomena, which occurs infrequently and irregularly on the Great Lakes, is appearing again in the Straits of Mackinac and drawing visitors attempting to catch the sight before it all melts away.The blueness of the ice has to do with the wavelengths of light it absorbs, the National Parks Service explains. As air bubbles are squeezed out of ice through compressed snow, it allows for short wavelengths of light to travel longer distances through the ice, turning it blue....

“It’s not about the bike,” Lance Armstrong proclaimed in the title to his 2000 autobiography. Easy for him to say: The bicycles ridden by Tour de France competitors bear about as much resemblance to the bike in your garage as a NASCAR “Ford” does to your car. Unlike NASCAR vehicles, though, bikes similar to Tour models are available to anyone willing to spend absurd sums. Does all that money really make a difference?...

Questions are swirling around the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) relationship with airplane manufacturer Boeing, after the second major disaster involving the company’s 737 Max 8 jets in five months. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Inspector General is opening up an investigation into the FAA’s approval process for Boeing’s aircraft. The inquiry stems from the ostensibly cozy relationship between Boeing and the FAA. According to a report from Bloomberg, engineers from Boeing—rather than officials from the regulatory agency—were given authority to approve the Max 8 aircraft for flight....

A chief executive who must deal with a rebellious senate. A republic torn itself into two factions, igniting years of civil war. An orphaned smuggler from Corellia who…wait, what?The American Civil War? Actually no, the Galactic Civil War of Star Wars.This mockumentary, “The Galactic Civil War,” is done with a wink and a nod to Ken Burns’ groundbreaking documentary, The Civil War. It hits all the right notes, with sepia tinted footage of leaders such as Darth Vader, the solemn, crisp voice of the narrator, and even the haunting strings of “Ashokan Farewell”....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe 5000-pound metal beast pitches me forward as it lurches to a stop. Eight feet below, swamp water sloshes in front of our 4-foot-high tractor tires, rousing an alligator that wriggles away for cover.I ease the accelerator forward and begin to move, feeling my way across the submerged potholes. It’s like riding a swaying, noisy metal elephant. There are reasons to take things slowly—vehicles have vanished into the sucking mud of the Everglades....

Media Platforms Design TeamRelatively simple and lightweight, two-stroke engines (found in chain saws and outboard motors) would be great in cars and trucks, if they weren’t so dirty. “I probably spent $50 million of GM’s money proving two-strokes don’t work in automobiles,” says General Motors veteran Don Runkle. The Opposed-Piston, Opposed-Cylinder (OPOC) engine developed by EcoMotors’ Peter Hofbauer changed Runkle’s mind so thoroughly that he became the company’s CEO.As in other flat engines (sometimes called boxer engines for the way their pistons resemble two fighters trading jabs), OPOC’s pistons move horizontally....

Imagine being able to carry video games with you wherever you go. Sure, you already have your smartphone, but this teeny, tiny, fits-in-your-wallet Game Boy-like device is such a charming realization of a universal childhood dream. This is the Arduboy. With an OLED display, six buttons, a two-channel piezo speaker, and eight hours of battery life, this credit card-sized game machine is what you’d get if a Game Boy Micro mated with an old school Game Boy....

Media Platforms Design TeamProject 1794 from outer space? Nope. This flying saucer was all-American. Well, sort of.Last month the blog of the National Archives (slogan: “Releasing all we can, protecting what we must) published declassified documents dating back to the 1950s. They reveal more about the U.S. Air Force undertaking called “USAF Project 1794,” which was an attempt to build a supersonic, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that looked a heck of a lot like the UFOs imagined by 50s sci-fi....

Cut Square Holes in Seconds The Quadsaw ($249 for preorder) has a very specific purpose—cutting rectangular and square holes in drywall for old-work electrical boxes—but it’s absolutely the fastest way to get the job done. A rotary saw is still your best bet if you’re hanging fresh drywall. However, for remodeling and renovation projects, the Quadsaw saves time and headaches, working through walls like a cookie cutter through dough. This drill attachment powers four oscillating blades that cut through plaster with minimal mess in seconds....

Media Platforms Design TeamUSNS Comfort. (Photo by Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)When calamity on the level of Haiti’s earthquake strikes, the first U.S. responders bear a heavy load. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Navy sailors, Coast Guardsmen and professional urban rescue teams will be some of the first to save lives amid the rubble.The first ones on the scene will be the Coast Guard. They have the rescue training and equipment to deliver help quickly....

The Stratolaunch carrier aircraft, built by Scaled Composites for Paul Allen’s company Stratolaunch Systems, is designed to carry rockets up to high altitude, secured between the plane’s two fuselages, and launch them to space from there. The mid-air launch technique could significantly reduce the costs of launching payloads to orbit by avoiding the need to launch from the ground and overcome all of Earth’s gravity with rocket fuel. First, however, the gargantuan twin-fuselage, composite aircraft needs to get airborne....

Prairie dogs in parts of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge are infected with the Plague, leading to officials closing portions of the refuge.The burrows are being treated with insecticide aimed to kill the fleas that carry and spread the Plague to other animals and humans.While some of the refuge has since reopened to the public, certain areas still remain closed until Labor Day weekend.Yeah, the Plague is still a thing—these Colorado prairie dogs can attest having recently contracted the deadly disease....

Using a speedy, clean laptop is infinitely more satisfying than using a cluttered, grimy one, just like coming home to a clean and tidy house feels better than coming back to a messy and dirty space.If you want to give your laptop a spring clean, whatever the time of year, you need to focus not only on the files inside, but on the grime outside. We’ve got some tips for both, covering the latest versions of Windows and macOS....