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A mysterious event detected by U.S. satellites in 1979 was the detonation of an atomic bomb. The incident correlates with an equally mysterious rise in radioactivity in sheep in nearby Australia, confirming that a nuclear test took place. Experts believe that Israel and South Africa conducted a secret joint test of a tactical nuclear weapon in the Indian Ocean, hoping it would escape detection.On September 22, 1979, a U.S. Vela satellite, part of the globe-scanning U....

The only visible difference between the existing Tesla lineup and the cars that Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off last night is a small badge with the letter “D.” Underneath those familiar bodies, though, are feats of engineering that’ll leave you wondering what the hell this company will do next.In Hawthorne, Calif.—next door to the HQ of SpaceX, Musk’s other enterprise—Telsa unveiled updates to the Model S, one of the most highly-revered automobiles in recent history, electric or otherwise....

A million dollars might seem like a lot for a hole in the ground, but you must remember that this is a hobbit hole, “not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms.” And this particular hobbit hole, located in Holme, Cambridgeshire, is an abode full of creature comforts to make any Baggins proud. The four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot earth house has room for a swimming pool under magnificent stone arches and a massive domed skylight....

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed “smart glass” that can switch back and forth between transparency and opaqueness while barely using any energy at all. It’s a trick that’s been done before, but never with such effectiveness. Previous attempts at smart glass have required constant electrical power. The glass coming out of Cambridge, which has been dubbed “Smectic A,” only needs power when making the switch. Why? Liquid crystals....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe Tesla D is what we thought it would be: The D stands for “dual,” as in dual electric motors that give the Model S the power of all-wheel-drive, something it had been lacking in comparison to other luxury sedans. Even so, it’s hard to grasp the staggering statistics of Elon Musk’s new supercar: 691 combined horsepower, a 3.2-second 0 to 60 time, and a quarter-mile time of just 11....

Media Platforms Design TeamCAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, June 20 — After testing out new HUMVEEs and personnel vehicles, we head further into the desert section of the base here, to the heavy combat equipment storage site. And it is awesome: Hundreds of vehicles—row after row of Bradleys, Abrams tanks, M88 Tank Recovery units and more—shimmering in the heat. Lethal and surprisingly beautiful, their freshly painted tan hides blend perfectly with the desert, like native predators....

Media Platforms Design TeamHelicopter missions are vital in Afghanistan, where the lack of roads makes every route vulnerable to ambush and improvised explosive devices. Without helicopters, Afghan government hopes of extending their influence outside large cities are slim. For that reason, the U.S. has made operating helos (Russian-made, bought by the United States) a focus for the Afghan military, helping the government expand its reach and counter Taliban insurgents. It has been a slow road—helicopters require lots of maintenance, pilot training, and operational planning to be effective....

After a 35 year hiatus, the U.S. Coast Guard is set to build a new heavy endurance icebreaker. The head of the sea service’s acquisition office believes production on a new ship could start in five years—and will cost at least a billion dollars.According to USNI News, acquisition chief Rear Admiral Mike Haycock said the Coast Guard has finalized plans to buy a ship to replace the Polar Star, the service’s only heavy icebreaker....

Show Brenden Lake’s machine learning program a randomly chosen letter from a library of 30-plus world alphabets, one the machine has never seen before, and the program can produce new “handwritten” versions that are indistinguishable from human-generated letters. Even more fascinating: When asked to invent and draw new alphabetic letters in the same style as a handful of examples (for example, the Hebrew letters זַ ,א, or ה), the program created new letters that a panel of 117 judges could not distinguish from what humans made when given the same tasks....

Media Platforms Design TeamA just-released study reveals staggering growth in automotive research and development patent applications and grants between 2006 and 2011, reflecting the industry’s aggressive tackling of the fuel economy issue. The findings also cite the hybrid-powered Toyota Prius as the third best selling vehicle globally in the first quarter of 2012, suggesting that the term “alternative” might need to be re-coined to keep up with the new environment of consumption conscious consumers....

Researchers have discovered a new ancient lizard with a remarkable adaptation: four eyes. It’s the first known jawed vertebrae to have the distinct feature.The extinct Saniwa ensidens, a monitor lizard, lived around 34 million years ago. It had two eyes where lizards normally have eyes, but on the top of its head rested structures known as a pineal organ and a parapineal organ which likely helped it keep tabs on the changing seasons and its own orientation....

Comcast will go to great extremes to keep you as a customer, as we’ve seen before. But this sad story of Jimmy Ware takes customer retention strategy to a new, ridiculous extreme.When Ware’s house burned down last week, the 66-year-old Minnesota man lost everything. Everthing but his Comcast service, that is. He tried explaining his situation to a customer service rep who told him that he needed his account number to end the service....

Look, we understand. We know you want to go to the Guggenheim to get a selfie with that Renoir. But don’t bring your selfie stick.The Guggenheim is now one of many New York City museums to ban these symbols of rampant image-crafting. The gallery doesn’t allow photography anyway, but it’s a lot easier to confiscate somebody’s stupid selfie stick than their phone. The Museum of Modern Art does allow photography, but it’s opting to ban the sticks, citing safety reasons, meaning you’ll have to make that Matisse selfie happen the old-fashioned way....

11,000 light-years away from the Earth is a jewel-like remnant of one of the most violent explosions the universe has ever produced. 400 years ago, a giant star more than a dozen times the size of our own sun exploded in a violent supernova, scattering its material across the cosmos.The supernova is known as Cassiopeia A, SN 1604, or Kepler’s Supernova, depending on who you ask. It’s the most recent supernova explosion in our galaxy, and when it exploded in 1604 it could be seen by the naked eye even during the day....

Garmin, once the king of car navigation systems, is taking a slight right into bicycles. Its new line of two-wheel gear could help cyclists be seen and stay safe, especially at night.The Garmin Varia line of bike gear includes a backward-pointing radar that can scan for cars up to 140 meters behind a bike and tell the rider where they are via a handlebar-mounted unit. It’s technology developed by the Kickstarter-backed iKubu, Engadget says, which Garmin acquired six months ago, and it’s a clever replacement for the tiny rear-view mirrors some serious cyclists sport....

Media Platforms Design TeamNear an otherwise tranquil Washington river, a bewildered Chinook salmon flops out of what looks like an air-conditioning duct, tail flapping fruitlessly. This is not an accident, or animal cruelty, or even a new way to deliver sushi. It is a moment engineered by man. Specifically, it is a moment engineered by a man with a cannon that shoots fish. It is also, one company hopes, the future of ecological conservation....

Philip FriedmanI recently became aware that we needed a new coffee table. Let me rephrase that. My wife made me aware that we needed a new coffee table. Those kinds of revelations happen when you’re married. We’d bought a coffee table at a tag sale 20 years ago, and although it served us well, I have to admit that my wife was right. The table was beginning to look a little dated....

After you’ve made your outdoor fire pit, it’s time to build a proper firewood storage rack. You can opt for a large firewood shed, or go with this beautiful cedar firewood rack that works inside or out.Mark Clement of MyFixItUpLife built this octagon firewood organizer in a couple hours using 2 x 6 cedar. The four outside lengths are 20-inches and the four shorter pieces are 12-inches. A miter saw is ideal for this project, so all cuts are made at a 22 1/2 degree angle....

If you’ve ever, like me, relied on an Advil bottle to get you through a weekend project, you know how frustrating back pain can be. You don’t need to be a bricklayer to feel beat up. Being handy is tough on the body.“Gravity is always pulling down, making our back work to keep us balanced front to back.”I’ve learned to be good to my back now and can work as hard as ever....

The only way to locate and secure all of North Korea’s nuclear weapons is by putting boots on the ground. That’s the word from the Pentagon, which, in a letter responding to lawmakers, explained that only all-out invasion could ensure that all of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s nuclear weapons are taken under American control. The Pentagon also warned that such a war could involve the use of biological and chemical weapons....