Mar 20 2009 Okay: Robo-Fish To Detect Ocean Pollution
This robotic fish, which looks like it was made out of precious jewels, isn't, but was actually created to detect pollutants in the earth's oceans.
The 1.5 meter long robotic fish each requires about $30,000 to make. Their purpose is to head out into the open water, take in data about water pollutants, return to a charging station about every 8 hours and while charging, submit data about water quality.
The issues with this first batch of fish is pretty clear - they're way too expensive to be made in numbers big enough to be very helpful; their charge lasts just 8 hours so they aren't able to have a very large range away from their charging stations; they run a pretty good risk of getting a bite taken out of them.
$30,000? Jesus. For half the cost of a single fish I'll rent a paddle boat and troll the underwater sensors myself. I swear, these idiotic scientists think a robot is the solution to every freaking problem. Which leads me to my next question -- how much do you think a robotic fish would fetch on eBay? Wow, really? Grab your tacklebox and meet me by the dinghy!
Video of the very life-like swimming fish after the jump.
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Apr 30 2008 Nose Plugs Keep You Safe From Bio-hazards
Well I'm not really sure how safe they'll keep you from serious bio-hazards, but they've got to be better than just pulling your shirt up over your nose, right? Maybe not, I don't know. I ain't no damn noseologist, I'm a geekologist. Anyway, the Nose Mask Pit cost $14 and fit nice and tight up in your nostrils to keep out allergens and other nasty stuff. Maybe you want them, or maybe you prefer a surgical mask. Personally, I don a full-fledged gasmask. Like my grandpappy used to say, you never can be too safe or too drunk at a seedy strip club. Amen to that, pappy. If you do decide to go with these, let me give you a word of warning: Be careful. As a kid I stuffed two Hot-Wheels tires up one nostril and a cherry pit up the other and had to go to the hospital. My mom was afraid they'd cause lasting damage, but, thankfully, the doctor assured her I was retarded long before the incident.
Apr 21 2008 Sweet: We Can Now Grow Plants In Moondust
I've been itching to live on the moon for as long as I can remember (~ last Wednesday). So boy was I excited when I learned that scientists have figured out how to grow plants in moondust. All it took was some special bacteria that helps transfer nutrients from the soil (if you can call it that) to the plants. As you can see from the picture, those flowers weeds are really thriving in the stuff. Well, except for pot 3, that one isn't doing so hot. Reminds me of the rose bush I planted for my wife in the cat's litterbox.
Scientists figure out how to grow plants in moondust [dvice]
Apr 3 2008 Running The Numbers Art Exhibit Is Staggering
I know what you're thinking -- the Geekologie writer has lost it and is posting fuzzy pictures of a scrambled skin-flick on Cinemax. Well, you're wrong. What you're actually seeing is a picture of two million plastic beverage bottles -- the amount used in the United States every five minutes. It's a piece in an exhibit entitled Running The Numbers, by artist Christ Jordan. That particular piece is actually 60" x 120", and there is a partial zoom and close-up after the jump, along with two others - plastic bags and cell phones. Check them out, and definitely hit the link to his gallery for a whole bunch more. They're definitely all worth seeing. And while you may argue with the statistics Chris used, I think we can agree that it would be fun as hell to dive into all those plastic bottles.
Kidding, these pictures are disturbing. If you need me I'll be hiding in the closet weeping into my blanky for the rest of the day.
Two more and a link to the very worthwhile gallery after the jump.
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Feb 1 2008 USB EcoButton To Help Save The World
Pushing the Ecobutton sends your computer into energy saver mode. So all you have to do is plug it in, load the software, and then anytime you leave your computer station slam that sucker. Of course you could manually send your computer into energy-saving mode, but nobody does that and jamming on a button is a lot more rewarding. Plus the program it comes with keeps a running tab on the CO2 and money you've saved so far. The company making them believes "a business with 50 computers would save 6.80 Tonnes of CO2 and over $1,500 USD per year of electricity by using the EcoButton (were it employed to reduce a suggested average of two hours of non-machine use per day)."
Not too shabby. I love mashing buttons and I love the world, so I'm totally down. I'll slam the button as hard as I can and yell "Greener than you are, you earth-destroying a-holes!" Then I'll make my way through the cubicle farm picking fights with coworkers that don't have one. I know what you're thinking -- this Geekologie writer sounds like a real dick. But I prefer to view myself as more of a modern day Captain Planet with anger management issues.
As Cute As An EcoButton: Computer Energy Saver [treehugger]
Thanks to Sebastian, who loves and cares about the world as much as I do, for the tip
