miercuri, august 12, 2009
vineri, august 07, 2009
Heirloom technology: Yazd's windcatchers
When I visited the 3000-year-old city of Yazd, Iran, the old school technology I was most fascinated by is the windcatcher. Seen atop many a building in this arid city with an annual rainfall of 2.4 inches and summer temps frequently pushing 104°F, these towers are the predecessors to the swamp cooler. Basically, the wind shafts on the rooftops have directional ports, and only the one facing away from the incoming wind is left open. The wind gets sucked in and pushed down over water below, and the cooled air is circulated through the house. In the ancient homes I saw, the room at the bottom of the wind shaft had a little pool of water and the sides of the room were often built-in brick benches covered with carpet, where the dwellers would spend the hottest part of the day.
Sursa
joi, august 06, 2009
Ten things we don't understand about humans
We belong to a remarkably quirky species. Despite our best efforts, some of our strangest foibles still defy explanation
But as science probes deeper into these eccentricities, it is becoming clear that behaviours and attributes that seem frivolous at first glance often go to the heart of what it means to be human.
Lista: http://www.newscientist.com/special/ten-mysteries-of-you
Dinti recrescuti
a team from Tokyo's Research Institute for Science and Technology has designed a method for regrowing lost teeth
To make these glowing regrown teeth happen, first the team created a "germ," or a seed from which the tooth can grow. This germ was coded with the fluorescent glowing dye to track the tooth development. Then they transplanted the tooth germ into the jawbone of a rat. Finally, they tested the regrown tooth. The team found that the teeth were essentially as strong as natural teeth and were able to grow nerves throughout, making them very similar to naturally developed teeth.
Sursa:http://io9.com/5329918/regrow-lost-teeth-with-an-optional-fluorescent-glow
Lucrare:http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/07/31/0902944106.abstract
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