Science

Falcon 9 R Rocket Fins

SpaceX: Falcon 9-R Rocket Shows Some Fin!

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Elon Musk famously said – and I paraphrase: show a little ankle but not the whole leg.  SpaceX has recently shown us a little ‘Fin.’

Seems SpaceX has perfected rocket landings to the point that they’ve got time to work on finesse. New footage of a Falcon 9-R test flight at their McGregor TX site shows their test vehicle has ‘evolved’ fins which pop out of the sides like Tesla door handles. These paddles appear for attitude control and are deployed during descent. This should be a step up from the previous stopgap technique which involved bursts of gas from cold thrusters.

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Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 Review

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(From Holland: This review comes from my friend, and Astronomer Mike Fowler of Orange County Telescope. As one of Celestron’s top resellers in the US, Mike was able to get an early hands-on with the new NexStar Evolution 8″ telescope. Below are his thoughts on it. Enjoy!)

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Evolution… a natural transformation over the course of time produced by an organism’s efforts to respond to its environment. The aptly named Celestron NexStar Evolution embodies what a telescope should be in 2014; a self-powered instrument with built-in WiFi that can be controlled by a smartphone or tablet, and have the ability to tour the Universe at the tap of a finger. But does the Evolution work as advertised; and what about the SkyPortal app, does it combine with the telescope to provide a seamless, exploratory experience?

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Calling All SpaceX Fans, You Can See The Dragon V2!

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SpaceX fans, if you are in the Washington DC area tomorrow (June 11), you are in for a treat. For one day only their shiny new factory stickered spacecraft, the Dragon V2, will be on display for the public. This wonder vehicle has the style of a Tesla Model S smacked into a UFO, seats seven and can land propulsively on a helipad (If you camp out for tickets – remember to use fireproof blankets).

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The Ninja PowerLoader Exoskeleton Enhances Strength

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photo courtesy www.japantoday.com

The Japanese robotics company Activelink (a subsidiary of Panasonic) has revealed its latest exoskeleton suit that could give humans a boost in strength. This is a second generation model of this suit and has taken inspiration from the Aliens 2 exosuits. The Ninja weighs around 132 pounds and is able to lift and carry around three times this amount. 

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FDA Approves Advanced Prosthetic Arm For Clinical Use

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Photo Courtesy of LiveScience.com

The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the use of a highly advanced prosthetic arm for clinical use.  The DEKA arm – as mentioned in the source article – does certainly have some similarities to Luke Skywalker’s prosthetic in The Empire Strikes Back.  But probably the most exciting thing about the DARPA funded project is that it’s a huge step up from the most commonly available prosthetic arm.  Please keep reading for more information.

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Research Shows Movie Pirates Pay For Content While Music Pirates Less Likely

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image courtesy huffpost.com

A new study found in the Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics aimed to find the differences between people who pirate music online and those who pirate movies online. According to the study, those who pirate movies exclusively are very different than those who pirate music exclusively. The researchers claim that those who pirate movies are “less likely to stop paying for movies in addition to stealing them.” Which means they are coming to the opposite conclusion for those who pirate music only.

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