Every new public building, it seems, is a wonder of green efficiency, driving the bar of ecological innovation ever higher. But how does that theory convert into reality? asks Alan Davies.
Culture / People & Ideas / Science & Tech
The $28m pantomime of airport body scanners
Airport body scanners have no demonstrated value, but the government is spending $28 million on them.
What would a ‘temple for atheists’ look like?
Author Alain de Botton, who wants to soften the voice of “aggressive” atheism, is promoting a “temple for atheists in London.” It’s a long, black tower that looks awfully dark and foreboding, writes Alan Davies.
ACCC investigation into breast imaging sparks debate
Early in January, the ACCC launched legal proceedings against two commercial breast imaging operators, alleging that the operators engaged in “false and misleading conduct”, writes Rebecca Johnson, a policy adviser at the Cancer Council Western Australia.
aviation industry Ice legends, polar heroes and planes
There have seen some superb insights into life in Antarctica in a series of reports by ABC journalist Karen Barlow, among them some glimpses of aviation in the icy region, writes Ben Sandilands.
GPS and email coming to an augmented eyeball near you
Augmented reality glasses are already, well, a reality in military and professional sectors, but it might not take long until they also enter the consumer market, writes Gavin Allen.
Why your broadband internet seems slower
The sooner the NBN becomes available the sooner people can be transferred to it and the problems will disappear, writes Paul Budde, a telecommunications researcher and consultant.
aviation industry Is this Boeing’s most important project?
A biofuels research agreement between Boeing and the CSIRO is arguably the most important research effort being made in transport, writes Ben Sandilands.
The most outrageous tech predictions for 2012
Lists of tech predictions for the year ahead are super abundant at this time of year, writes Charis Palmer, of Technology Spectator.
Cracks appear in public understanding of metal fatigue
Something of a case study in aviation media communications is taking shape, or rather, cracking up, in relation to ‘minor’ cracks found in the wings of some Airbus A380s, writes Ben Sandilands.
What not to do if you’re a woman on a bicycle, circa 1895
Are you a woman who rides bicycles in 1895? OK, maybe not, but this old resurrected list published by a New York newspaper provided specific pointers — including “don’t scream if you meet a cow.”
Has Peter Higgs found the ‘God particle’?
If British professor Peter Higgs has found the ‘God particle’, scientists stymied by a conundrum known as the ‘Infinity Puzzle’ will finally have a formula to measure the previously unmeasurable, writes Frank Close.
Visions of future flying machines: a 200 mile high club, a zero G bridal suite…
How about a zero G bridal suite in earth orbit, or an inter-city tilt rotor aircraft with room for thousands of commuters? These are among the latest visions of future flying machines by the Yelken Octuri design studio, writes Ben Sandlands.
Mario maestro Shigeru Miyamoto on the future of Nintendo
Shigeru Miyamoto’s greatest stamp on popular culture was Super Mario Bros, which he created in 1985. Miyamoto talks to Wired about Nintendo’s ongoing quest to expand the definition of video games, the company’s future and his desire to work on smaller projects.
An eclipse, when astronomy meets designer drugs
If you had clear skies and thought the total eclipse of the moon looked good early Sunday, then just wait until early morning in far north Queensland and parts of Arnhem Land on November 14 next year.
aviation industry The awesome eeriness of planes
Why is that so many awe-inspiring feats of engineering hare so hard to separate from deliberate mass death and misery? asks Robin Cameron.
Wired’s top 5 toys of all time
Wired’s selection of the top five toys in history isn’t exactly a crop of techno delights. Coming it at number one: a good ol’ fashioned stick, writes Jonathan Liu.
Road-train of the Week: ‘The Bitch’ and her sisters
Bob Gosford managed to squeeze past her on the way to Borroloola in NT’s Gulf country. She jumped and bounced like something possessed. She is ‘The Bitch’, one almighty big mumma of a truck. And she has sisters…
Translating ancient manuscripts via crowdsourcing
Since the 1990s, scientists have recruited idle home computers to help with data analysis. These days a much broader range of research questions can be tackled through crowdsourcing techniques that harness genuine human intellect, writes Piers Kelly.
Does war sell better than sex? The phenomenon of Modern Warfare 3
In its first 24 hours of launch, Activision Blizzard’s new computer game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 earned the company a staggering $400 million in sales. The game may not explore the subject of war but it sure exploits it, writes NAJ Taylor.
Brooker: the real problem with video games is not the violence, it’s the characters
Sampling the blockbuster new video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Charlie Brooker was struck by the following conclusion: that all the characters are loaded with “dick-swinging machismo.”
Reversing the panopticon: police officially relaxed about being filmed
The proliferation of mobile phones is infuriating American police, who object to being filmed at work. Australian police say they’re a lot more relaxed.
20 things Steve Jobs didn’t invent
Steve Jobs was an incredible inventor, but he didn’t create everything to do with the internet, music and personal computing. Michelle Collins examines the 20 inventions we should be grateful Jobs never touched.
Nobel winner puts pressure on lazy reporting
Brian Schmidt, the Australian National University astrophysicist who became a brilliant new star overnight when named a joint Nobel Prize science winner should also get an award for putting pressure on lazy science reporting.
Why I dumped my smart phone
Early adopter Sam Graham-Felsen was an iPhone addict from the minute it came out, until realising it had taken over his life. He explains why he quit back in 2009 for a plain old Nokia and won’t be trading it in for the latest model.
