A better mold on the way?
According to University of Missouri - Rolla researchers, they may have a new a new breed of metals - what they are calling gradient materials - that can handle the high temps of die casting at the same time allowing heat to escape the molding. Researchers are now looking at these materials to use in making die-cast molds for engine blocks. Check it out at http://visions.umr.edu/index.php?
research

And speaking of cars, the NY Times has a great article today on legend Carroll Shelby - Mr. American Muscle Car. Shelby is being honored at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA featuring the first Cobra to be built...

Hey, it's Friday, and I'm actually thinking about shopping...which got me to remembering the best gift I can remember ever getting - Pong. Remember that game? So being the Search Engineer, I found a site honoring that brave engineer who introduced a new technology to the world - Ralph Baer...check it out at Pong Story. You can even download schematics and a pong game for your computer. Hey, there's another weekend before the holidays, think I'll play a game or two for old times' sake!
- posted by Paula Porter @ 9:14 AM

 
Were the Wrights wrong about being first in flight?
CNN today has an article that notes a Brazillian had the first "real" flight, nearly 3 years after the Wright brothers...interesting reading.

And speaking of flight, Time Magazine has a great series on the first 100 years since the Wrights flew at http://www.time.com/time/2003/flight/
- posted by Paula Porter @ 3:06 PM

 
Whither the Hubble
For over 13 years, it's been cruising in orbit taking snapshots of the universe long since past. Now scientists are talking about the Hubble's remaining life in this article found on the Chicago Trib site today - http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0312080149dec08,1,7103115.story.

Speaking of NASA our great Congress did it again -- axed out $300 million, including $200 millino in the International Space Station alone - replacing with special little porks of their own states, like a new science center at St. Bonaventure University or $3 million for ocean and weather research at the University of Alaska. Check out the story at the Orlando Sentinel.
- posted by Paula Porter @ 3:56 PM