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Submission + - Senator Makes NASA Complete $350 Million Testing Tower That it Will Never Use

Submitted by Hugh Pickens DOT Com
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes: Phillip Swarts reports in the Washington Times that NASA is completing a $350 million rocket-engine testing tower at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi that NASA doesn’t want it and will never use. “Because the Constellation Program was canceled in 2010 the A-3’s unique testing capabilities will not be needed and the stand will be mothballed upon completion (PDF),” said NASA’s inspector general. The A-3 testing tower will stand 300 feet and be able to withstand 1 million pounds of thrust (PDF). The massive steel structure is designed to test how rocket engines operate at altitudes of up to 100,000 feet by creating a vacuum within the testing chamber to simulate the upper reaches of the atmosphere. Although NASA does not expect to use the tower after construction it is compelled by legislation from Sen. Roger F. Wicker, Mississippi Republican, who says the testing tower will help maintain the research center’s place at the forefront of U.S. space exploration. “Stennis Space Center is the nation’s premier rocket engine testing facility,” says Wicker. “It is a magnet for public and private research investment because of infrastructure projects like the A-3 test stand. In 2010, I authored an amendment to require the completion of that particular project, ensuring the Stennis facility is prepared for ever-changing technologies and demands.” Others disagree calling the project the "Tower of Pork" and noting that the unused structure will cost taxpayers $840,000 a year to maintain. “Current federal spending trends are not sustainable, and if NASA can make a relatively painless contribution to deficit reduction by shutting down an unwanted program, why not let it happen?” says Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union. “It’s not rocket science, at least fiscally.”

Submission + - ARM researching novel chip memory (globalspec.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: ARM may be best known as processor designer but the company is now working on a non-volatile memory that could scale down to 5nm, according to an Electronics 360 report. The memory is something different called Correlated-electron RAM that was originally developed by a professor at University of Colorado. ARM is joining a research collaboration to try and make the memory an option at ARM-friendly foundries.

Submission + - Hyper-active Brain May Explain Social Detachment in Autism (counselheal.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Autistic children may be less interested in their social environment because their brains generate more information at rest, a new study suggest.
Scientists found that the brains autistic children generate on average 42 percent more information at rest than the brains of normal children.
Researchers believe the latest study offers a scientific explanation for why autistic children withdraw and detach from their environment.

Submission + - China's hypersonic program has left everyone aghast. It shouldn't have. (thebulletin.org)

Submitted by Lasrick
Lasrick writes: The Chinese hypersonic missile delivery program has left everyone astonished and wringing their hands. It shouldn't have. As Marco Fey points out: ' it was the US itself that started the race towards Prompt Global Strike capability. Since 2003, the US Air Force, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the US Army have worked on developing hypersonic delivery vehicles. Three tests have been conducted so far, at least one of them counting as a success. Hypersonic strike capability comes with a number of strategic implications as its aim is to allow targeting almost every spot on Earth within one hour. The US surprise over China following suit in developing and testing such a system is naïve at best.' Great read.

Submission + - Massive Game of Thrones Arrests (yolkregion.ca) 4

Submitted by rueger
rueger writes: "Dozens of "Game of Thrones" fans were taken into custody last Sunday morning after a midnight battle reenactment at turned ugly. The trouble began on Saturday when throngs of participants arrived in medieval armor, along with swords, battle shields, ballistas and 6 war horses. It was supposed to be an evening of friendly rivalry between the Keswick and Newmarket “armies” featuring displays of swordsmanship, battleaxe ice-carving and a reenactment of the Battle of the Blackwater.

The actual battle was intended primarily as a photo session, a chance for both armies to show off their costumes and strike fearsome poses for the cameras. Unfortunately, the Keswickians had prepared several 40-gallon barrels of green Jello to be used as “Wildfire”. Several witnesses said that Joffrey Baratheon, a 15-year-old Tim Hortons server from Keswick, escalated the conflict when he ordered his forces to pour the green goo into a replica catapult and launch it at the Newmarket ranks."

(it's considered by many that there something serious wrong with the water supply in Keswick, Ontario)

Submission + - Ask Slashdot : Educating kids about older technologies.

Submitted by ProgramErgoSum
ProgramErgoSum writes: Horse carriages, vinyl records, telegraphy, black and white television are all great examples of technology that held tremendous sway decades ago and eventually faded away. Other systems such as railways and telephony too are 'historical' but have advanced into current age too. I think, not being aware of the science behind such yesteryear technologies (or, its history) is not right. I feel, it would be most beneficial to encourage kids to explore old technologies and perhaps, even try simple simulations at home or school.

So, what websites or videos or other sources of information would you reach out to that teaches the basics of say, telegraphy ? Or, signalling in railways ? Etc. etc.

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