Please create an account to participate in the Slashdot moderation system

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Submission + - As Ebola death toll rises, scientists work on nanotech cure

rlinke writes: Scientists at Northeastern University are using nanotechnology to find an effective treatment for the Ebola virus, which has killed more than 1,200 people and sickened even more.

What makes finding a vaccine or cure such a formidable job is that the virus mutates so quickly. How do you pin down and treat something that is continually changing?

Thomas Webster, professor and chairman of bioengineering and chemical engineering at Northeastern, may have an answer to that — nanotechnology.

Submission + - World's First 3D Printed Estate Coming to NY - 2400 SqFt House & More (3dprint.com)

Randy-tanner writes: A well known New York architect & contractor has begun construction on what is possibly the largest 3D printing related project ever undertaken. He is 3D printing an entire estate, which includes an in-ground swimming pool, a pool house, and a huge 2400 square foot home. The project is expected to take 2 years to complete, and if all goes as planned the printer will automatically insert rebar into the concrete.

Submission + - VertiKUL Drone "Delivers" on Both Hovering and Forward Flight (gizmag.com)

Zothecula writes: When something is sent to you by airmail, it travels in a fast and relatively fuel-efficient fixed-wing aircraft, not a fuel-guzzling helicopter. Nonetheless, when we hear about the possibility of drones being used to deliver items within cities, multirotor-style aircraft are almost always what's proposed – while they're good at maneuvering in urban spaces, they're essentially just little unmanned helicopters. With that in mind, a group of three engineering students from Belgium's KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) have created a prototype delivery drone known as VertiKUL, which combines the best features of both types of aircraft.

Comment Re:So.. what? (Score 2) 255

Unfortunately the price of Coal fired power is meaningless for the same reasons. The price of the cleanup of the pollution is not included. Even natural gas powered plants produce enough CO2 to warrant a cleanup cost. Sure, the cleanup is nowhere near the plant, and it might not be now (like nuclear) but in the end someone will pay.

Comment New way to profit..... (Score 2) 317

1) buy a used devalued car with this capability
2) load it up with $10,000 worth of music
3) sell it with the added value of the music for $2000 more then I paid
4) PROFIT!

Seriously though, one could do that with a laptop and iTunes and not need to deal with a DMV transaction and a 4000lbs vehicle.

Comment Re:I wonder how long it would've taken NASA? (Score 1) 49

The problem with the recovery of the boosters (for the Shuttle) was that it was almost as expensive to re-use them as to make new ones from scratch. By using a liquid fuel rocket and landing it on solid earth SpaceX will have a lot less work to do to refurbish the first stage of the Falcon 9.

Comment Re:Visualing this? (Score 1) 155

I think that is what needs to be worked out by testing.

While the FAA is probably not going to allow any of this, 300' would be too high as helicopters can be in that zone.

If the FAA were to approve it (which they wont), it would have to be at a low height like 50' or less, limited weight, lots of safety features, human observation, not allowed in winds and probably a ton of things I have not thought of.

One could make a foam covered, enclosed fan drone that could do the job that would do little (but not zero) damage if it failed. The problem is that it would still weigh something and could in a failure fall uncontrolled into anything.

Comment dumb clickbait article (Score 2) 126

Why is this at all surprising? We know how HIV works and that it can hide in cells. So when someone is 'cleared' of it you can never be sure. The longer the drugs are taken increases the chances of clearing any dormant HIV (when it emerges). One can statistically figure out the best time to stop the treatment and many people could be free from reinfection for life but it is not a 100% certainty.

The only news is that a mother stopped the drugs too early.

Comment Re:...Except when they're owned by Republicans. (Score 1) 455

GM management wanted the closures, not the government because their business DID NOT SUPPORT all of the extra dealers. GM's sales were down to almost half of what they were and they still had almost all of the dealers. They definitely needed to downsize the network.

Basically you made the whole political angle up to serve your petty DEM vs REP crap.

Comment Re:Its the margins they are scared of losing. (Score 2) 455

The margins are huge. Part of the thing dealers love is preying on people who just don't know about buying a car. Either a full sticker priced sale, or dealer add ons that are insane such as $2000 running boards are a great way to make money off a sucker. Just one item like that can be much more then the normal profit made on a car.

It took me a week to buy my last vehicle. I felt dirty and angry after several of my purchase attempts because I was quite clear on the phone before visiting what I wanted and did not want to waste time going to a dealer who was not willing to do it. I wanted to pay invoice and get fair market value for my old vehicle. Some of the dealers tried to cheat (keeping rebates), others did a good deal but then offered be well below market for my old vehicle. It was a very frustrating process. In the end after failures at 4 dealers I found one that was at least honest. They still made dealer 'holdback' plus other incentives which is enough profit.

Slashdot Top Deals

The hardest part of climbing the ladder of success is getting through the crowd at the bottom.

Working...