Planetes - Slashdot User

Submission + - How do you wean people off the car? 3

Submitted by Planetes on Monday August 13, 2007 @04:39PM

Planetes writes: The state of Washington and Seattle metro areas have inadvertently found a possible clue regarding how to begin weeding Americans off their addiction to the car. The answer? promote mass transit. Obvious you think? How about throwing in a twist: Close several lanes of I-5 Northbound (the main North-South artery between Seattle and points south) just south of downtown Seattle. Not for hours, but for weeks. The result: light rail ridership doubles along with most other forms of mass transit in the area. So, to repeat: how do you wean people off the automobile? Make it useless.

Submission + - First 787 pictures

Submitted by

Planetes

on Wednesday June 27, 2007 @06:34PM

Planetes writes: "There are pictures on the web of the first "fully" assembled 787 being rolled out of the Everett plant across the freeway to the paint shop. I say fully assembled because it's really only the outer shell and doesn't include a large percentage of the wiring and avionics yet. First 787"

Submission + - Artificial Snot Developed

Submitted by Anonymous Meoward on Tuesday May 01, 2007 @02:42PM

Anonymous Meoward writes: Science Daily has a report on the further refinements to artificial "noses" — that is, devices with olfactory capability — and how the accuracy of these devices has been enhanced by simulating the mucous membranes of the nose. Can artificial boogers be far behind?

Submission + - Ionatron ray-gun disables IEDs, autos, humanoids

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 01, 2007 @02:32PM

An anonymous reader writes: Ionatron has a $10M contract with the U.S. Government to develop its next generation Directed Energy Weapons system. Their device uses high powered ultra short laser pulses to create a plasma air channel, which acts like a virtual wire, and directs a high voltage controlled discharge at a target. They claim to be able to precisely control both direction and range to "disable people or vehicles that threaten our security." I hope the police don't start zapping your car if you're speeding!

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