Category Archives: Humor and Observations

Space Elevator Development

The space elevator once a laughed at theory included in future tech in the game Civilizaton is now becoming possible.  First, some artists’ rendering of possible space elevators, then the story.

LEARN in Universe and Environment

October 2, 2008 at 8:53 PM

The Space Elevator Gets a Lift

The fabled elevator to space is a surprisingly pragmatic idea. In November, the Japanese give it a timeline.

Imagine, if you will, a new kind of space travel-one with no launch pads or booster rockets. No risky ocean landings in charred, cramped Soyuz orbital modules; no money-sucking Space Shuttles. No explosions, no “Houston, we have a problem.” Instead of strapping themselves onto the noses of massive rockets and hoping for the best, astronauts would nimbly step into an elevator and ride for a few hours, smoothly and safely, out of the Earth’s atmosphere and into a waiting space station.

Meet the space elevator, probably the most revolutionary idea in the history of aeronautics. Because it’s exactly what it sounds like: an elevator. To space. And, although it’s been a pipe dream of armchair theorists since the 1800s, it just made one giant leap into a whole new world of plausibility. Why? Because the Japanese, perhaps afraid of being eclipsed by the mighty progress of commercial space travel companies, or the showboating of the nascent Chinese space program, have decided to build one, for real.It’s a smart pairing. Japan is a pioneer in the kind of precision engineering that a space elevator requires, and their space program, JAXA, is a small but powerful operation, excelling in X-Ray astronomy, satellite-based Earth observation, and building smart modules and components for the International Space Station. Plunging headlong into this unlikely project, Japanese scientists have founded an organization called the Japan Space Elevator Association, and they plan to host an international conference in November to draw up a timetable for the machine, discuss its impact on the world, and, according to their site, “Organize races with climbers made of Lego Blocks.”Yes, it sounds like fun, but surely this is a folly in a moment of global economic upheaval?
Unbelievably, the space elevator is in fact a totally pragmatic idea, and ultimately a cheap one, too-or rather, it’s cheaper than the fuel-guzzling rigmarole we’re currently faced with every time we need to wrest something from the steely grip of our planet’s escape gravity.The idea is simple, as most good ideas are: a super-strong tether made of carbon nanotubes, held taut by the inertia of the planet’s rotation, spanning from the surface of the Earth to a point beyond geosynchronous orbit, serving as a kind of  22,000 mile-long cosmic freeway (or, as the Japanese have already dubbed it, a bullet train to space) shuttling “lifters” out of the planet’s gravity and into orbit. To boot, the Japanese Space Elevator Association estimates it would only cost a paltry 1 trillion yen (about $9 billion) to build, which is pocket change if you consider the amount of money that NASA has indiscriminately poured into its programs over the years-not to mention compared to a certain Wall Street bailout.
What’s so elegant about the space elevator is that it draws a clean line between our centuries-old conception of “down here” and the newly approachable “up there.” While rockets retain a certain abstract quality-off they blast, in a florid burst of flame and noise, the mechanics of the whole thing still pretty mystical-the space elevator is concrete, as though humankind were reaching its own tentative arm into the great beyond. Besides, rocket fuel is so expensive, and launching rockets such a fuss, that it will probably always keep the democratization of space travel at bay. So what have we been waiting for?
There are a handful of groups in the U.S. working on space elevator policy and components-one being the Liftport Group in Bremerton, Washington-but no one has made plans as bold as those of the Japanese.Building the space elevator involves massive engineering challenges, but they’re not as impossible as they may seem. One of the most stunning things about the elevator, in fact, is that we have all the technology needed to implement it already. The only thing missing is a strong enough material to build the tether-the long cord connecting Earth and Space. Carbon nanotubes, which are the strongest man-made materials on Earth, seem to fit the bill, although the director of the JSEA, Yoshi Aoki, estimates they need to get a little stronger yet: about 180 times the tensile strength of steel.Arthur C. Clarke, perhaps the most ardent and famous promoter of the space elevator, was often asked when he thought the first one might be built. A little flippantly, he noted, “my answer has always been: about 50 years after everyone has stopped laughing.” Stop laughing, everyone: it looks like it might be even sooner than that.

 

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The Only Woman Who Ever Got Hit By a Meteorite

The Only Woman Who Ever Got Hit By a Meteorite Survived

Imagine going about your day like the people in Russia only to be smacked against a wall by a meteorite’s shockwave. That’s already crazy. But imaging being in your home, napping on your couch and actually getting hit by an actual meteorite. That actually happened to Ann Hodges in 1954. She survived.

In the only confirmed account of a person getting struck by a meteorite, Ann Hodges was left with just a large bruise after the softball-sized meteorite broke through her ceiling and bounced off a radio before it thumped her on her thigh. After all of the people who have ever lived in this world and after all the meteorites that have hit Earth, she’s the only one to have ever been hit. Amazing.

It’s especially funny to look back in time. Most people said the meteorite, which hit Hodges in Sylacauga, Alabama, was like “a fireball, like a gigantic welding arc” but others assumed it was the work of the Soviets. After it was confirmed to be a meteorite, there was a big hodgepodge over who actually owned the meteorite.

Hodges eventually gained possession of the meteorite and though she survived being struck by the space rock in 1954, she passed away in 1972 at the age of 52 because of kidney failure. [National Geographic] 

 

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Update on the Unexplained Blobs

This is a very good dissection of the mysterious report of blobs in my earlier mysteries post.  From wafflesatnoon.com:

Did Mysterious Blobs Rain Down Over Washington in 1994?

September 26th, 2012 | 4 Comments

When Oakville, Washington was showered with mysterious blobs in 1994, is modern mystery was born. The incident has been circulated and discussed heavily on the internet since then. How accurate is the story and the photo that often accompanies it?

 

The story is true, but the photo is completely unrelated.

Let’s take a look at a recent version of the story as circulated on the internet in 2012:

The townspeople of Oakville, Washington, were in for a surprise on August 7, 1994. Instead of their usual downpour of rain, the inhabitants of the small town witnessed countless gelatinous blobs falling from the sky. Once the globs fell, almost everyone in Oakville started to develop severe, flu-like symptoms that lasted anywhere from 7 weeks to 3 months. Finally, after exposure to the goo caused his mother to fall ill, one resident sent a sample of the blobs for testing. What the technicians discovered was shocking – the globs contained human white blood cells. The substance was then brought to the State Department of Health of Washington for further analysis. With another startling reveal, they discovered that the gelatinous blobs had two types of bacteria, one of which is found in the human digestive system. However, no one could successfully identify the blob, and how they were connected to the mysterious sickness that plagued the town.

These are salamander eggs, NOT the Oakville mystery blobs.

The Original Story
This story as told above is a somewhat accurate account of the events that took place in August 1994, but the story has been expanded from the initial report.

Variations from the original story:

  • The person who sent the samples for testing as not a man, but a woman named Sunny Barclift. She sent the samples after her mother, friend, and herself experienced “bouts of nausea” along with the death of a kitten around that time.
  • There is no mention of “two types of bacteria” in the original accounts – only discussion of cells found within the blobs.
  • Aside from those “bouts of nausea” reported by Barclift, suggestions that an illness “plagued” nearly “everyone” in the the town appears to be untrue.
  • There is no mention that the illnesses reported by Ms. Barclift had a duration of “7 weeks to 3 months.”

 

Unsolved Mysteries
The story was picked up several years after the event by the television show “Unsolved Mysteries” in which many new details arose. We are told that the substance “blanketed 20 square miles” on six occasions. This is also where resident Beverly Roberts first mentioned illnesses lasting “7 weeks to 2 or 3 months.” Residents interviewed were Dotty Hearn, the mother of Sunny Barclift, who had been interviewed in the original newspaper article. Dotty  described it as a “gelatinous-like material” that resembled hail. She reported dizziness and nausea soon after examining the blobs. Officer David Lacey was also interviewed, and he reported becoming ill within hours of touching the material which pelted his police car during a storm.

Lab technician Mike McDowell was interviews and stated that the blob samples had two types of bacteria, one of which is found in the human digestive tract.

The show states that the blobs appeared 6 times in a three-week period, dozens of people fell ill, and several pets died. A year later, private lab results showed the material to be eucharyotic cells,  according to microbiologist Tim Davis. This indicates the material had come from a living organism.

Here’s another photo of the same type of salamander eggs.

One additional mysterious piece of information is that the hospital lab which examined the blobs identified them as human white blood cells, but a lab which later examined them could find no nuclei in the cells, which are present in human white blood cells.

Local residents believe the blobs were related to increased military activity and “testing” done in the area in August, 1994, to the point of expressing belief that they were experiments of biological warfare.

The show indicated that there are no more samples of the blobs in existence.

Jellyfish Theory
One possible explanation is the “Jellyfish Theory.” Local residents learned that the Air Force had been exploding live bombs in the ocean around 20 miles from the town. It is suggested that jellyfish remains may have been ejected into the air and remained suspended in the clouds until they fell with rain. Residents did not report an odor one would expect if material from sea creatures had been out of the water that long, nor is it likely that the volume reported of this substance could be created from one school of jellyfish.

Airline Theory
Modern forums discussing the incident often suggest that the cause of the blobs may have been waste leaked from an airline.  While this would tie into the finding of human white blood cells, it is unlikely because airline waste is commonly known as blue ice due to its color from the disinfectant in which it resides. The blobs were not reported to have any specific color.

Oakville Collusion Theory
It has been suggested by some skeptics that the residents of Oakville have enhanced the original story for notoriety. The original news report in fact stated that local residents were discussing an annual jellyfish festival, and mentioned a drink called “The Jellyfish” at a local tavern.

The photo
The image of a hand holding a giant blob is often circulated with this story, however it is not related to this incident. It is actually a photo of eggs from the Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma gracile) as published on this website.

The 1994 newspaper accounts of the incident describe the blobs as “half the size of rice grains” which is far different than the image associated with the story.

What do you think these blobs were?

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Jelly Bean Art

I saw this on The Chive, a tribute to Kristen Cumings who makes are from jelly beans.  Very impressive.  If I tried it, I would end up eating up my supplies…

Artist Kristen Cumings painstakingly assembled these amazing paintings with an assortment of Jelly Beans. You can check out more of her arthere or like her facebook if you’re in to that sort of thing.

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Robin, The Boy Wonder, Dies…

DC killing off Batman’s ‘Boy Wonder’ Damian Wayne in new comic book

  • By JOSH SAUL
  • Last Updated: 8:17 AM, February 25, 2013
  • Posted: 3:25 AM, February 25, 2013

Robin the Boy Wonder, Batman’s aide-de-camp, will be killed battling a brutal enemy in a comic book published Wednesday.

The shocking demise of the Dark Knight’s sidekick will first appear in issue No. 8 of the offshoot title “Batman Incorporated,” but the aftermath of his death will ripple throughout the DC Comics universe, the publisher confirmed exclusively to The Post.

 

Damian Wayne — the son of Bruce Wayne and the latest hero to assume the mantle of Robin — has a heart-to-heart with fellow superhero Nightwing before his final, and ultimately fatal, battle in the pages of “Batman Incorporated” No. 8, out Wednesday.

 

“He saves the world. He does his job as Robin,” writer Grant Morrison said. “He dies an absolute hero.”

Robin — a k a Damian Wayne, the 10-year-old son of Bruce Wayne — is slain fighting a hulking assassin who happens to be, in true comic-book form, a “brother” cloned from his genetic material.

And — SPOILER ALERT ! — unlike all the times he has swooped in at the last minute, Batman arrives too late to save his protégé.

A number of heroes have filled the role of Robin over the decades, including the first and best known, Dick Grayson, introduced in 1940.

PHOTOS: ROBIN THROUGH THE YEARS

The latest Robin, however, was the brilliant and caustic Damian, the illegitimate son of billionaire Bruce Wayne and Talia, the beautiful daughter of one of his deadliest enemies, Ra’s al Ghul.

Morrison, one of the industry’s top talents, brings an adult perspective to the grim tale.

Robin’s death, he said, will illustrate how parents lose sight of their kids when they fight.

“It’s all about the family and the family going to hell,” said Morrison, who threw in elements of his own parents’ divorce. “The two adults in the story are both culpable. The kid’s the good guy.”

 

 

 

Morrison, who brought Damian to the forefront in 2006, said he had created a full arc for the character, who grew from a violent, fledgling assassin to a selfless leader.

“What we did was turn this little monster into a superhero,” he said. “He’s a little brat, but he’s a super-brat.”

Damian isn’t the first Robin to die, but he’s the first to die at the height of his popularity with fans.

In 1988, a few years after Grayson moved on, the next Robin — the disliked, surly Jason Todd — was slain by the Joker after an infamous phone poll let fans choose whether the teen should be killed off.

Todd was resurrected in 2005.

So who knows if Damian will stay dead, or if a new Boy (or perhaps Girl) Wonder will take his place.

Noted Morrison: “You can never say never in a comic book . . . Batman will ultimately always have a partner.”

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Ten Mysteries That Are Unexplained

I found this a quite interesting article from StumbleUpon, originally Listverse.  As an officianado of enigmas, mysteries and bizarre stuff, I was surprised not to have heard of several.  The animals found inside rocks alive is pretty hard to believe.  I will have to do some research on these.  Here they are as originally posted:

10 More Enigmas That Defy Explanation

by , January 14, 2010
What is it about the bizarre and mysterious that piques our curiosity? It entertains our sense of wonder and excites our imagination, for sure. Luckily for us, history is marked with strange, logic-defying occurrences to amuse us. Here is a list comprised of 10 more unexplainable and interesting phenomenon and incidents that we crave so much. This list is made up of a mixture of two submissions to the Christmas competition which shared some items, so it seemed a good idea to combine the two to give us ten things never before shown on the site. Also note, this list is in the newly created category “Mystery” and all of our lists involving mysteries can now be found under that category in the archives or on the mystery category page.

10

Ice Woman

Female Frozen Body

Nature performs many astonishing feats, yet it is a different matter altogether when we human beings push past the boundaries of normal. It was a viciously cold morning in Lengby, Minnesota, when a man discovered his 19-year old neighbor, Jean Hilliard, lying in the snow. Her whole body was frozen solid from the night before, when temperatures dropped twenty-five degrees below zero. Apparently, Jean was trying desperately to reach her neighbor for help when her car skidded off the road. When her body was discovered she was immediately sent to the local hospital, where her condition stunned the doctors. One of the nurses said that Jean was “so cold, it was like reaching into a freezer” and that “her face was absolutely white, just this ashen, death look.” Jean was also seriously frostbitten, and none of her limbs would bend or move.

The hospital staff did everything possible, yet the situation was dire. Even if Jean were to regain consciousness, she would more than likely have severe brain damage, and she was frostbitten to the degree that both her legs would have to be amputated. Her family gathered in prayer, hoping for a miracle. 2 hours later, Jean went into violent convulsions, and regained consciousness. She was perfectly fine, mentally and physically, although a bit confused. Even the frostbite was slowly disappearing from her legs to the doctors’ amazement. She was released 49 days later without losing a single finger, and sporting only minor scars.

9

Iron Pillar of Delhi

Iron-Pillar

Iron, the king of metal, is used for just about everything from the skeleton of your house to the chains on your bike. Unfortunately, iron can never escape its destiny to slowly transform into rust – with the exception of this phenomenal structure: meet the Iron Pillar of Delhi! Standing in at 7 meters tall and weighing more than six tons, this iron giant has managed to defeat corrosion for over 1600 years! But how can something that is 98 percent iron withstand decaying for over a millennia? Scientists have found the answer to that question, but how ancient ironsmiths discovered the fact so long before us still amazes archeologists today.

8

Carroll A. Deering

Screen Shot 2010-01-14 At 12.50.47 Pm

Approximately 50 years after the mysterious disappearance of the crew of the Mary Celeste, a similar event occurred when the schooner Carroll A. Deering was spotted around the coast of North Carolina on January 31, 1921. When rescue ships finally reached her, they discovered, to their shock that the Deering’s entire crew was missing. Though evidence in the galley suggested that food was being prepared for the following day, nothing else was found of the crew. Eerily enough, no personal effects, no ship logs, no traces were left behind, much like the case of the Mary Celeste. Theories have pointed to paranormal activity, due to the fact that the Carroll A. Deering was in the region that is today known as the Bermuda Triangle. Others have concluded it was the work of pirates, or of Russians attempting to steal their cargo.

7

Hutchison Effect

Hutchison Effect 350

The Hutchison Effect refers to the number of eerie phenomena that occurred when inventor John Hutchison attempted to replicate a few of inventor Nickola Tesla’s experiments. Some of the strange events witnessed include levitation, fusion of objects completely different in matter (such as wood and metal), and disappearances of some smaller objects. Even stranger is that after his experiment, Hutchison was unable to repeat the project again with the same results. This experiment was so popular it even sparked the interest of NASA and the Military, both whom have failed to produce the Hutchison Effect.

6

Faces Of Belmez

Belmez-Faces

Is it just me or doest that stain on the wall look like a person staring at you? Yup, its one of the many faces of Belmez that the Pereira family home is used to having. For over twenty years, the faces that appear can resemble males or females. They also arrive with different expressions every time. Strangely, the faces only stop at the house for a quick visit before disappearing. Investigations have been preformed upon the house to discover what was causing the faces to spontaneously pop up. One investigation exhumed and removed a human body from under the house, but that still didn’t stop the faces from making round trips. Several hypotheses have been formed to help explain this strange reoccurring phenomenon, but overall, no conclusions have been come to.

5

Disappearing Lake

Bbdd28B44947B185243Ccb0826B7F7Cd

On May 2007, a lake in Patagonia, Chile, literally disappeared, leaving behind a 30 meter deep pit, icebergs and dry soil. However, this wasn’t a small lake or pond – it was an astonishing 5 miles long! The last time geologists saw the lake in March 2007, they detected nothing strange about it. However, something happened during the 2 month span that not only caused the lake to vanish, but reduced a river that flowed from the lake to a tiny stream. Geologists were puzzled as to why a lake of that size would simply cease to exist. Perhaps, they suggested, an earthquake drained the lake, yet there were no reports of any quakes in that particular area during spring. Meanwhile, UFO enthusiasts concluded that a spaceship drained the lake. The mystery is unsolved to this day.

4

Raining Blobs

Nwsaleggmass

The townspeople of Oakville, Washington, were in for a surprise on August 7, 1994. Instead of their usual downpour of rain, the inhabitants of the small town witnessed countless gelatinous blobs falling from the sky. Once the globs fell, almost everyone in Oakville started to develop severe, flu-like symptoms that lasted anywhere from 7 weeks to 3 months. Finally, after exposure to the goo caused his mother to fall ill, one resident sent a sample of the blobs for testing. What the technicians discovered was shocking – the globs contained human white blood cells. The substance was then brought to the State Department of Health of Washington for further analysis. With another startling reveal, they discovered that the gelatinous blobs had two types of bacteria, one of which is found in the human digestive system. However, no one could successfully identify the blob, and how they were connected to the mysterious sickness that plagued the town.

3

The Black Helicopter

Black Helicopter-779486

In May 7, 1994, a black helicopter chased a teenage boy for forty-five minutes in Harrahan, Louisiana. Unable to run any further, the terrified boy explained that the occupants descended from the vehicle and pointed weapons at him. To this day, the boy has no idea why he was targeted by the helicopter, or why, mysteriously, they let him go. One week later, people traveling in a car near Washington had a similar experience when they too were pursued by the helicopter. Unable to escape, they witnessed men in black uniforms coming down from a rope ladder bearing weapons. However, the drivers were let off free, much to their confusion. Black helicopters feature much in UFO-lore and while there are simple explanations for some appearances, others (such as the two above) remain unsolved.

2

Animals within Stone

Toad

There are several documented cases where frogs, toads, and other small animals are found concealed within solid stone – alive. There are other instances too, where workers would cut down trees, and find hoards of frogs within the interior. Weirder still, people have found creatures within not just natural formations such as rocks and trees, but manmade establishments. In 1976, a Texas construction crew was breaking up concrete they set over a year ago. To their disbelief, the crew found a live green turtle within the concrete, in an air pocket that matched the shape of the small reptile. If, somehow, it got in when the concrete was poured a year earlier, how did it manage to survive during that time? After all, there were no signs of holes or cracks in the concrete through which the turtle could have entered.

1

Donnie Decker

Screen Shot 2010-01-14 At 12.56.13 Pm

Dubbed the Rain Boy in 1983, Donnie Decker was visiting his friend’s house when he abruptly went into a trance-like state. Immediately after, the ceiling began to drip water and a mist filled the room. His friends immediately called on the landlord who was alarmed by what he was seeing. Some time later, Donnie was at a restaurant with other companions when rain started pouring down their heads. The restaurant owner immediately forced him out. Years later, due to a petty crime, Donnie was put into jail where he caused chaos when rain started to pour down in his cell. After angry inmates complained, Donnie explained that he could make it rain when he wanted to, and proved his point by dumping rain on the jailor on duty. Eventually, he was released from jail and found a job as a cook at a local restaurant. His present whereabouts is unknown – as is the cause of the mysterious rain.

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More Crossovers

A regular feature on my blog are crossovers, also called mashups, where you mix two or more things together.  You can search for “crossovers” on the search block on the Home page if you wish to find other similar posts.  Enjoy!

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Future Internet/Smartphones/Ipads

The future of internet, pads and smartphones may look like the following:  (pretty amazing stuff)

  • Future of Internet Search: Mobile version
  • Part1: Looking Glass Concept
    This is what I wish the internet search will be able to do with a mobile device in the NEAR future. Touch screen, built in camera, scanner, WiFi, google map (hopefully google earth), google search, image search… all in one device. Like this way, when you can see a building through it, it gives you the image search result right on the spot.
  • Part2: Future of Mobile Internet Search: Applications

    Many applications like these will be developed that have never been possible.Indoor guide

    Works in a building, airport, station, hospital, etc.

    Automatic simultaneous translation
    Search keyword
    Helpful when you want to find out a word from a lot of text
  • Part3: Look at What You Don’t See Through Glass

    You can even see flowers that are not actually blooming.

    There are a lot more ideas drawn in my Moleskine, so I’ll introduce them later.
    Also visit other posts of this gadget.

  • Part4: Future of Mobile Search for Diet


    Mainly because I don’t usually care about nutrition when I eat, this kind of function would be helpful for people like me.
  • Part5: Future of Mobile Search- Search Beyond Time

    Getting data of a weather forecast, maybe this might be possible.

    When you wonder what the scene you’re looking at was like in the past, you can see it.

    It would be nice if it could work in sync with Google Maps like this.
  • Part6: Future of Mobile Search- Power of Visualization

    Visual aid for any book. It means any book can be a picture book.

    If it could be wirelessly in sync with your mobile phone or other mobile devices, visualized data exchange could be done like
  • Looking Glass for iPhone

    petitinvention.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/looking-glass-for-iphone/
  • Part7: Future of Mobile Search: Virtual Shopping #1

    I’m pretty sure companies like Ikea would quickly start to use this device this way if it became really available.
  • Part8: Speech Balloons for the Hearing-Impaired

    Speech balloons in comic books show very well how the characters speak. If we could instantly visualize how people speak, wouldn’t it be nice for the hearing-impaired? It means they can SEE our voices.

    Stressed words are rendered larger than those spoken less loudly.Arrows of the balloons show from where it’s spoken (of course).

    A scream is shown in a balloon with jags.

    Imitation sounds are also rendered, but with other colors than spoken words.

    When spoken to from out of the screen, it shows the words with the direction the voice is from.


    A pair of glasses with the same functions could replace the device if we could figure out a good way not to block visual information.

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Steampunk Aircrew Selection 5

This is your fifth chance to select an airship crew for your very own airship.  You cannot choose them all, so choose wisely.  Are you to run the ship as a pirate vessel. trader, smuggler, explorer, loyal military vessel, adventurer, evil mercenary?  All up to you.  For early posts, type in “Steampunk Aircrew” in the search box on the Home page of this blog site.  Enjoy!

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Airless Car Tires

This is an older article from a nearly over a year ago, but I thought pretty cool anyway.

bridgestoneg

Bridgestone goes airless in tire concept for Tokyo show December 3, 2011 by Nancy Owano (PhysOrg.com) —

Visitors to the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show are to witness a new breed of airless tires from Bridgestone. Interest in the general press is already humming because of the material, design, and features of the Bridgestone debut on show. The concept tires use recycled thermoplastic, outside tread included. Fittingly colored green, the tires are being promoted for their green advantage of being completely recyclable.

The spokes are made of reusable thermoplastic resin. In design, interest is drawn toward the thermoplastic fins, staggered so that connections to the hub and the rim do not torque and there is no structural breakdown. The tires’ resin spokes radiate from rim to tread. They curve to the left and right to support vehicle loads. Bridgestone is not the first to experiment with an airless tire concept. Observers point to Michelin’s debut in 2005 of its airless Tweel tires. These were seen with much interest as a novel departure from the traditional wheel hub assembly, though concerns were raised in some quarters about their being noisy and vibrations at high speeds.

The name Tweel is a combination of the words tire and wheel. Michelin used polyurethane spokes arrayed in a wedge pattern. In describing differences between the Michelin and Bridgestone concept, observers say a key contrast is in size of the ribs. Michelin’s tires were viewed as more suitable for military applications—this is not like the Bridgestone concept, which is suited for something more consumer-driven. Another tire concept innovator has been Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. The company announced in October this year its airless tire concept which relies on mechanical rather than pneumatic support.

Yokohama introduced its tire concept earlier this year at a design expo in Japan. Bridgestone’s airless tires have a deeper structure of plastic ribs than either of the other two approaches, and it has a higher aspect ratio, according to Plastics News. Obviously, the key benefit for the consumer will be seen in the fact that the Bridgestone tires cannot suffer punctures. On the other hand, these have a way to go before seeing car commercialization. The tires are in prototype stage only and due for further evaluations. The company has tested the tires, nine inches across, on single-seater electric carts in Japan. Observers see similar uses, at this earlier level, as potential for use in motorized golf carts, lawnmowers and vehicles for the elderly.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2011-12-bridgestone-airless-concept-tokyo.html#jCp

 

 

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