Unexplainable.net

"Thinking" Supercomputer Now Conscious as a Cat

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:48:47 PST

Incredibly, a super computer has been created by IBM that has the thinking capability of a cat at the click of a mouse. Of course the supercomputer, dubbed C2 by the research team putting it together, has raised some serious ethical questions, for example: When is it no longer ethical to turn it off? Though the computer thinks as much as a cat does, it is still in the early stages of development. C2 is quickly developing, however, and has already surpassed the 4 percent mark of human capability. Soon, it is estimated, a computer will exist that thinks as well as a human’s cerebral cortex. The only problem? They still don’t know how it works.

Could Cern's LHC be Haunted?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:21:24 PST

Is there a ghost in the machine stopping CERN from powering up? After scouring the internet for information on CERN, something keeps popping up again and again, and it’s difficult to believe no one has proposed it yet. Of course while this is purely speculative, is it possible that CERN’s LHC could be haunted? At first this may seem like a theory without evidence, but with the theories being thrown around by scientists about time travel, Ghosts don’t seem that unlikely at this point.

Laser Powered Robot Wins $900K

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:58:37 PST

The idea of a space elevator is one of the most important concepts toward space travel mankind has ever considered, and now NASA has developed a method that may actually bring that concept to reality. One of the things still needed? A robot light enough for the job. Since batteries are notoriously heavy, the robot will need to be powered by something else. What’s more Sci-fi than a robot climbing a cable into space? The robot is powered by lasers. That’s the idea behind NASA’s contest for ingenuity. The prize? Nine hundred thousand dollars, and another three million for anyone who can one up them.

Cool Technology 2009: Cameras and Camcorders

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:33:10 PST

When it comes to capturing high-quality moments in your life, a camera or camcorder certainly comes in handy. With the race to build the smallest, biggest, fastest, and brightest equipment, the number of cool technology gadgets and products keep springing up on the market. A few from 2009 are included in this article, including a pocket-sized camcorder with exceptional sound.

Holy Water Dispenser Invented that Fights Swine Flu Spread

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:02:51 PST

In Italy, tradition and the times we live in are cooperating once again as a new Holy Water dispenser has been created to help combat the spread of the H1N1 virus. The dispenser was created by Luciano Marabese, who hopes the new system will allow for churchgoers to help find the faith needed to get through troubled times.

Cool Technology 2009 – Christmas Gift Ideas

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:04:24 PST

Christmas is a hop, skip and a jump away – what kind of technological gadgets and products will you be looking at for stocking stuffers or larger presents for under the tree? In this article, you will encounter two computers pushing the limits of image delivery and data storage, as well as a revved up version of a classic childhood game.

Cool Technology 2009 – Computers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:02:49 PST

From making your Internet experience much easier to producing brighter colors for screens, computer technology is constantly evolving to keep up with the growing demand for 'bigger,' 'better' and 'more efficient'. In this article, you will encounter the latest in keyboards, computer imagery, and touchpad laptops.

Bread Biting Bird Could Have Cost CERN a Lot More Dough

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:59:26 PST

CERN’s LHC is making the news again as the project runs into yet another snag. With the program about to go back online after two failed attempts to find the boson or “god” particle, workers at CERN were shocked to find that a bird had dropped a bit of baguette into the $10 billion machine earlier today. Had the machine been activated without removing the obstruction it would have gone into “shut-down mode.”

$85M Bomb Dousing Program Causing Controversy

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:59:17 PST

Iraqi security forces are once again under intense international scrutiny, this time for using a strained budget to purchase over 1,500 ADE 651 Units at a cost of up to $60,000 a piece despite the fact that many say it can’t possibly work. The ADE 651 is being sold as an electronic bomb sniffing device capable of detecting bombs from far away through a method many would recognize as almost identical to dousing, practiced for hundreds of years by “water witches” to find everything from water to gold.

Cool Technology Gadgets: For Music

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:26:19 PST

With iPods leading the way in the world of media players, Microsoft has been trying in vain to keep up with the leader of the pack. Nowadays, Zune portable media players may have a fighting chance to put a dent in the market with the inclusion of the Tegra chip by Nvidia. In this article, you will learn more about the Tegra Chip, as well as other music-related gadgets.

Cool Technology and Advancements: Cell Phones

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:19:14 PST

Renew

From changing face plates to outfitting callbacks with favorite ring tones – we sure love our cell phones. Whenever the latest models, advanced QWERTY keyboards, and improvements in manufacturing hit the headlines, a new buzz spreads – encouraging consumers to renew their contracts and trade up for the newest technological advancements for cell phones. This article offers some of the best moves in 2009.

Cyber-Beetles Still Buggy

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:24:24 PST

Recently announced cyber-beetles researched by the Department of Defense and DARPA may still have some bugs to work out, but the models have shown quite a bit of promise. Beetles are only one foray into the fusion between cybernetics and organic matter that has been sweeping the technological field lately. Berkely Researchers now say these cybernetic insects could eventually become models for MIV’s (Micro Air Vehicles) with potential military or scientific applications.

New 'Cuddle Drug' Cures Paranoia, Mistrust, Dissent

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:47:20 PST

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,” the old adage goes, but a new drug recently tested has been shown to cause people to trust strangers even if they are betrayed multiple times. The “cuddle drug” known as oxytocin is a chemical which, if used, will activate regions of the brain used to determine if others are trustworthy. The hormone occurs naturally in the brain, but was only recently synthesized into a drug which can be administered to cure social disorders and, in several cases, civil unrest.

Fungi that Science Will Try

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:03:56 PST

Large groups of eukaryotic organisms have been infecting the news lately as science turns to these resilient mykes to solve several problems facing us today. Everything from fuel, to malaria, to the music we listen to could be changed forever.

Brain Computer Interface: Hands Free Everything

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:01:33 PST

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is the next step in neural interfacing with computers. Electronic implants, once the subject of science fiction, have been around in one capacity or another since the 1970’s, but have made great strides recently. By recent counts, around 100,000 people have cochlear implants allowing them to hear, macular degeneration in the eye is being combated by retinal implants, and of course prosthetic hands and arms can connect directly to the nervous system to allow for more articulated movement, but what about machines connecting to the brain itself?

Rocket-Man Could Go to Mars Thanks to New Technique

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:09:26 PST

There was always a problem with getting enough fuel in one place to get a manned vessel to Mars, and the expense of it all, but it seems one of the greatest road-blocks in the way of humans reaching Mars may have finally been solved thanks to the ingenuity of a NASA engineer named Robert Adams.

Cattle Rustlin' in the Uncanny Valley

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:36:34 PST

“Do you suppose she was human?” the line goes in Michael Crichton’s 1973 film “Westworld.” The premise for the film is a theme park with the peculiar variable slogan “Where Nothing Could Possibly Go Wrong.” In it, people are dropped in the middle of a fantasy world where robots pose as other players in a role-playing type game. The idea is, that robots are indistinguishable enough for humans that they will be able to suspend disbelief and act out their Wild West fantasies, and even fall in love and get married in the fantasy worlds for a mere $1,000 a day. But will technology ever reach the level where this is possible? Will robots ever resemble us so much that they could be mistaken for humans?

Futuristic Technology: Expensive Wonders of Transport

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:36:41 PST

Whether you have dreams of becoming the next James Bond or simply want to take advantage of the latest advancements in technology, transportation is certainly coming a long way. Although the cutting-edge modes of transportation listed in this article, such as the personal hovercraft, are highly expensive, you can still dream, can't you?

Scientist Promises Immortality Programs to Begin in 25 Years

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:29:33 PST

Raymond Kurzweil is an inventor, scientist, and futurist who says that in the next 25 years, mankind will have the technology to keep bodies alive virtually indefinitely. Many hearing this claim will remember the claims made of flying cars (which won't be coming out until 2011), and moon bases (which we are still waiting for), but Dr. Kurzweil is one of the rare futurists that has been surprisingly accurate with his predictions thus far.

Welcome to the Future! Here's Your Flying Car!

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:08:26 PST

It seems that the Federal Aviation Authority is cooperating with science fiction to create the symbol of the future that we have all coveted since we first laid eyes on the stylized streamlined pictures of the "World of Tomorrow." I am talking of course, about the flying car.