Lifeboat Foundation

There’s a gap on the electromagnetic spectrum where engineers can not tread.

The spectrum covers everything from radio waves and microwaves, to the light that reaches our eyes, to X-rays and gamma rays. And humans have mastered the art of sending and receiving almost all of them.

There is an exception, however. Between the beams of visible light and the blips of radio static, there lies a dead zone where our technology isn’t effective. It’s called the terahertz gap. For decades now, no one’s succeeded in building a consumer device that can transmit terahertz waves.

Continue reading “You’ve probably never heard of terahertz waves, but they could change your life” »

Devastating residential blazes and wildfires take a terrible toll in terms of deaths and injuries, as well as property loss. Today, researchers will report on a new type of coating that could limit the flammability of wood used in construction, potentially providing more time to escape fires and also curbing their spread. The environmentally friendly flame retardant could also be used for other flammable materials, such as textiles, polyurethane foam and 3D-printed parts.

The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Continue reading “Making wooden construction materials fire-resistant with an eco-friendly coating” »

San Francisco firm Aidlin Darling Design has completed a low-slung home in California’s Palm Desert that is intended to contrast the boulders and trees found in its remote setting.

The three-bedroom family home is located on a rocky plateau in the arid landscape, with views of the Coachella Valley and San Jacinto Mountain Range.

This elevated vantage led to the name High Desert Retreat for the project, which earned a 2021 AIA Design Award in the interiors category.

The classic arcade game Cyclone has attracted many players, along with their coins, thanks to its simple yet addictive gameplay. In its most basic form it consists of a light racing around a circular track, which the player then has to stop at exactly the right place. Arduino enthusiast [mircemk] made a home version of this game, which allows addicts to keep playing forever without running out of quarters.

Instead of an arcade cabinet, this smaller version has an upright 3D-printed ring that holds 60 WS2812 LEDs. A further six in the center of the ring act as a score counter. An Arduino in the base drives the LEDs and runs the game, which is based on an earlier iteration built by [oKeeg]. An interesting addition is a large homemade “arcade button”, which is large and sturdy enough to withstand any abuse inflicted on it by a frustrated player.

Continue reading “Going Around In Circles With Homemade Arcade Classic Cyclone” »

Long Studio is a barn-style architects’ studio and home office in Maine, built by and for architecture office 30X40 Design Workshop.

The aluminium-clad studio is located on the grounds of studio founder Eric Reinholdt’s home on Mount Desert Island, off the coast of New England.

30X40 Design Workshop created the simple gabled structure as both a place to work and a practical demonstration of the office’s approach to architecture.

Archaeologists have found an ancient lead sarcophagus under Notre Dame cathedral along with fragments of a rood screen, offering a new insight into the history of the building which is currently under reconstruction after a devastating fire in 2019.

Icon’s new three-bedroom home with uniquely curved walls proves that 3D printing can create welcoming and warm houses for the average homeowner.

Spain houses just over a third or 35% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage capacity in the EU and the UK, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIP), the association of European gas infrastructure operators, comprising 67 companies from 26 countries. [INSAGO / Shutterstock].

Just how close are scientists to building Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise?