News

Bomb Squad X-Rays Suspicious Package, Finds Cat Inside

In a disturbing story (that comes with a happy ending!), the bomb squad of Amherst, New York, responded to reports of a suspicious package but instead of figuring out which colour wire to cut, they found a living cat sealed inside the box.


February 1, 2012
News

Navy GREMLIN Will Hunt Underground IEDs Like An Acoustic Truffle Pig

EOD personnel would have a hell of a lot easier time if people would stop burying their IEDs. But since that’s obviously not going to happen, Office of Naval Research is funding the development of an ordnance detection system that “sees” through the ground with sound waves.


December 29, 2011
Geek Out

The Sad Story Of A Real Life R2-D2 Who Saved Countless Human Lives And Died

Robots can’t have feelings. But humans develop feelings for them. You know, like R2-D2 in Star Wars. Or like Scooby Doo, a real life small robot that saved the day 19 times. This is his single-tear story.


December 28, 2011
Science

The Time I Planted A Pipe Bomb Under A Truck

I almost crash into a truck, at first. I can turn on a dime and accelerate like a tiny nitrous-oxide-fueled bat out of hell — even though I’m holding a 10-pound pipe bomb, 30 per cent of my body weight. I don’t know what I’m doing, really. But by the time I get to the truck to plant the bomb, it’s easy. I know exactly what to do. Boom.


December 5, 2011
News

This WWII Bomb Could Have Destroyed A German City Today

World War II is still affecting life in Europe: 45,000 people had to be evacuated after two extremely dangerous bombs were found in the Rhine River, 65 years after they were dropped by British and American bombers.


December 2, 2011
News

Gas Mask-Wearing Jogger Scares Bomb Squad

Hey man, how’s it going? Just getting some exercise in. You know, running, lifting, jamming packages into mailboxes while wearing a gas mask and body armour, then hurrying away before the bomb squad shows up to explode my stuff.


November 4, 2011
Science

What Are Those Smoke Columns Around Nuclear Bomb Tests?

This video shows part of a nuclear blast test. Notice those parallel smoke trails? They are present in many other nuclear test images and videos, but they are not created by the blast itself. What are they?


November 1, 2011
Science

Scientists Can Make Bomb Detectors With Inkjet Printers

When properly designed, explosives detection sensors are really expensive. But researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a cheap, ammonia-detecting sensor that can be manufactured with an inkjet printer and some paper.


October 25, 2011
Geek Out

Last Nuclear ‘Monster Weapon’ Gets Dismantled

In the 1960s, the skies above the United States were patrolled by agents of the apocalypse. Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses circled the North American continent, 24 hours a day, cradling two megabombs in their bellies.


October 24, 2011
Geek Out

Images From The Catastrophic Fall Of Imperial Japan In 1945

With the war for Europe over and the US’ Pacific “island hopping” strategy seeing long-range bombers within striking distance of Japan, all that stood between the Allies and and end to World War II was taking that tenacious island nation.