Gadgets
Green, Renewable Microgrids Protect Our Tech From EMPs, Boogeymen
Posted by Jack Loftus at 3:00 AM on October 13, 2008
Their press release reads like a speech from the 2004 GOP presidential convention, but Instant Access Networks still has some pretty cool tech up their sleeves when it comes to protecting our technology from electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). Citing one megaton nuclear bombs over Kansas and rogue terrorist states, IAN says its renewable energy-powered, EMP-protected "microgrids" are just what today's society needs to protect itself from tomorrow's unseen threats.

Hyperion Power's plans to develop and
Don't be afraid. You can read that headline again. I'll wait for you... Aaaand, okay: With cold fusion nowhere in sight, hot fusion looks to be the cleanest way to whip up some atomic energy. However, the steel needed to line the reactor may not be able to take the heat. UK scientists said that temperatures inside reactors are nearly identical to those reached on the floors of the World Trade Centre that were struck by planes on September 11, 2001—and that the tragedy itself yielded helpful data. Here, on the eve of the terrorist attack's 7th anniversary, is the deal:
As anyone who has seen the Matrix will tell you, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) can wreak havoc on electronics. You may also know that an EMP is a byproduct of a nuclear blast--which is why the Navy has handed over US$7.5 million to L-3 Services, Inc. to build an EMP generator. The device is not going to be used as a weapon, instead it will be used to test the resistance of military systems to specific EMP levels as a preventative measure in the event that a nuclear weapon is detonated in US airspace.
Korean scientists are one step further in reaching sustainable fusion reactors. In an experiment for the National Fusion Research Institute, scientists were able to achieve a form of supercharged plasma for 249 milliseconds, almost two and a half times longer than they had anticipated. It's a new form of plasma that can be used to generate electricity in a manner similar to conventional nuclear plants but with far less radioactive waste. We think that's cool. So do bears. [
If Radiation Shield Technologies' Demron fabric pans out, maybe our dystopian, radiation-soaked future won't be so bad after all. At the very least, we'll be toasty--and fashionable too! RST says the fabric (available in full body suits, blankets, gloves and boots) protects against particle ionising/nuclear radiation, and shields against X-ray and low-energy Gamma emissions. The crazy thing is it does it all without any lead inserts, which next to a few inches of solid concrete are currently most effective defence against radiation poisoning. Instead, the material uses a proprietary nanotechnology to block a host of biological, chemical and radioactive sources. The material is damn heavy too; a 90 x 75cm blanket weighs approximately 27kg. [
According to newly declassified info and the lead scientist himself, Dr Bob Ballard, the successful search for the
Cold fusion, the act of producing a nuclear reaction at room temperature, has long been relegated to science fiction after researchers were unable to recreate the experiment that first "discovered" the phenomenon. But a Japanese scientist was supposedly able to start a cold fusion reaction earlier this week, which—if the results are real—could revolutionise the way we gather energy.
A report released this month by the Pentagon has revealed the truth behind the