Popsci

Entertainment

Disney Tactile Device Lets Games And Movies Literally Send Chills Down Your Spine

11:20PM May 27, 2011 | Clay Dillow - PopSci

Disney researchers apparently don’t feel that your video games are realistic enough. Engineers at the company’s Pittsburgh research facility have devised something they call “Tactile Brush” that creates the sensory illusion of objects moving against a person’s skin, mimicking everything from crawling insects to the forces exerted by a car taking a hard corner. And soon enough, it could be integrated into everything from gaming systems to movie theatre seats. More »

Online

PopSci’s Retro DIY Archives Are Bizarre And Amazing

6:40AM April 30, 2011 | Sam Biddle

PopSci’s a forward thinking place, but their vintage stuff is worth a check too – harkening back to a simpler time when a magazine could teach you how to build a crossbow without fear of litigation. Also: homebrew tractors. [PopSci]

Science

Mobile Phone Radiation Could Interact With Human Tissues In A Never-Before-Considered Way

2:00PM April 29, 2011 | Clay Dillow - PopSci

Los Alamos National Labs is often associated with bombs, and the one it dropped today is no less likely to stir up a firestorm. Figuratively speaking, of course. That simmering controversy surrounding mobile phone signals’ effect on biological tissue surfaced again today via a Los Alamos researcher who says the microwaves emitted by mobile phones can interact with human tissues in an entirely new way that has yet to be taken into account. More »

Entertainment

For Now, iPad Magazine Issues And Subscriptions Will Cost More Than Their Paper Equivalent

2:00PM May 1, 2010 | Wilson Rothman

Apple priced digital downloads lower than CDs. Amazon said a digital book should be cheaper than a paper one. But for the time being, virtual magazines will cost a pretty penny, says Fortune. More »

Science

When Life Flashes Before Your Eyes: A 15-Storey Drop To Study The Brain’s Internal Timewarp

3:20AM April 14, 2010 | Popular Science

Understanding how the brain perceives the passage of time could lead to treatments for mental illnesses. Why does time seem to slow down during a life-threatening situation? Our reporter falls 15 storeys to find out. More »

Science

Augmented Reality V0.1

9:00AM March 4, 2010 | John Herrman

In 2002, to experience augmented reality was to lash 10kg of equipment to your body and hobble waywardly within the confines of predefined area. In 2010, you can augment the entire world with a free app for your smartphone. More »

Science

Next For NASA: Inflatable Space Stations, Space UAVs And More

4:40AM February 25, 2010 | Popular Science

As we’ve been hearing for months, 2010 is going to be a year of belt-tightening for NASA. But it still has some cool technologies on the way: inflatable space stations, research into mid-orbit refuelling, and new autonomous space vehicles. More »

Gadgets

It’s About Time: A Drill-Free Fix For Cavities

9:20AM February 4, 2010 | Popular Science

If bacteria settle in between your teeth and form a cavity, your dentist must drill through your tooth just to get at it. But now dentists can trade their drills for a simple treatment that stops early-stage cavities. More »

Cars

NASA’s Puffin Is A Stealthy, Personal Tilt-Rotor Aircraft

1:40AM January 21, 2010 | Popular Science

What’s cooler than a hover-capable, electric-powered, super-quiet, personal VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft? If you answered “absolutely nothing”, do read on, because NASA is preparing to oblige you. More »

Computing

Loongson Processor Could Power First Chinese Supercomputer

8:20AM January 20, 2010 | Popular Science

The People’s Republic has unveiled more details on its quest to phase US-made processors from its microchip diet. China’s next supercomputer will run purely on Chinese processors, possibly before the end of this year. More »