Space suits are insanely cool. Except this one. This prototype hamster ball suit was designed by engineers at John Hopkins and actually presented to NASA in 1964. The engineers claimed astronauts would be more mobile with this thing on. More »
US firm Oceaneering International was recently awarded a US$745 million contract to design and test new spacesuits for future trips to the moon. Fully functional and considered the height of Mooninite fashion, the modular suit can be worn two ways depending on the occasion.
Dutch researchers have come up with a heated sleep suit that could help insomniacs and older people who suffer from disturbed sleeping patterns. A system of micropipes filled with water warms the patient, increasing their body temperature by just 0.4 degrees Celsius. At 35.4ºC, the body shifts from nocturnal wakefulness to a deeper sleep because, scientists believe, that skin temperature affects cells in the hypothalamus of the brain responsible for controlling sleep. As long as it doesn’t spring a leak, eh? [Wired]
