Subliminal Frequencies

More Biomimacry

Speaking of geckos, it appears the Pentagon has found applications for imitating the gecko’s vertical wall climbing capabilities.  The Pentagon’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, has developed a  “Stickybot” which looks and climbs exactly like a gecko, using friction to adhere to smooth surfaces. The six-legged devices developed by the RiSE project, which is presided over by Professor Mark Cutkosky of Stanford University, are  based on insects and reptiles. The aim is to develop machines capable of walking both along the ground and up walls and other surfaces. They also have a “DynoClimber”, which scuttles up walls like a cockroach, at speeds of 66cm a second (or 1.5 times its body length every second).

With these lizardbots go,you can get up close and personal against an enemy in a building, without risking any of your soldiers. Who knows what other applications they can have. For more information see http://robotbling.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=viewblog&id=326110.

Nature Does It Better

When I was young I went to the back rooms of the Field Museum in Chicago and talked with a researcher studying the ridges on a gecko’s foot. They were looking for new methods of adhesion, of course, as a gecko can climb vertical walls with ease. That was my first encounter with biomimicry, a facinating and growing field. After all, who creates better design than God?

A Whale’s Tail Tale

The following biomimicry story is from the Telegraph, a british paper.  ( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/5479418/Biomimicry-why-the-world-is-full-of-intelligent-design.html )                     

“Dr Frank Fish, an expert on how animals move, based at the University of West Chesterfield in Pennsylvania, was looking at a sculpture of a humpback whale, when he realised that the artist had put bumps on the whale’s flippers. That made no sense: everyone knew that the leading edge of a wing had to be smooth and streamlined.

The gallery owner, however, assured Dr Fish that the bumps were in the right place. Intrigued, the doctor made a thorough investigation. What he discovered was that the mysterious bumps were precisely the right shape, and located in precisely the right places, to make even an animal as cumbersome as a whale extremely agile, as the bumps produce vortices that generate more lift and reduce drag.

Dr Fish has set up a firm called WhalePower, which uses this concept – which he refers to as “tubercle technology” – to design wind turbines, pumps and fans. The bumpy blades, he says, are quieter and more reliable – and produce 20 per cent more electricity a year.”

 The Whale Power website sums up their new development saying, “Everything from ceiling fans to HVAC fans to large scale ventilation fans will need less power and will be quieter as well.” For more information see www.whalepower.com.

Greywater Recycling Systems

One picture is worth a thousand words. Examine this and you can see the beauty of a greywater system. As you can see, greywater is the wastewater from kitchen, bathroom, (but not toilet, only shower), and washing machine water. It is a system of small tanks to be held inside or outside, until you want to use it for plants, inside and/or outside.  They can be constructed for as little as thirty dollars.

 Whats not to love?

 Unfortunately some places do not allow greywater systems, remarkably, even here in the desert where it could be most easily used,  due to safety conscerns. Most confusingly it is allowed to be used, with success for hotels and golf courses.

For more information see www.greywater.com.

Michelin’s Revolutionary New Tweel

Instead of the conventional rubber inflatable tire, Michelin has developed this “tire/wheel.” It should be an answer to under-inflated tires, of which it is estimated that one third of all cars on American roads are guilty of. This is both dangerous and wastes gas. The tweel would over come this.

What It Is

Michelin describes it as, “Michelin TWEEL is a single non-pneumatic solution instead of the traditional tire and wheel combination, made up of a rubber tread bonded to the hub by flexible spokes. The flexible spokes are fused with a deformable wheel that absorbs shocks and rebounds with unimaginable ease. Without the air needed in conventional tires, Michelin TWEEL still delivers pneumatic-like load-carrying capacity, ride comfort and resistance to road hazards.” The only drawback appears to be excessive noise and vibration. Hopefully this can be worked out for cars, (they are already being used for slower vehicles like segways). They should be available for wide spread use 2010. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqRJ9GfIJtI.

Amazing Cork

Recycling Corks

The Many Uses for Vinegar

When I was young the only time we used vinegar was to color easter eggs. Many people use vinegar for washing windows as a green alternative, but the uses for vinegar are so many I will not list them here but refer you to two great links.

Real Vinegar

This website, http://www.heinzvinegar.com/tips, from Heinz Vinegar emphasizes using their product ensures you their product is natural and not made from petroleum of all things. It lists countless home use tips for their vinegars.

More Vinegar Uses

More uses for vinegar can be found many places. Check out http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/vinegar-uses-460409, and many other links for this remarkably versatial liquid.