Wondering what someone's brain would look like if you could view thoughts through a kaleidoscope? Well wonder no more - here are some awesome images from a new piece of software developed by neuroscientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It takes MRI scan data and renders it in full-colour 3D, with each visible strand representing several tens of thousands of the too-small-to-image neural pathways. It called diffusion spectrum imaging - it takes current data from MRI scans and analyses it for the passage of water molecules along the individual neuron connections in the brain. It then processes it to spit out the 3D maps. See after the jump for more pici's.
Many people don’t believe that space travel is worth the massive amounts of money that we spend, or the Americans spend should I say. Here in New Zealand we do not have a space program so our tax money does not feature in the final frontier. Needless to say that we are fortunate that everyone reaps the benefits of the space programs provided by other countries. Rob Sharp over at The Independent has chronicled some of the top 50 developments that the Worlds space programs have given us. Things such as the hand held vacuum cleaner, safer runways, freeze dried meals and Heart Surgery have all come about due to the research and development that goes on at NASA and other agencies.
Check out the link to see the top 50 inventions given to us by space exploration.
Here at RD we have mentioned before that science fiction is starting to become science fact, no more is true that the advancement in exoskeleton technology. We reported on the military applications of this here. Well it looks like the development has been taken to the next level, as what often happens with military uses, they find their way into our every day life.
After the jump you will see a video that shows the practical use of an exoskeletal suit on someone that has been bound to a wheelchair for a long time.
Granted, this chap will not be climbing mountains or running marathons just yet, but in time this could be possible. Many people who are unable to walk may be able to use this technology to ensure a better standard of living, that has to be a good thing.
I'm not a big Apple fan. I thought I'd better say that from the outset just to be honest, and the reasons are not behind any overarching loyalty to the Uber corp Microsoft - I just plain don't like any of their merch. I think Apple spend far too much time on design and pricing strategies, than on creating a device that works well with everything else. And nothing has changed with the jesus phone. My main bugbear is (as with a majority of Apple gear) the pricing. Every time we see an Apple product, its pricing boggles the mind for what you actually get. The iPod is just an MP3 player, and there a plenty of better and cheaper devices on the market. The iPhone is just a cell phone with a flashy interface, but its prices are $6000 over two years for one plan and $2000 over 18 months for another (plus calls and txts for both). The Mac is an average laptop / desktop and you can get better bang for your buck just about anywhere with other manufacturers.
Why do they do this? Who could possibly be to blame for the ludicrous pricing and unbelievable costs of even owning one of these devices? Steve Jobs? Bill Gates? Satan? No - the consumer. Yes, every shmuck who has ever fawned over the latest apple product (I love Steve Jobs - he's looking out for us!), every toadying lacky whos slobbered all over the new Mac Book air (It fits in an envelope!), and every drip who's had the indecency to own an iPod......crap that's right. I've got one. But it was given to me! I didn't have a choice! Honest!
Yes folks, its our fault for the high prices, the massive charges and the never ending line of designer electronic equipment spewing forth from Apple central. The marketing men at Apple realised early on that they had a captive audience in the Mac Fans, who saw themselves a rebels against the Evil Microsoft. And they also realised they could alter that image a bit, to be less alternative and more left of centre, and capture a serious chunk of the market. Its the difference between living in the burbs, wanting to commune with nature, and living in a caravan in a commune, out in the bush. Less hippy, more hip. They were smart enough to see new avenues of advertising in media that appealed to younger generations - viral videos, the hip but not too hip stars, product placement in the right shows, and overall a pretty looking device. I must take my hats off to the evil marketing geniuses at Apple. They've done a brilliant job.
But screw them as well - thanks to their zealous marketing and Mac-hype we have to put up with this crap - a cell phone that costs SIX GRAND (!!!!!) plus calls and txts. What. The. Fuck. Its insane that anyone would want to pay that much, and I know of a few people who were keen on getting one until the pricing from Vodaphone was released. I believe the exact words were "Holy shit, I'm not paying that much for a fucking phone!". Sanity prevailed in a few heads at least. But this will not stop those driven few - those retarded enough to not realise when they are being shucked like an oyster for their money. They will queue for days to get their grubby mitts on a new iPhone, drool all over the touch interface, short it out, and spend weeks trying to get Apple to fix it. Unless they say their name is John Mayer - in which case things will happen pretty quickly.
So what's my point? Well, we've only got ourselves to blame for this rash of overpriced consumer electronics - if we stopped buying all this crap, or at least were a little bit more savvy with our purchases, then Apple might spend more time on creating a device that performs well rather than looks good. Dreams are free I suppose. But I can't talk right now - I've got to play on my Xbox, after I've rebooted my Vista PC, and synced to my Windows Home Server.
I want one. I want 4. Can you imagine having these things loitering around the dark corners of your house, ready to scare the flying crap out of people? Brilliant. Its 7 foot 7 inches tall, steel, foam, latex and resin model on a 4 x 2 foot base. The cost is a bit prohibitive (US$5200 + shipping), but money is no object when it comes to art like this. Check out the home site over at Monster Galaxy.
Some people have ordinary workstations, 1 monitor, crappy post-it notes all over everything, and more crap than you can shake a stick at. Well screw that. From now on, we should ALL be issued with new workstations from Novelquest, designed by Patrick Laflamme Duval. Modelled after a scorpion, the tail section rises up to let the user be seated, and then descends again with "the three monitors at the perfect height and angle for perfect viewing comfort". Nice. Click on the image left to embiggen.
Billed as the fastest RC helicopter in the world, the Rave 450 Electric helicopter has to be seen to be believed. Looks and sounds pretty angry, and I can see itbeing used as either a high class hedgetrimmer, or crowd control decapitation machine. Check out the vid after the jump.
Yes, wanking for the common good will soon be in vogue once piezoelectric clothing takes off. Seen here on textually via Gizmodo a new fashion article called a Piezing Dress where the wearer generates a charge as they move that is stored in a small battery. The applications are endless as far as I'm concerned. But seriously folks, if every affluent country of the world used this clothing for even 30% of its populous, we could save so much energy being generated at our fossil fueled powered generation plants. I forsee a future where air polluting energy generation is replaced by people taking long walks to power the telly, a quick jaunt on the exercycle to charge the water heater, or flicking one off the wrist to keep the monitor going on the PC.
Yes, even the spotty nerds currently sucking up the worlds power on their 15 monitors, 10 PC's, wireless devices, endless chargers and MP3 players could turn the energy crisis tide by simply wearing this clothing whilst having a tap. We would have an energy surplus. People walking to work, going for a run, walking the dog - hell lets coat the pets! Lets get those bloody cats to return something for once!
Trust me - its going to be an energy revolution my friends!
As mentioned in my earlier post, we need a cat gun to keep the critters off my damn lawn, so I don't have to dodge catshit landmines when I'm taking out the rubbish or mowing the lawns. Well, ask and ye shall receive. New and purchaseable on the interweb is the Mega Sonic Scatter Cat. Yes, now those pesky animals will fear your lawn, and if I customise it to go continuously in non-predictable patterns sweeping my whole lawn, I can create a no-go zone for felines and other small furry things. Combine that with the paint ball sentry gun then you have an effective anti-cat area, ensuring crap free lawn mowing, and totally avoids that awful squishy feeling between the toes when taking out the trash.
Boston Dynamics in the US has developed what can only be described as the prototype for the AT-AT from The Empire Strikes Back. Although I suspect that the AT-AT could not do the things that 'Big Dog' can. This new robot is far more weird than watching the ASIMO robot trying to run, if anything it looks a bit creepy, almost like a 4 legged spider. Look at the way that the 'Big Dog' manages to keep on it's 'feet' while on ice. Video after the jump.
The potential for this kind of robot is amazing. Imagine how it could be helpful in rescue situations. Give it some coordinates and send it on its way with first aid kits and supplies. Then there is the military use. Again send it into where troops are pinned down with fresh food and ammo. Or send it behind enemy lines with tactical bombs or claymores. Not that we advocate the use of technology in that way here at RD. Needless to say that this project is partly financed by DARPA. This could also be utilised in planetary exploration. It would be able to get to places that the likes of rovers could not get to. Down into Valley's and craters, jump crevices and travel faster. Someone email NASA.
Here are some specs right from the Boston Dynamics website: Speed = 3.3mph Ascent angle = 35 degree Load weight = 120lbs
Regardless of the end outcome and final use this is a pretty cool new robot and is right up there with the ASIMO from Honda, and Dextre the new robot arm on the International Space Station. This technology has a bright future, here's hoping they don't take over the World and make us all in to batteries.
Johnny Mnemonic eat your heart out - looks like thought controlled computer interaction is not far off. A company called Emotiv has unveiled a new Gaming Headset which uses the brainwaves in your freaking head to control action on the screen. While still in the "box moves roughly where I want it to" stage, this will quickly advance to the "jacking in" as described so vividly in cyberpunk novels such as The Neuromancer by William Gibson.
Widespread use will allow peoples dreams and experiences being recorded to be viewed by others (Strange Days). Youtube will expand to cover live streaming from people, and news cameramen will be out of work. Eventually this will lead to neural lace's being inserted into our heads (Iain M. Banks novels on the Culture) and we will use our new found machine power to accelerate the growth and potential of the human race to record our entire brain onto crystals and share lots of pr0n.
Either way, I reckon this has to be one of the most amazing releases I've read about in a wee while - pretty cool when you think where this could take us. Although can you image trying to get a new upgrade for the circuitry in your head?
Wondering what someone's brain would look like if you could view thoughts through a kaleidoscope? Well wonder no more - here are some awesome images from a new piece of software developed by neuroscientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It takes MRI scan data and renders it in full-colour 3D, with each visible strand representing several tens of thousands of the too-small-to-image neural pathways. It called diffusion spectrum imaging - it takes current data from MRI scans and analyses it for the passage of water molecules along the individual neuron connections in the brain. It then processes it to spit out the 3D maps. See after the jump for more pici's.
