Blog Heap o'Transport Links 4 March 2009
Blog-Heap links regarding transportation and related infrastructure,
also energy, because it takes energy to transport,
and virtuality, because telepresence saves on transpresence.
Digital Future is Now
sciencedaily.com Wed 2009 Mar 4, 9:48pm
An innovative and easily implemented technique in which nanoscale elements precisely assemble themselves over large surfaces could soon open doors to dramatic improvements in the data storage capacity of electronic media.... "The density achievable with the technology we've developed could potentially enable the contents of 250 DVDs to fit onto a surface the size of a quarter...."
Spacecraft
sciencedaily.com Wed 2009 Mar 4, 9:46pm
Small robots the size of riding mowers could prepare a safe landing site for NASA's Moon outpost
sciencedaily.com Wed 2009 Mar 4, 9:44pm
The scientists found unexpectedly large amounts of methane in the atmosphere, and also discovered that the atmosphere is hotter than the surface by about 40 degrees, although it still only reaches a frigid minus 180 degrees Celsius.
en.rian.ru Wed 2009 Mar 4, 5:59pm
A collision between U.S. and Russian satellites in early February may have been a test of new U.S. technology to intercept and destroy satellites rather than an accident, a Russian military expert has said.
Animals and Transport
breitbart.com Wed 2009 Mar 4, 5:53pm
A couple drove 170 kilometres (100 miles) from South Africa's famous Kruger National Park with a highly venomous spitting cobra in their car ... Gordon Parratt, 69, felt the 85-centimetre (33-inch) long snake wind itself around his leg while he was driving. At first he thought an insect had brushed his leg and swiped it away, but when he looked down he saw the snake next to his left foot.... "Fortunately I'm not the panicky type. My wife immediately put her feet up on the dashboard...."
Virtual Future is Now
sciencedaily.com Wed 2009 Mar 4, 9:40pm
Scientists from the Universities of York and Warwick now believe they have been able to pinpoint the necessary expertise to make this possible, in a project called 'Towards Real Virtuality'. 'Real Virtuality' is a term coined by the project team to highlight their aim of providing a 'real' experience in which all senses are stimulated in such a way that the user has a fully immersive perceptual experience, during which s/he cannot tell whether or not it is real.
dailymail.co.uk Wed 2009 Mar 4, 5:53pm
A virtual reality helmet that recreates the sights, smells, sounds and even tastes of far-flung destinations has been devised by British scientists. The device will allow users a life-like experience of places such as Kenya's Masai Mara while sitting on their sofa. They can also enjoy the smell of flowers in an Alpine meadow or feel the heat of the Caribbean sun on their face. [And, uh, about what most folks look for on the web...?]
Transport Incident
nycaviation.com Wed 2009 Mar 4, 5:52pm
A 26-year-old passenger on board an American Airlines jet from Charlotte to Dallas opened a door and slid down an inflatable emergency chute Tuesday as the aircraft waited to taxi to its gate at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Just random links galore, along with snarky comments 
probably to be regretted later.
Transport, infrastructure & tech from
