When most people think about searching for extraterrestrial intelligences, they imagine someone like Ellie Arroway searching the skies for radio transmissions. But what about looking in other ways? Perhaps a highly advanced alien civilisation might build structures large enough for us to see.
Most musical instruments look a little weird, if you stare at them for long enough. When aliens finally make contact, they'll be confused by our habit of gripping wood and metal structures and throttling sound out of them. But some devices are odder than others. Here are the strangest musical instruments of all.
Bartending robot mixes (and remixes) crowdsourced drink recipes
Start the first summer holiday off with a cool drink, courtesy of these three robotic arms. MIT Senseable City Lab, Coca Cola, and Bacardi have teamed up to bring you the Makr Shakr, an experiment in digital manufacturing and yummy beverages.
We all currently live in a system where we get paid for our labor and exchange that payment for goods and bits of information. But what sort of economic system are we going to have in another 20 years, after more improvements in computers and robotics? Will your current job even still exist?
I Took This Amazing Tour Inside the Space Shuttle. So Should You.
During a trip to Seattle last week, I spent a Sunday afternoon checking out the inside of a space shuttle cockpit. This was one of the coolest things I've done in a while.
Can you spot every detail in this Simpsons theme park concept art?
Universal Studios has revealed their concept art for a real life Simpson's theme park. And this tiny Springfield includes Moe's, Krusty Burger, Duff Beer, Lard Lad Donuts and a Kwik-E-Mart. Fantastic.
The comparison between the human brain and a computer is not a perfect one, but it does lend itself to some interesting lines of inquiry. For instance: what is the storage capacity of your brain?
Your Alchemy Project for the Weekend
It always pleases me when I find science projects that I haven't done yet. This one, which allows people to use a couple of kitchen ingredients and a few pennies to make copper plating, seems especially promising. Just a little vinegar and you can feel like an old-fashioned alchemist.
