Electromagnet
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Biofeedback anti-stress pen: a great idea that's not so great at reducing stress
We've all known for quite some time that the pen is mightier than the sword, and now science has given us a pen that is mightier (sort of) than the stress of that TPS report your boss needs right now. A student at Delft University in The Netherlands will receive his PhD this week for research that led him to create just such a pen. Based upon the obvious premise that people play with their writing utensils when anxious, the pen uses motion sensors instead of more conventional means of stress detection. When the pen detects stressful movements, internal electromagnets provide corresponding counter-motion feedback to stop your nervous tics. During experiments, the pen did diminish test subjects' heart rates around five percent, but according to feedback none of them actually "felt" less stressed. The pen isn't yet commercially available, and given its dubious value as an actual stress reliever, we would look to more satisfying methods to aid the relaxation process.
Navy's prototype rail gun projectile hits mach 7 at 33 megajoules, our hearts skip a beat (video)
Rail guns play a major part in nearly every fanciful battle of the future, whether it be giant robots fighting for control of the Inner Sphere or the last remaining member of Noble Team holding off the Covenant invasion for as long as possible. They're the stuff of geeky dreams, and thanks to the US Navy they're closer to deployment than ever. Three years ago our sea-borne force managed an 8 megajoule blast, now its researchers have more than quadrupled that: 33 megajoules accelerating a projectile using magnets. That power means speeds of Mach 7 for the slug and a current range of 100 miles, though the hope is for at least double that by the time these things start finding themselves mounted on the decks of battleships in 2025. At that point they'll reduce the need for rooms full of powder charges and the associated dangers that come along with explosive shells, but will instead need to make way for what looks to be a warehouse full of capacitors. There's a video of the thing in action below, and you'll be sorry if you miss it. [Thanks, Jacob L.]
Nokia Kinetic concept revealed in prototype form
Impressed by Jeremy Innes-Hopkins' Nokia Kinetic concept the other day? Then take a good look at the image above. That's the actual prototype of the device, which unfortunately doesn't power on (or have anything to power on), but does look remarkably like the previous renders we've seen, and gives us a far better idea of the scale of the device. In case you missed it, the real hook of the concept is an electromagnet in the phone's base that allows it to stand up on cue, and be flipped down to dismiss an action (like an alarm or a video call). We also now know that Innes-Hopkins worked on the project at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London under the tutelage of former Nokia Senior Designer Silas Grant, who was responsible for many of Nokia's premium phones like the 8800 Scirocco. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look. Update: Just to be clear. This is not an actual Nokia concept, but a project done by Innes-Hopkins for his final year at university -- so don't get your hopes up about it ever going into production. %Gallery-98090%
Nokia Kinetic concept offers some ideas Nokia might want to heed
Cellphone concepts are a dime a dozen, but a couple of particularly interesting ones have cropped up in recent days, including Andrew Kim's HTC 1, and this so-called Nokia Kinetic concept from British designer Jeremy Innes-Hopkins. Obviously, the most eye-catching aspect here is that prominent base, which is not simply a design flourish but actually houses an electromagnet that allows the phone to spring up on cue -- when an alarm goes off, for instance, or during a hands-free video call (simply flip the phone back down to dismiss the action). It's also not quite as chunky as it might look -- Jeremy tells us that the top half of the actual prototype is just 8mm thick, while the bottom is 18mm, and he notes that the base also conveniently doubles as a more camera-like grip for taking photos. Of course, it is still just a concept, but it was done at the request of Nokia, and a former Nokia designer served as a tutor on the project, so there's conceivably a slim chance that some of the ideas might wind up in an actual Nokia product.
Artist creates Back to the Future hoverboard -- that actually hovers (video)
Don't expect to ride it on solid ground -- much less water -- but what you see above is indeed a hoverboard that floats. Using electromagnets embedded in the podium and a laser system to measure its position, artist Nils Guadagnin has managed to keep a familiar-looking pink plank aloft, a full five years and five months before the real deal supposedly sees common use. Give the man a pair of kicks, a car and a flux capacitor, and he'll be all set. Video after the break.
Morpho Towers: ferrofluid sculptures that groove to the music
There's just something irresistible about random objects that get down to surrounding beats, and the Morpho Towers: Two Standing Spirals installation is quite the eye-catcher indeed. The pair of ferrofluid sculptures were deigned to stand in a platter of ferrofluid and move "synthetically to music," which translates into a magnetic field being generated by sound and creating autonomous art. Subsequently, the towers react by attracting "spikes of ferrofluid" from the bottom-up, which can mold itself and transform into a variety of stunning shapes. The spikes themselves are designed to "rotate around the edge of the spiral cone, becoming large or small depending on the strength of the magnetic field," and by utilizing time series metadata ingrained in the music, the designers can create (and control) more dramatic scenes on the towers' sides. So if you're interested in what a magnetic Christmas tree might look like, be sure to take a peek after the jump for the artwork in motion.[Via SciFiTech]
Airbus files patent for jetlag zapper
Airbus, that robot-friendly aeroplane company, has filed a patent for a device that generates "electromagnetic interaction in an airplane". No, this isn't some kind of revolutionary fly-by-magnets technology, it's actually a slightly oddball idea intended to solve the most common of airborne travel ailments: jetlag. The device, which in the event that it is ever put into service, will be integrated into passenger seats, supposedly has the capability to "prevent and reduce the occurrence of jetlag, reduce the danger of passengers suffering from thrombosis, and increase general well-being by promoting relaxation, sleep and stress reduction". Ever seen those stone magnets that people put around their wrists to "increase blood flow?" This device looks like it would operate the same away, but in an electromagnetic form. We won't question the validity of using magnets to keep people healthy, but we are puzzled at the logic behind introducing randomly fluctuating electromagnetic fields onto packed airplanes. Surely (don't call me Shirley!) the thought that this could potentially interfere with the pilot's ability to fly the plane crossed the minds of the researchers over at Airbus? Especially considering the common "please turn off your cellphones" announcement that pilots make at the beginning of every flight (FYI, cellphones emit electromagnetic fields). Maybe a wiser course of action would be to focus on cheaper in-flight Wi-Fi, keeping passengers' minds off the fact that they're floating round a tin can far above the world, resulting in less stress and therefore, by Airbus's own logic, reduced jetlag.
