The 10 Best Things From April 2014 | Popular Science

The 10 Best Things From April 2014 | Popular Science:



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America’s Zippy New Trains Still Lag Behind the Speed Demons of Europe | Autopia | WIRED

America’s Zippy New Trains Still Lag Behind the Speed Demons of Europe | Autopia | WIRED: "Transit authorities in five states have ordered 32 new locomotives that are more efficient and faster than their predecessors. Ideally, they’ll make for more reliable service, but they’re not exactly what most people have in mind when they think of high-speed rail.

California, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, and Washington all ordered Siemens Charger diesel-electric locomotives for passenger service. And some of those services are being touted as “high speed.”"



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Super-Intense Laser Stretches Farther Than Ever | Popular Science

Super-Intense Laser Stretches Farther Than Ever | Popular Science: "In the future, such lasers could go into long-distance sensors, or chemical-identifying spectrometers. One more unusual application scientists have thought of is directing lightning. In 2008, a team of European physicists used high-intensity laser pulses to trigger "electric events"—though not lightning bolts—in a thundercloud. It will take more development to trigger lightning bolts, the scientists wrote in a paper they published at the time. This new experiment is a step toward that development."



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How World War I Planes Shot Their Guns Without Hitting Their Propellers - Digg

How World War I Planes Shot Their Guns Without Hitting Their Propellers - Digg: "An interrupter gear is a device used on military aircraft and warships in order to allow them to target opponents without damaging themselves."



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DualWingGenerator mimics flapping wings to harvest energy

DualWingGenerator mimics flapping wings to harvest energy: "Back in 2011, Festo created a natural-flight mimicking bionic seagull with flapping wings dubbed SmartBird. The company is now looking to apply similar principles in order to convert wind power into electricity with its DualWingGenerator system."



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