Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Technobabble

Emphasis on European Sewers

Emphasis

There is a new technology being tried out in Europe. It uses technology to detect homemade bomb-makers by sensing chemicals in the air and in sewers in urban areas. It is sponsored by the European Union.

According to an article on Fox Business, the technology works thus:

The sewer-based sensing system would use electrochemical water- and air-sampling to detect certain chemicals typically used for home-made bombs as they travel through the waste stream in urban areas.

. . .

“Terrorism and IEDs are never going away so we need to be able to screen people more effectively.”

Click on the image to enlarge.

One wonders whether the NSA isn’t already doing this in the US . . .

08 Nov 2013 by International Islamic Terrorism Technobabble

Mars Science Laboratory – Curiosity Rover

Curiosity RoverOn August 5, 2012, The Curiosity Rover landed on Mars for its two-year-long mission to look for signs of life on the red planet. Curiosity was designed to assess whether Mars ever had an environment able to support small life forms called microbes. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet’s “habitability.”

This image was featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day yesterday, but at a much larger and higher resolution. The composite image was constructed from 55 different images wherein the robotic arm holding the camera was digitally removed, making it appear as if it weren’t a self-portrait. Click on the image to enlarge.

To find out about the possibility of life (past or present), the rover carries the biggest, most advanced suite of instruments for scientific studies ever sent to the martian surface. The rover will analyze samples scooped from the soil and drilled from rocks. The record of the planet’s climate and geology is essentially “written in the rocks and soil” — in their formation, structure, and chemical composition. The rover’s onboard laboratory will study rocks, soils, and the local geologic setting in order to detect chemical building blocks of life (e.g., forms of carbon) on Mars and will assess what the martian environment was like in the past.

Portions of the description above, came from the Mars Science Laboratory Overview website.

28 Dec 2012 by Aerospace Rocket Science Technobabble

Visit to the Optometrist

Visit to the OptometristI had my annual eye checkup today. It was mostly the routine “Which is better – 1 or – 2?” At the end of the exam, the optometrist showed me some information about cataract surgery which, she says, ‘could’ be required at some point.

In the meantime, I still can enjoy corrected vision in the 20-20 or 20-25 range with eyeglasses, of course. I have a set of sunglasses from last year, that work just fine. I ordered a new set of single-vision clear glasses, mostly for watching TV and after dark junkets out with the dogs. I stopped driving at night after I retired.

The interesting thing about cataract surgery is that they can, with minimal invasive surgery, replace the natural crystalline lens affected by cloudiness with a new artificial lens that compensates for both nearsightedness and presbyopia. Of course, there are caveats like astigmatism and muscle range, but it sounds like someday we can get rid of contacts or corrective glasses altogether.

06 Sep 2012 by Retirement Science Technobabble

The Titanic 100 Years Later

stern.jpegDamsel and I watched the interesting two-hour documentary “Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved” this evening. It was the story of one of the latest expeditions to document the disaster and to try and determine the actual cause of the sinking of the RMS Titanic (Damsel says “It was the @$#! iceberg – get over it!”).

Underwater image of Titanic’s Stern on the ocean floor

All that aside, it was very interesting. The team of scientists, oceanographers and archaeologists sought to explore and map the entire debris field at the bottom of the North Atlantic. Ultimately, their conclusion agreed with Damsel’s assertion; the accident was a result of the overwhelming force of the vessel striking iceberg. There was no actual fault in the construction and design and the crew was following standard procedures and because of unusually calm conditions, they were unable to see the iceberg until it was too late to maneuver the immense vessel around it.

If you’re a history and archaeology buff or interested in the technologies used by the expedition, we recommend you watch the documentary. We saw the premiere tonight, but I’m sire it will come on History Channel again.

15 Apr 2012 by Science Technobabble

The UV Flashlights Are Here

scorpion-light.jpgWhen I checked the PO Box today, I discovered that the Scorpion UV flashlights had arrived. We drove home and I opened up the package to find these little, but powerful, units.

The light is powered by three AAA batteries. There are 32 UV LEDs that produce a very bright reflection when directed toward items that fluoresce in UV light. I found a few things in the office that lit up nicely under the UV light.

Image: one of the new UV Flashlights. Click to enlarge.

We’re anxious for nightfall so we can take the UV lights outside and see if there are any fluorescent critters around, or, maybe some fluorescent minerals around the area. It will be interesting to see what glows in the dark.

08 Sep 2011 by Retirement Something Shiny Technobabble

Flashlight Update

lights.jpg

After we ordered the Smith & Wesson tactical flashlights (right), Cheaper than Dirt offered their “Guard Dog” 240 lumen tacticals (left) for $19.95. Of course, we had to order them as well. Click on the image to enlarge.

And, after Crotalus suggested UV illumination for lighting up scorpions after dark, we ordered a couple of Scorpion Master 32 LED Ultraviolet Flashlights.

I do believe that we will eventually get a couple of the tactical SureFire flashlights as well. We will outfit ourselves as necessary for our personal defense.

03 Sep 2011 by Retirement Something Shiny Technobabble

Shopping for Flashlights

flashlight.pngWe attended a class yesterday devoted to home protection and gun safety. One of the topics they taught had to do with equipment for the home. Of course, we already have firearms but we need to research some of the other tactical gear that we ought to have on hand.

UPDATE Image: Smith & Wesson Galaxy 13 LED Flashlight. This is the model we ordered.

The course instructor advised that if we’re going to have firearms handy that it is a very good idea to have a high-quality flashlight on hand to aid in locating and identifying potential targets. Not the cheap Chinese crap that you find at the discount stores, but a good, reliable and BRIGHT tactical flashlight similar to those used by military and law enforcement. Pursuant to that end, I have started a ‘wish list’ on a well-known on-line retailer site where I have entered several candidate flashlights. Over the next few days, Damsel and I will down-select to a single flashlight and then order two of them. One for her and one for myself.

28 Aug 2011 by Retirement Something Shiny Technobabble

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