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Seed inspired air-bag system could protect astronauts during bumpy landings

A graduate student in MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics has helped design a reusable, 700-pound air-bag system that could inflate during launch and landing, deflate for storage purposes, and partially inflate to provide seating while the vehicle is in space. Not only would the system be lighter than the one NASA originally proposed for Orion, but it would also be entirely mechanical, meaning not controlled by computers.

Seed inspired air-bag system could protect astronauts during bumpy landings

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A subdued reboot for coal

A subdued reboot for coal

Legislators and DOE’s researchers alike are hoping FutureGen 2.0 is a smoother ride than the first go-around, which went the way of New Coke. With $1 billion now comitted, the coal-dependent U.S. is now headed rapidly for a massive retrofitting of coal generation. But carbon storage will inevitably mean higher energy prices for all.

Am I Buggin’ You?

Am I Buggin’ You?

Two bugs are making a comeback tour, and one is as annoying as the other is deadly. One bites skin, one attacks cells. There’s no vaccine, the treatments are less and less effective with each passing year, and they are beginning to take over the neighborhood. Itchy yet?

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Advanced Photon Source helps answer key questions about common cold virus

Advanced Photon Source helps answer key questions about common cold virus

In a world where doctors can treat the most devastating illnesses, the common cold remains elusive. That's because up until recently, scientists knew little about the viruses that spread this seasonal nuisance. But that may be changing now that researchers have mapped one virus's atomic structure using the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the Argonne National Laboratory.

Ice Cube neutrino observatory nears completion

Ice Cube neutrino observatory nears completion

The world’s first kilometer-scale neutrino, buried deep under Antarctic ice, should be all systems go by Christmas 2010. With 5,160 sensors occupying a gigaton of ice, researchers hope to detect the small neutrino fluxes that could reveal the sources of cosmic rays and the particle nature of dark matter.

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This Week's Poll

The DOE's renewable energy lab in Colorado recently reported that it is possible to supply up to 20% of Eastern U.S. energy needs by wind power by 2024. Is this a feasible goal?