Hard grind: The epic journey of the world's biggest tunnel boring machine

On April 4, the world's largest tunnel boring machine broke through to the open air after almost four years underground. Called Bertha, the giant digger was tasked with the challenge of building a tunnel large enough to carry four lanes of motor traffic under the heart of Seattle. The story of how it made the 1.7 mi (2.7 km) journey under the skyscrapers of the port city is not only a tale of a remarkable machine, but also of civil engineering, geology, politics, luck, and proving the old adage that anything that can go wrong, will.

.. Continue Reading Hard grind: The epic journey of the world's biggest tunnel boring machine

Category: Architecture

Tags:

• Building and Construction
• Engineering
• Hitachi
• Seattle
• Transport
• Tunnel
• World's Largest

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Galaxies appear to be full of fuzzy, excited dark matter

Even though it's suspected of making up about 85 percent of the matter in the observable universe, dark matter is a mysterious beast. It's effectively invisible and can only be detected through its interactions with ordinary matter, but that hasn't stopped scientists from trying to understand just what it is and how it behaves. Now, using data gathered from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found that the best way to explain how matter clumps together in galaxies is with a model of dark matter that's both fuzzy and excited.

.. Continue Reading Galaxies appear to be full of fuzzy, excited dark matter

Category: Space

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• Astronomy
• Dark Matter
• Galaxy
• NASA
• X-ray

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If you're a recklessly impulsive guy, blame testosterone

Guys who might not be so great at thinking things through may be able to blame their impulsiveness on testosterone, according to new research that seems to backup the old stereotype of the hot-headed guy. A new study links the sex hormone to relying on "gut instincts" over self reflection and more deliberate, slow consideration.

.. Continue Reading If you're a recklessly impulsive guy, blame testosterone

Category: Biology

Tags:

• Behavior
• Caltech
• Hormone

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China's Monkey King: Player 3 has entered the giant robot fight

The world's first public giant robot fight is set to take place this August, between America's MegaBots and Japan's Kuratas. But it seems a third country is set to get in on the action, too. China has debuted a prototype of a quadrupedal, single-seat fighting robot called the Monkey King, and thrown its hat in the ring.

.. Continue Reading China's Monkey King: Player 3 has entered the giant robot fight

Category: Robotics

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• Robot
• Sports

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Natural gas and clever coasting part of VW roadmap to more fuel efficient vehicles

Amid tightening emissions regulations, car manufacturers are looking for new ways to make their engines more efficient. Volkswagen has used this year's Vienna Motor Symposium to unveil a range of new technologies aimed at eking better mileage out of gasoline, hybrid and electric powertrains alike.

.. Continue Reading Natural gas and clever coasting part of VW roadmap to more fuel efficient vehicles

Category: Automotive

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• Emissions
• Volkswagen

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Lucid Motors' flagship Air to offer 200 mph+ performance

Lucid Motors is one of the most exciting automotive startups since Tesla, and the big claims continue rolling in ahead of its first production car – the Air – hitting the market. We already know the base model will be cheaper than the Tesla Model S, but a recent chat with the company has shed light on the crazy performance you can expect from its range-topping cars.

.. Continue Reading Lucid Motors' flagship Air to offer 200 mph+ performance

Category: Automotive

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• Battery
• Electric Vehicles
• Lucid Motors
• New York Auto Show 2017

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Want to know what the oceans looked like 2.5 billion years ago? Head to Canada

Earth might not have been the best place to set up home during the Archaean era but life nevertheless managed to establish a foothold in the form of single-celled microbes that thrived in its iron-rich and oxygen-free ancient oceans. Although much of this period remains a mystery, micro-organisms residing in the still cool depths of Canada's Boreal Shield lakes could shed light on our early origin story that began more than 2.5 billion years ago.

.. Continue Reading Want to know what the oceans looked like 2.5 billion years ago? Head to Canada

Category: Science

Tags:

• Canada
• climate change
• Evolution
• Methane
• Microbes
• University of Waterloo

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Elon Musk shows how his Boring Company plans to tunnel under traffic

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk is sharing yet another vision for the future and this time it's totally underground. The originator of the Hyperloop, purveyor of snazzy solar panels and man with a plan to connect our brains showed off a concept for escaping rush hour traffic via high-speed conveyance through a network of tunnels at TED in Vancouver on Friday.

.. Continue Reading Elon Musk shows how his Boring Company plans to tunnel under traffic

Category: Automotive

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• Elon Musk
• SpaceX
• TED
• Traffic
• Traffic Congestion
• Tunnel

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FPV car racing is getting kinda gnarly

Perhaps you like the idea of FPV (first-person view) drone racing, but you're a little uncomfortable with the thought of piloting a rapidly-moving quadcopter through the air. If you are, then maybe FPV car racing would be more to your liking. Although hobbyists have been doing it on a DIY basis for years, there's a relatively low-priced new kit that contains everything you need.

.. Continue Reading FPV car racing is getting kinda gnarly

Category: Games

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• Indiegogo
• Racing
• Remote Control

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Interview: How Indian Motorcycles made it back into flat track racing

Nearly 65 years after the last Indian motorcycle raced in flat track racing, the company's return to the sport has given fans the potential to see a revival of the historical rivalry between it and Harley Davidson. But the path to get here hasn't been easy for the sport or Indian's most recent owner, Polaris.

.. Continue Reading Interview: How Indian Motorcycles made it back into flat track racing

Category: Motorcycles

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• Harley
• Harley Davidson
• Indian
• Indian Motorcycles
• Motorcycle
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Bike tire insert takes on flats and rough rides

For decades, various manufacturers have dabbled in flat-proof bicycle tires that have a solid or foam-filled core. The problem is, those tires tend to be heavy, plus there's no way of adjusting their firmness. Italian startup MrWolf is now offering an alternative, in the form of the Banger. Not only is it lighter and more adjustable than a solid tire, but it reportedly also gives mountain bikers a smoother ride than they'd get with regular tires.

.. Continue Reading Bike tire insert takes on flats and rough rides

Category: Bicycles

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• Kickstarter
• Mountain Bikes
• Tires

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Lego launches Saturn V Apollo rocket set

As the first rocket to put people on the moon, NASA's Saturn V occupies a special place in the history of space exploration. And now it can occupy a special place in your Lego collection, too, with the company today launching an Apollo Saturn V replica Lego kit.

.. Continue Reading Lego launches Saturn V Apollo rocket set

Category: Children

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• Lego
• Rocket
• Toys

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Review: Active noise cancelling earplugs help you get your quiet on

Are active-noise cancelling earplugs – specifically, this US$200 pair from QuietOn – better bringers of silence than passive options like traditional foam or silicone plugs? If so, are they worth the expense? New Atlas reviews.

.. Continue Reading Review: Active noise cancelling earplugs help you get your quiet on

Category: Wearables

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• Wearable
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Female dragonflies fake death to avoid lusting males

Rassim Khelifa was standing by a pond in the Swiss Alps collecting insect eggs one day, when he noticed something strange. A dragonfly being hotly pursued by another suddenly took a dive and crashed to the ground, seemingly dead on the spot, before springing back to life and making a grand escape once the coast was clear. The observations that followed confirmed a previously unknown phenomenon – the insect had faked its death to give a wannabe lover the slip.

.. Continue Reading Female dragonflies fake death to avoid lusting males

Category: Biology

Tags:

• Insect
• Reproduction
• University of Zurich

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Got this kind of face? You're more likely to be left-handed

Our faces are a key way in which we evaluate each other. We can glean trustworthiness, threat, love and humor from a simple glance at another person's visage. Now, it appears that scientists can ascertain another fact about us simply from looking at our faces – how likely we are to be left-handed.

.. Continue Reading Got this kind of face? You're more likely to be left-handed

Category: Biology

Tags:

• University of Washington

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Jawa plots four-stroke future for its iconic 350

Once a mighty European powerhouse, Czech Republic's Jawa never stopped producing motorcycles throughout its 88-year history. As times change along with emission rules, Jawa introduces the 350 OHC as a four-stroke tribute to one of its most popular historic two-stroke models, the 350 Type 634.

.. Continue Reading Jawa plots four-stroke future for its iconic 350

Category: Motorcycles

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• Motorcycle
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Sustainable design takes flight at Oslo's airport terminal extension

Norway's Oslo Airport has received a smart-looking new terminal extension courtesy of local architects Nordic – Office of Architecture. Featuring an attractive curved form, the building is hailed as the "world's greenest terminal" by the firm and certainly boasts an impressive amount of sustainable and energy-efficient design.

.. Continue Reading Sustainable design takes flight at Oslo's airport terminal extension

Category: Architecture

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• BREEAM
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Fender builds world's first agave Stratocaster

It's Fender Custom Shop's 30th birthday this year, and the firm began the celebrations in January with a NAMM showing for Master Builder one-off creations, and followed that with a number of limited run guitars crafted by some of its founding builders last month. Now Master Builder Paul Waller has partnered with a famous tequila house to build a gorgeous Stratocaster from agave that "brings to life the connection between Jose Cuervo and rock & roll."

.. Continue Reading Fender builds world's first agave Stratocaster

Category: Music

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• Fender Stratocaster
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Guests climb tree-lined trail to summit of mountain-themed hotel

NOA (Network of Architecture), the designers of the hotel with the crazy pool in South Tyrol, Italy, recently completed another unusual hotel nearby. Named Tofana, it's shaped like a mountaintop and has some novel touches like a ski gondola-shaped reception and a layout that's meant to bring to mind ascending to the summit.

.. Continue Reading Guests climb tree-lined trail to summit of mountain-themed hotel

Category: Architecture

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• Luxury
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Mitsubishi will remake 1917 Model A with plug-in powertrain

We've seen some crazy automaker centennial celebration cars in recent years, including the Vision Next 100 BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce and the Aston Martin CC100 Speedster. Instead of going totally wild or futuristic, Mitsubishi is bridging the past with the present for its own celebration, preparing a modern-day Model A powered by the plug-in hybrid electric drive from the Outlander PHEV. Early 20th century looks and plug-in technology are sure to make an intriguing mix.

.. Continue Reading Mitsubishi will remake 1917 Model A with plug-in powertrain

Category: Automotive

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MIT is working on a fully autonomous robo-builder that designs and prints homes

This MIT robot, rolling on tank tracks, can already 3D-print a concrete dome structure in 14 hours. But the development team has plans to have it roaming the land on its own, selecting and clearing building sites, designing homes, gathering building materials and completing construction without any human intervention.

.. Continue Reading MIT is working on a fully autonomous robo-builder that designs and prints homes

Category: Architecture

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With the barley genome sequenced, better beer and whiskey is on the table

Sequencing the entire genome of an organism is no easy feat, but the benefits can be as important as saving species from the brink of extinction, fighting cancer, getting rid of pests – and now, brewing better booze. After a decade of study, an international team of scientists has finally unraveled the genome of barley, an achievement that could not only lead to tastier beer and whiskey, but a better understanding of other staple food crops.

.. Continue Reading With the barley genome sequenced, better beer and whiskey is on the table

Category: Biology

Tags:

• Alcohol
• Beer
• Food
• Genetics
• Genome
• UC Riverside

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Flight tests of Lockheed's Fury drone heat up ahead of production

Meet the Fury drone, Lockheed Martin's latest Group 3 Unmanned Air System. Built for electronic surveillance, recon, intelligence and communication link missions, the Fury launches off a trailer-mounted catapult and lands by flying headfirst into a big net.

.. Continue Reading Flight tests of Lockheed's Fury drone heat up ahead of production

Category: Aircraft

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New 2DS XL shows Nintendo hasn't switched off support for 3DS family

While most of the Nintendo buzz lately has been focused on the portable/home console hybrid, the Switch, a surprise announcement today shows the company hasn't completely dropped its other portable gaming line. The New Nintendo 2DS XL sports a larger screen and better processor than the existing 2DS, brings back the clamshell design and adds an extra thumbstick and built-in Amiibo functionality.

.. Continue Reading New 2DS XL shows Nintendo hasn't switched off support for 3DS family

Category: Games

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• Nintendo
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Nissan expands Nismo to wider range of cars in more markets

NISMO is one of the most recognizable names in world motorsport, but Nissan has been slow to capitalize on its pull. It didn't arrive as a genuine sub-brand for road cars until 2013, and the fabled badge has only been applied to the Juke, 370Z and GT-R since then. You can expect that to change, following a big announcement from Nissan this week.

.. Continue Reading Nissan expands Nismo to wider range of cars in more markets

Category: Automotive

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• 370z
• GT-R
• Nismo
• Nissan

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