Wireless Electricity

Eric Giler talks WiTricity, the realization of Tesla's dream of wireless electricity.

Robo-fish

MIT engineers have developed a new and improved team of robo-fish.

Anti-aging

Nicholas Wade on new anti-aging research and the focus on sirtuin activators and resveratrol. He even mentions Super Collide favorites the bristlecone pine and the hydra. More on anti-aging.
 

(photo credit: G. Baden/Corbis, via nytimes.com)

Francis Collins to Head NIH, concluded

Francis Collins was sworn in today as head of the NIH. Sam Harris's full response to Collins's appointment here.

And Collins's 5 priorities for the NIH.

Fastest Man in the World

The incredible Usain Bolt.

Usain bolt runs 9:58
by bigjie

90% of Bills Have Cocaine on Them

A new study finds that 90% of U.S. bills have small amounts of cocaine. That's up from 67% two years ago. It's a pretty amazing finding, even if it was from a small sample size. If it makes you feel any better, the contents of your wallet may have figured prominently in this guy's social life. Follow the cocaine here.

Latter-day Nostradamus continued

Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, sometimes called a latter-day Nostradamus, uses game theory to predict moderation in Iran and a halt to their pursuit of nuclear weapons (h/t Patrick Appel). I find this plausible, but I still think that picture looks like the result of a frat party.

(image credit: Ethan Hill, goodmagazine.com)
 

A Short Course on Synthetic Genomics

The Edge Master Class 2009 features George Church and Craig Venter on synthetic genomics. There are six lectures available on edge.org, addressing (from Edge):

What is life, origins of life, in vitro synthetic life, mirror-life, metabolic engineering for hydrocarbons & pharmaceuticals, computational tools, electronic-biological interfaces, nanotech-molecular-manufacturing, biosensors, accelerated lab evolution, engineered personal stem cells, multi-virus-resistant cells, humanized-mice, bringing back extinct species, safety/security policy.

Watch it all.

(photo credit: George Church (left) and Craig Venter (right), edge.org)

Mild Collide

The LHC will restart in November at half power. CERN twitter feed here.

Supercollide?

News on the restart of Large Hadron Collider is expected this week.

(photo credit: Valerio Mezzanotti, nytimes.com)

Supercavitation

DARPA is working a 100 knot submarine (3-4x the current top speed) that could revolutionize military (and perhaps commercial) sea travel. The sub works via supercavitation, in which an underwater bubble is established that minimizes drag. (h/t Andrew Sullivan).

(Photo credit: theday.com, via popsci.com)