Popular Science - December 2014 USA

PO PU L AR S CI E N CE | D ECE MBE R 2014 | VOL U ME 28 5 N O.
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IN NOVATI O N S
DECEMBER
2014
OF THE YEAR
HYPERSONIC FLIGHT, VIRTUAL REALITY, AND A PILL TO CURE BROKEN HEARTS!
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Q:
WHAT
INNOVATION
WAS MOST
IMPORTANT
TO YOU
THIS YEAR?
D ECE M B E R 2 0 1 4
/FEED
A Bit About Us
Editor in Chief Cliff Ransom
Executive Vice President Eric Zinczenko

Group Editorial Director Anthony Licata
Group Publisher Gregory D. Gatto
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Executive Editor Jennifer Bogo
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor Jill C. Shomer
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Information Editor Katie Peek, Ph.D. 1
Technology Editor Michael Nuez
2
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Lindsey Kratochwill
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Editorial Intern Alissa Zhu
1. Math. It empowers us to
decipher the universe.
2. Toilet paper. Its a daily
reminder to those fortunate enough to have it
that our lives are good.
3. The Leatherman multitool has salvaged many a
picnic and DIY project.
4. Vaccination. Not sure
how many diseases its
saving me from, but I
appreciate their absence.
5. My Kobo eReader saves
me from lugging books
through airports, camping trips, and the subway.
6. Find My Phone app.
With three kids who own
iPhones, it's worth its
weight in gold.
7. The dolly. I moved
houses, and that little
sucker saved my back.
8. I use the Sweet Green
Level Up app almost
daily. It makes me feel
like Im working toward
an amazing goal.
9. Youve got to love
the Soccket ballplay
soccer and generate
electricity at once!
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NEERING
Picking the 100 best innovations of the year
is no small task. Over several months, 10
researchers and 8 editors weighed 739 serious
candidates, pulled from a f ield of more than
a thousand. Each of those contenders is
represented at left as a dot, arranged by category.
The gold dots at the center are the winners.
P OP U L AR SC I E NC E
/ 005
FEED
POPULAR SCIENCE
CONTENTS
Volume 285 No.6
12.2014
27TH ANNUAL
BEST OF
WHATS NEW
POCs Skull Orbic Comp

H.I. Mips helmet monitors
its ow n str u ctu ral integ ri ty
THE 100 GREATEST

INNOVATIONS OF THE YEAR
C AT E G O R I E S
24 GREEN
30 AUTO
34 SECURITY
42 AEROSPACE
49 RECREATION
52 HOME
56 GADGETS
62 ENGINEERING
66 SOFTWARE
68 HEALTH
72 HARDWARE
74 ENTERTAINMENT
F E AT U R ING
27
THE NEXT SUSTAINABLE

CUISINE
Start-ups have rallied around a
surprising new protein: insects.
Chef Mario Hernandez of New York
Citys Black Ant restaurant talks
about adding them to the menu.
45
EFFICIENT AIR TRAVEL

HAS ARRIVED
After decades of steady
improvement, airplanes are now
greener than cars. Go ahead and fly.
DEPARTMENTS
For daily
updates:
facebook.com/
popsci
++
F EED
NEX T
M ANUAL
END MATTER
05 A Bit About Us
08 From the Editor
10 Peer Review
13 Brarbunga
gets ready to blow
14 Testing personal
climate control
15 Suspended
animation gets real
16 The formula for
supporting complex
alien life 17 A vehicle thats rewriting
the rules of war 20
Will the cure for a
broken heart come
in a pill?
79 Make your own

reusable hand
warmers 82 A
drivable hot tub 84
Nutcracker hackers
turn ballet hightech 87 Using maker
skills to escape
homelessness
89 Ask Us Anything:
How do spiders cast
silk strands across
roads? 98 From the
Archives
+++
PH OTOGR AP H BY
Jonathon Kambouris
59
THE FINAL PLATFORM

Videogames were only the beginning. Jeremy Bailenson, who
has counseled Google, Samsung,
and Facebook on virtual reality,
explains how the technology will
change everything.
71
THE BIONICS REVOLUTION

HAS BEGUN
We assess the devices poised to
restore functionality to those with
lost or paralyzed limbs.
/ 007
F E E D / DEC EMB ER 2 0 1 4
From the Editor
A Vision of Tomorrow
Every June, the editors at Popular Science gather for
the rst Best of Whats New meeting. BOWN, as we
aectionately call it, has run as our December cover
story for more than a quarter century, and in many
respects it represents the best of what we do. It is an
unabashed celebration of the years greatest innovations, a glimpse of the future as its unfolding.
Over the decades, we have
made some good calls. We covered the Toyota Prius before it
reached the U.S., Web browsers
before the rise (and fall) of Internet Explorer, protease inhibitors
just as they hit the market, and
the rst-ever digital SLR camera
(it was the size of a shoe box and
cost $20,000). Pick a recent and
monumental innovation and
chances are we agged it in one
December issue or another.
That kind of track record is
great for readers, but truth be
told, its kind of terrifying for
editors. I mean, when you nail
something for 27 years straight,
you kind of have to ask, Can we
pull it o again? More to the

point: Can we do it even better?
To allay that very particular
kind of pressure, we do exactly
what science-minded folks do.
We plan. We road-map. We set
milestones and deadlinesoh,
the deadlinesand then we dive
in. For those of you who are curious individuals (so, pretty much
everyone who reads Popular Science), heres how BOWN works:
Every editor manages a section
or two, aided by an independent
researcher. Together the teams
of two spend about eight weeks
assembling a long list of candidates. Prospects may come from
company submissions, from past
coverage, or from simple bootson-the-ground reporting.

Sometime around early
August, we start to winnow
down the list. We debate and
agonize. We vet items with
industry experts to better
understand their functions and
implications. We debate and
agonize some more. And then, in
early September, we nalize our
awardees and begin making a
magazine around them.
The process is sort of like
a marathonjust with less
wheezing. But its no less an
accomplishment. BOWN has
always been a collection of
revolutionary stu. And this
year, Im happy to report, is no
dierent. Our Innovation of
the Year, AirCarbon (page 24),
is plastic fabricated from waste
methane gas, not barrels of
petroleum. It acts as a carbon
sink, not a source. It costs less
than standard plastic, and with
comparable performance. And it
can be produced anywhere with
signicant methane emissions:
landlls, coal mines, and dairy

farms. In short, it could completely change how we think
about one of the most ubiquitous materials on the planet.
At the end of the day, thats
exactly what Best of Whats New
is all about. In bringing together
the 100 greatest innovations of
this year, were doing more than
just producing a great magazine.
Were painting a picture of a
better world.
Enjoy the issue.

Cli Ransom
Editor in Chief
Contributors
Matt Safford
Aaron Seward
Nicole Dyer
Eric Adams
Emily Gertz
HARDWARE
ENGINEERING
SECURITY
AEROSPACE
GREEN
Its time for a breakthrough in batteries. I dont

want to constantly worry
about charging mobile
devices anymore. Also, if
carmakers could triple the
range of electric vehicles,
Id be ready to buy.
Id like to see nuclear

fusion made viable. It
would provide an abundant
and clean source of energy
without mucking up the
landscape with wind turbines and solar arrays.
Technology should
and cancombat creditcard fraud. The problem
is only getting worse.
Ondots Card Control is
a shining example of how
innovation can turn the
tide against hackers.
Whether theyre vanished

airplanes or missing
people, I would really
like us to find lost targets
more easily using onboard
trackers, data analysis, or
remote sensors.
Im torn between wishing

for a technology to lower
atmospheric carbondioxide levels to those in
the preindustrial range,
and one to suck away the
atmospheric CO2 already
absorbed by the ocean.
Corinne Iozzio
Matthew de Paula
Rebecca Boyle
Alan Henry
Berne Broudy
GADGETS, HOME, AND

ENTERTAINMENT
AUTO
HEALTH
SOFTWARE
RECREATION
Im looking forward to
the day when cars run
exclusively on renewable
energy but still deliver a
great driving experience.
Planet-friendly cars still
need to be fun to drive.
Addressing energy
productionand thereby
human-driven climate
changeis the best way
to start addressing food
and water shortages,
environmental decline,
and the spread of disease.
Communication technology
is poised to bring people
closer in the coming years.
It will help us share experiences on a more personal,
individual basis, regardless
of language or culture.
I wish technology could

improve the lives of people
who dont have access
to it. Take AvaTech: Its
avalanche probe collects
snow data to help protect
skiers. But that data can
also help predict floods.
In the Home section, we

awarded a device that lets
you flush a toilet without
touching the handle. Thats
great, but what we really
need is something that
puts the seat back down!
00 8 /
PO P U L A R S CIE NCE
M A R I U S BU G GE
Q: What problem do you wish technology would solve?
2014 Can
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WHEN INSPIRATION STRIKES, STRIKE FASTER.
s per
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system, it was built to keep anything and everything sharp and stunning.
Show us how you bring it at bringit.usa.canon.com
F E E D / DEC EMB ER 2 0 1 4
Tweet out of context
And here we are, like

idiots, dumping antique
water on our heads. No
wonder, Matt Damon,
no wonder.
Peer Review
@jenntof
A BELAT ED WARNING
The December 1920 cover in From the Archives [October
2014] featured a mechanic using a torch while the car owner
(I suppose) smokes a ciga r, both near the cars gas tank.
I hope the ar ticle warned against that behavior, lest it lead
to disasters for readers and their garages.
Joe Graf, Thomasville, N.C.
PUMPING THE
BRAKES ON
DRIVERLESS CARS
We predicted in The Car Disrupted [October 2014] that automation would upend
transport. Some of you voiced concern.
SPEED TRAP
If cars operate at the speed limit, how will
towns that rely on income generated by
speed traps get by? And if you were going
too fast, despite the fact that the car was in
control, who pays the ticket: you or the car
manufacturer?
Dave Rodol, Norco, Calif.
MORE THAN JUST A RIDE
Half the fun of driving a car is driving
the car. If I wanted to ride, I would take
a taxi.Plus, driving a car teaches responsibility and decision-making.
Terry R. Cornell, Bowling Green, Ky.
H AVE A
CO MME N T ?
Write to us at
letters@
popsci.co m
o r to Popular
Sc ience
2 Pa rk Ave.
9th floo r
NYC 10016
010 /
I can personally attest to the stress of

videogames [Can You Get PTSD from
a Virtual Experience? October 2014].
While I was playing The Sims, a simulated fire broke out, and a simulated
little girl burned to death! It bothers me
to this day, even though the girl wasnt
real, nor was her weeping father. So, I
stopped playing that game.
Tom Sales, Somerset, N.J.
THE MAKING OF
A RENAISSANCE MAN
Your amazing magazine introduced me to the vast
world of science. It has played a major role in my
life, and I made sure to include it in my senior
pictures. Thank you for all the interesting articles
that you have published, and I look forward to
many more.
Jacob Widhelm, Valley, Neb.
We apologize . . . On page 39 of the October issue, we claimed the 12C was McLarens first sports car. It was the first for
McLaren Automotive, the sports-car division of the parent company. On page 46, we stated the Toyota FCV is the first car built
around a hydrogen fuel cell. Its the first to have a wide release. On page 49, the two Autonomous Lake Profiling and Sampling
stations should have been located at Lake Bonney, near McMurdo Station. It should also be noted that we misidentified the
Natural (and not, as we said on page 35 of our September issue, National) Resources Defense Council.
POP U L A R S CIE NCE
C O URT ESY J AC O B W I DH EL M
ITS A HARD SIM LIFE
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Plug it in your car, and see if your good driving could

help you save big with Progressive. Well even let
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2014 Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & afliates. Insurance prices

and products are different when purchased directly from Progressive
or through independent agents/brokers. Snapshot not available in all
states or situations.
Inside: Dive -bombing from space at Mach 25. The science (and f iction) of
suspended animation. A wristband to replace air - conditioning. What it takes for
an exoplanet to suppor t complex life. Could drugs help us fall out of love?
E D I TE D BY
A R C T IC -I M AG ES /C O R B I S
A Blast
to Better
Predict
Disaster
Jen Schwartz & Breanna Draxler
Since August, Icelands Brarbunga volcano has

been spewing thousands of cubic feet of magma
per second, from a fissure 28 miles (45 kilometers)
from the central caldera. The thing about a volcano,
says University of Cambridge geophysicist Robert
White, is that you can live 45 kilometers away, and
molten rock might still pop up under your house.
Thats obviously a grave concern but far from the
greatest one. Brarbunga is blanketed by Europes
largest (by volume) ice cap. If a vent opens under
the cap, rapid ice melt could trigger devastating
floods, and ash plumes miles high could ground air
traffic across Europe, like the Eyjafjallajkull eruption did in 2010. As it stands, science still cant pre-
dict any of these scenarios, but

Brarbunga could help. Prior to
the eruption, White and his team
had been tracking seismic activity
in the area, namely the cracks
caused by magma as it flowed
beneath and through the crust.
Armed with a true before-andafter data set, scientists may be
able to better anticipate future
eruptions. Thats going to be
helpful for deciding when you
have to move people away from
an area, White says. M AC IRV INE
/ 013
N E X T / DEC EMB ER 2 0 1 4
Tested
CAN FIST
BUMPS HALT
HOSPITAL
INFECTIONS?
THE PARTS
Climate Control
on Your Wrist
As temperature perception goes, one
persons tropical is anothers tepid. Dualclimate-control cars and mattresses
are evidence of that. To address this
often awkward sensory discrepancy, the
engineers at Embr Labs are trying to give
individuals the power to control their own
climes. Thermal is deeply personal,
says Embr co-founder Sam Shames. In
any given environment, we all have a
different idea of what comfortable is.
Embrs solution is a wearable called
Wristify. Placed on the inner wrist, it
cycles through concentrated temperature
pulsesa few seconds on, a few off
continually stimulating the bodys thermoreceptors. Your skin quickly adapts to
constants, says co-founder Matt Smith,
whereas it actually overresponds to

change. I tried an early prototype in
August at Embrs Massachusetts office,
which, as the new home of a start-up,
lacked AC. Right away, the cooling pulses
on my radial artery seemed to drop the
temperature in the room. A few minutes
in, I was perfectly comfortable; shortly
after removing it, I began to sweat.
To create hot or cold pulses, a
thermoelectric element directs heat
toward or away from the skin. But a heat
sink makes the unit clunky. Shames says
the production model will be smaller,
more bracelet-like, and ultimately tiny
enough to nest within a smartwatch.
Could personal climate-control
devices like Wristify one day replace traditional heating and AC, slashing utility
bills? Probably not. But its a great fix to
an everyday annoyance. E R IK S O F GE
The heat sink will

use textured
aluminumsuch
as spikes, ridges,
or bumpsto radiate excess heat.
B
An insulating layer
separates the heat
sink from the skin.
C
A thermoelectric
element (TEM)
uses a current
to generate or
remove heat.
D
The TEM is
connected to a
lithium-ion battery
and a proprietary
temperaturemodulating system.
Infections transmitted in healthcare facilities kill at least 80,000

Americans each year. One common
culprit? The germ-spreading
handshake. According to a study
recently published in the American
Journal of Infection Control, a
less formal fist bump might make
a safer greeting between doctors
and patients. We found that the
handshake transferred 10 to 20
times more bacteria than a fist
bump, says David Whitworth, a
biochemistry lecturer at Aberystwyth University in Wales.
SHOULDER SQUEEZE
Its debatable whether knocking

knuckles can stand in for the
familiarity of an open palm. Mark
Sklansky, a pediatric cardiologist
at the University of California at
Los Angeles, has doubts. Some
people feel its not appropriate in
a medical setting, he says. I find
squeezing someones shoulder a
nicer interaction.
HIGH FIVE
Whitworth also found that a high

five transfers half as many bacteria
as the handshake (though its perhaps best appreciated by pediatric
patients). JES S ICA H ULLIN GER
No Small Matter
Inside one of the tiniest, densest
galaxies we know, the Hubble Space
Telescope found a supermassive black
hole (rendered at left by NASA). Its existence suggests that dwarf galaxies may
be remnants of larger-galaxy collisions,
not clusters of stars born in isolation.
014 /
I L LUST RAT I ON BY
Clint Ford
FR O M TO P : J O E R A E DL E/ GE T T Y I M AGES ; NAS A
A BR IEF
HISTORY
SUSPENDED
ANIMATION
GETS REAL
/NEXT
Timeline
4TH
CENTURY
Surgeons and sci- writers
have long explored the idea
of chilling humans in order to
save them. Now emergency
prevention and resuscitation
(EPR)colloquially known as
suspended animationis, for
the rst time, in clinical trials.
When a patient has a gunshot or stab wound, we often
run out of time, says Samuel
Tisherman, the trauma surgeon
leading the trials. By pumping
cold salt water through the circulatory system, doctors drop
the bodys temperature to 50F,
slowing cellular activity and
buying up to two critical hours
to repair injuries. M AT T GI L E S
D ECE M B E R 2 0 1 4
Hippocrates
advises using cold
water as therapy
for ailments such
as hemorrhages
and injuries of a
gouty nature.
1989
Scientists led by
Peter Safar, known
as the father of
CPR, bleed dogs
to simulate a gunshot wound, then
cool the animals
with a heart-lung
machine to successfully repair
and revive them.
1812
1947
1952
1980
1991
2005
2014
FUTURE
During Napoleons
invasion of Russia,
French army surgeon Dominique
Jean Larrey
notices that snow
seems to numb
the awful pain of
limb amputation.
Phil Hartman
debuts Keyrock,
the Unfrozen
Caveman Lawyer,
on Saturday Night
Live: Im just a
caveman. I fell
into some ice and
later got thawed
out by some of
your scientists.
A man survives
subzero temperatures in the wheel
well of a transatlantic flight. (He
will not be the last
to do so.)
Cell biologist Mark

Roth uses hydrogen sulfide to slow
the metabolic activity of mice, then
reanimates them
hours laterwork
that leads to a
MacArthur Genius
Grant in 2007.
Heart surgeon
Floyd John Lewis
induces hypothermia in a patient
during the first
successful openheart surgery.
Human EPR
trials begin in
Pittsburgh, to be
followed by trials
in Baltimore and
other U.S. cities.
The goal is to perform EPR on 10
trauma patients
over the next
two years.
In The Empire
Strikes Back, Han
Solo is captured
and frozen in
carbonite for
delivery to Jabba
the Hutt.
NASA and SpaceWorks Enterprises

explore how to
induce an extended
torpor, a hypothermic state in Marsbound astronauts.
It would slash
resources needed
to make the halfyear journey.
COMFORT NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD

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Flowchart
How Habitable
Is That
Exoplanet?
Here on Earth, water, oxygen, and

an atmosphere provided just the
right conditions for single-celled
organisms to evolve into walking,
calculating creatures (like us).
Still, the planets uniqueness is up
for debate. Since 2009, the Kepler
mission has tallied 989 confirmed
exoplanets in the Milky Way; once
What is the planet

made of?
Gas
the James Webb telescope launches

in 2018, that number should rise.
But do any of these have conditions
as cushy as ourswhat astronomers
call superhabitable? To make a
ballpark assessment, a team led
by University of Texas biologist
Louis Irwin devised the Biological
Complexity Index. Published in
May, it scores exoplanets on how
amenable theyd be to living things.
The conditions for the evolution of
complex life are quite rare, Irwin
says. So far, only a few exoplanets
have made the cut. But the galaxy
has an estimated 100 billion left to
analyze. Here we map out the index
so you, too, can test newfound
exoplanets. S H AN N O N PALUS
Younger than Earth
About Earths age:

4.5 billion years,
give or take.
How old is it?
Rock
Nothing to see here.

Complex life needs
time to evolve.
Sadly, 90% of known

planets are gassy and
lifeless, like Jupiter.
Great! Planets are

like fine wine.
Older than Earth

Whats the atmosphere
made of?
Is there an
atmosphere?
Metals or hydrogen
Carbon monoxide
Oxygen
Bad news. It actively
soaks up any oxygen
that might be present.
The future aint bright,

but chemical energy
suffices for simple life.
YES
Promising. It allows
cells to break down
food to produce energy.
Sure, but dont expect

life forms with lungs
anytime soon.
Uh-oh. Without a buffer

against solar radiation,
this ones a no-go.
Soak it up! Sunlight

efficiently fuels
biological processes.
Whats the forecast?
Not so sunny
Is it too hot for liquid

to exist?
Sunny
Planets far from a star

get frigid, and nascent
life cant grab a jacket.
They can drop

hundreds of degrees
below zero (F).
NO
What about nighttime

temperatures?
Life needs some heat

for reactions inside cells
to occur fast enough.
Yup, any liquid would

boil away.
Bottoms up! Liquid

shuttles nutrients into
cells and flushes toxins.
Bummer. Liquid is
critical for lifes
chemical reactions.
The thermometer
tends to stay in the
positive, or close to it.
016 /
NO
Congratulations!
Complex life would feel at home here. Irwin estimates the Milky Way could
contain 100 million superhabitable exoplanetsa measly 0.1 percent of
the galaxys total. Which means we, on Earth, might not be alone after all.
D ECE M B E R 2 0 1 4
/NEXT
Annotated Machine
A Hypersonic
Craft That
Dodges Defenses
On August 25, an explosion tore
through the southern Alaskan sky.
The blast shook the remote island
that houses the Kodiak Launch
Complex, where the U.S. Depart-
ment of Defense was testing an

unmanned hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). The ight of the highly
secretive craft lasted a mere four
seconds before an anomaly in the
launch rocket forced controllers
to deploy the emergency selfdestruct mechanism.
The launch, the latest in a series
that began in 2011, was saddled
with added pressure: China has
reportedly carried out at least two
hypersonic tests this year (though
both also ended in ames). The
two nations are racing to engineer
a vehicle capable of traveling
faster than 10 times the speed
of sound, which presents major
obstacles. Such a craft requires
materials that can withstand
2. Descends to an altitude of
about 50 miles and then pulls
up to level o its course
Approximated HGV flight

(designs not yet released)
based on tests of existing
experimental aircraft
temperatures over 3,500F and a

steering system sensitive enough
to maneuver through the thin air
of the upper atmosphere.
The details behind the U.S. and
Chinas HGV programs remain
condential, but that real-world
testshowever spectacular the
crashesare taking place indicates
that the vehicles have crossed into
the realm of the possible. Experts
anticipate that HGVs could be fully
operational as soon as 2019 and
reach speeds up to Mach 25,
or about 16,000 miles per hour.
If weaponized, HGVs could y
as far as intercontinental ballistic
missiles (more than 3,500 miles)
but strike with greater accuracy.
Since the gliders dont y in a predictable parabolic arc like ballistic
missiles do, they would be exceedingly dicult to shoot down with
traditional missile defenses. And
their speed would make possible a
whole new pace of war. For example, upon discovering the location
of a terrorist leader in Syria, an
HGV red from a U.S. Army base
in Western Europe could hit the
target in less than half an hour.
JEF F R EY LIN AN D P ETER W. S ING ER
1. Launches via rocket

boosters that detach in the
upper atmosphere
3. Glides along an unpredictable path, veering left and

right to avoid defenses
4. Dives downward to
hit its intended mark
93.4
I L LU STR ATI ON BY
Minutes it would
take to circumnavigate the globe
at 16,000 mph
Graham Murdoch
5. Destroys its target with

explosives or the vehicles
kinetic energy alone
/ 017
10
The Big Idea
Pe rcentage of Americans who cl assify

their marriage as very happy but have
cheated on a spouse
SOURCE: NORC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
COULD
DRUGS
HEAL A
BROKEN
HEART?
Exploring the age of

anti-love biotechnology
Love and heartache have always

been inexorably tied. Recall the
paranoid, lust-dizzy characters in
A Midsummer Nights Dream or
the tortured, memory-deprived
lovers in Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind. Wouldnt it be nice
if a pill could take away the pain
of a breakup? Researchers are
looking into it.
As unromantic as it sounds,
love is essentially a biochemical
cocktail, and a poorly understood
one at that. Scientists do know
that oxytocinoften called the
love hormoneplays a powerful
role in bonding. In one experiment,
Adam Guastella, a clinical psychologist at the University of Sydney
020 /
in Australia, administered oxytocin

to quarreling lovers during couples therapy. It does seem to help
people reduce their hostility and
increase their willingness to take
anothers perspective, he says.
Inhibiting the hormone could have
the opposite eect: When Emory
University researchers injected
drugs into the brains of prairie
voles to block oxytocin receptors,
the voles lost interest in their longterm mating partners. With the
manipulation of oxytocin, a love
o button seems possible.
This is unsettling to researchers
such as Brian Earp, an Oxford
University neuroethicist who
published a paper last year on
anti-love biotechnology. Since
these kinds of interventions are
very likely to be developed, he
says, we need to start an ethical
discussion now. Earp argues that
any such drugs should be voluntary, concomitant with therapy,
and monitored for misuse. After
all, he says, Theres a long history
of attempting to harness biomedicine to diminish same-sex sexuality. But Neil McArthur, a philosophy professor at the University
of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada,
points out situations in which
drugs might make sense: cases of
pedophilia or abuse, for example,
in which people are behaving in a
way thats potentially destructive.
The biggest obstacle may be a
moral aversion to tinkering with a
quintessential human experience.
Love is in some ways revered like
religion, says Vineeth John, a
psychiatrist at the University
of Texas Health Science Center.
For many people, its the primary
reason for survival. Until targeted
therapy is practicable, anti-love
drugs would not only dampen
aection but also snu out feelings for friends and family. To fully
relieve heartache, then, scientists
may rst have to discern how to
relieve us of our capacity to love.
And no ones interested in pursuing that. JESSICA HULLINGER
I L LUST RAT I ON BY
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D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
BEST
of
WHAT'S N E W
10 0 INNOVATIONS
T H AT W I L L SHAP E THE FU TU R E
Every December for the past 27 years, the editors of Popular Science
have sought out the products and technologies poised to change our
world. The advances can be simplesay, an unhackable phone or
invisible duct tape. Or they can be profound: Imagine bionic arms
dexterous enough to use chopsticks. Regardless of their scope,
every one of our 100 honorees is nothing short of extraordinary.
PH OTOGR AP H Y BY
Jonathon Kambouris
/ 023
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Green
R E P O RT E D B Y J E N N I F E R B O G O + E M I LY G E RT Z
INNOVATION
OF THE YEAR
NEWLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES
AI RCARBON
Humans produce
660 billion pounds
of plastic a year, and
the manufacturing
process creates
three times as much
carbon dioxide by
weight as actual plastic. Thats an insane
amount of material,
says Newlight Technologies CEO Mark
Herrema. Wouldnt
we be better off using
plastic as a conveyor
belt for capturing and
sequestering carbon
emissions instead?
Thats exactly what
his company does.
Typically, plastic
is made by exposing hydrocarbons
from fossil fuels to
tremendous pressure
and energy. Newlights
first commercial
plant, in California,
captures methane
generated by a dairy
farms waste lagoon
and transports it to
a bioreactor. There,
enzymes combine the
gas with air to form
a polymer. The resulting plastic, called
AirCarbon, performs
identically to most
oil-based plastics but
costs lesscreating
a market-driven solution to global warming. Companies have
already signed on to
use AirCarbon in their
products, including
KI desk chairs (pictured), Dell computer
packaging, and Sprint
smartphone cases.
024 /
P R O P ST Y LI N G BY A N GE LA C A M P O S FOR STOC KL A N D M A RT E L
PLASTIC FROM
THIN AIR
YOURTOOTHBRUSHWOULD
LIKETOHAVEAWORDWITHYOU
Presenting the new Oral-B electric toothbrush
with Bluetooth connectivity.
Oral-Bs latest electric toothbrush connects to the Oral-B app on your smartphone. The result?
Youll get real-time feedback on your brushing. Youll know if youre brushing too hard, if youve
brushed long enough and even if your brushing habits have improved over time. The Oral-B
SmartSeries delivers clinically proven superior results, so you wont wonder if youre geing
a superior clean*, youll know. Experience the innovation at oralb.com.
Oral-B: the brand used by dentists worldwide.
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Procter & Gamble, Inc.,
Green
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats New
One Ce ntral Pa rk, Sydney
One Central Park uses two

unusual technologies for
tall buildingshydroponics
and heliostatsto grow
plants around the periphery
of the building at all levels.
The project presages a
future in which biomimicry
is no longer a radical
concept in architecture.
Ecosphere Technologies
Ecos Power Cu be
COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN

HABITAT, ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
POP-UP LIFE
SUPPORT
The size of a standard shipping container, the Ecos PowerCube is designed for rapid
deployment in war and disaster zones. Once on-site, it unfolds in less than a minute to
prov ide solar power, clean water, and wireless communicatio n s.
Big Cricket
Fa r m s
INSECTS
FOR EATING
Corktown Common
Aquion Energy AHI Technology
Motiv Electric Power train

Co ntrol System
A Park That Recycles

Rainwater
Clean, Cheap
Energy Storage
Electric Power for

Heavy-Duty Trucks
When designing Torontos Corktown

Common park, Michael Van Valkenburgh
Associates took water recycling to an
unprecedented degree. Every drop of
water hitting the park is reused at least
two or three times before its absorbed or
evaporated away, says project manager
Emily Mueller De Celis. Water draining from the playground, for example,
flows through an ultraviolet filter and a
constructed marsh, and then into an irrigation system. By absorbing storm water,
the park also helps reduce flooding.
Stationary batteries can store surplus

wind and solar energy, turning a highly
variable power source into a steady flow
of electrons. But most are made from
highly toxic or flammable materials. The
Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI) battery relies
on a salt waterbased electrolyte to
carry the charge. Its nontoxic, low-cost,
and modular, and it cant overheat. It has
a long life cycle and a high capacity. And
it can be scaled for home use or the grid.
In other words, its basically everything
todays batteries are not.
Since September, an electric garbage

truck has been running a 60-mile
route through Chicago, offsetting
2,688 gallons of diesel and 23 tons
of carbon dioxide a year. An electric
school bus now transports kids in
California. Both contain a modular
powertrain that can be built into vehicles from existing diesel-truck manufacturers. With its plug-and-play
technology, Motiv Power Systems is
turning the nations most polluting
vehicles into some of its cleanest.
026 /
It takes eight
weeks to raise a
cricket, and Big
Cricket Farms
the rst company in the U.S.
to produce the
insect for human
consumption
grows roughly
6 million of
them. Crickets
require 12 times
less feed than
cattle and half
as much as pigs
and broiler
chickens to produce equivalent
amounts of
protein, making
them a more
eco-friendly
food. Business
has been brisk
since the farm
opened in Ohio
in April: It sells
about a thousand pounds
a month.
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : C O URT ESY EC O S P HE R E T EC H NO LO GI ES ; C O U RT ESY MOT I V POW E R SYST E MS ; COURT ESY AQUI ON E N E RGY ; COURT ESY WAT E RF RON T TORON TO
Worlds Tallest
Green Facade
Green
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Q+A
THE NEXT SUSTAINABLE CUISINE

This year, start-ups are selling a new
food movementone that involves
eating insects. Big Cricket Farms raises
crickets; other companies peddle cricket
cookies, chips, flour, and protein bars.
We spoke with Chef Mario Hernandez
of New York Citys Black Ant about the
roots of insect cuisine, and how hes
bringing it to the hungry and curious.
Popular Science: What kind of food do
you serve at Black Ant?
Mario Hernandez: We rescue forgotten
recipes from every state in Mexico and
bring them to New York with a new twist.
Many use insects like grasshoppers,
jumiles [stinkbugs], capiguaras [leafcutter ants], and mosquito eggs.
PS: When did you first eat insects?
MH: When I was a little kid, my grandma
would take us to the market every
Sunday, and ladies from villages in the
mountains would bring insectssome of
them would go into salsa, some into different moles. It was always part of our
big weekly meal. It was a celebration.
549
EDITED AND CONDENSED BY JENNIFER B O G O
PS: Several companies have begun to

make insect-based snack foods. Will
people buy them?
MH: Why not? But if you grind up insects,
you lose a lot of the flavor. At Black Ant,
were going to launch a line of chapulines

[grasshoppers] for supermarkets. Well
have five different flavors, some toasted
with chiles, and others with lavender
and honey. Well also sell ant salt and
gusanos, or agave worms.
PS: How will Black Ants menu change
for the winter?
MH: One of the hot items on the menu
will be grasshopper tlayuda. Were
going to have chapulines tacos with
ant-salt guacamole. We have some
beautiful fish roasted with ants and
chiles. And it will be the season of
ant eggs, so were going to have
escamoles, which are the eggs of
a particular ant of central Mexico.
They taste like caviar.
Number
of species
of edible
insects in
Mexico
PS: How does Black Ant procure the

insects for its menu?
MH: Insects are seasonal. When the
rainy season starts, one of our chefs
travels to Mexico and harvests little
grasshoppers for two to three weeks.
We let the rest grow and reproduce, and
then we harvest the big ones. Its the
same process for ants. They come out
of the nest only once a year, when the
first rains start hitting the soil. We go
for two to three days and harvest as
many as we can.
PS: Why have other chefs been
slow to use them?
MH: Many chefs are afraid of
customer reactions. Or they feel
ashamed of their own roots, because in Mexico, its an indigenous
food. In the beginning, insects were
considered only for the peasants,
but now theyre a delicacy.
PS: Do you think well start seeing
insects in more restaurants?
MH: I think so. First of all, everyones
more conscious about global warming
and the sustainability of protein. And
second, they are really tasty. People tried
them because they were curious, but
now they order them again and again.
PH OTOGR AP H BY
Marius Bugge
/ 027
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Best of Whats New
Auto
REP ORTED BY MAT THEW DE PAULA + CLIFF RANSOM
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
AN AMERICAN
ICON, REMADE
030 /
The Ford F-150 has been Americas

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when the company swapped steel for
military-grade aluminum in several
non-load-bearing partsa first for any
pickup truckdrivers were concerned.
They neednt have been. The alloy performs just as well as steel, and in some
cases better, and it reduces the trucks
weight by as much as 700 pounds.
(Typically, engineers would cheer the

loss of only a few ounces.) Less weight
means the F-150 can haul and tow more
than it ever could, while accelerating
and stopping faster. It also means the
truck gets up to 20 percent better fuel
efficiency. Thats good for drivers, of
course, but when applied to 763,000
new trucks a year, the savings are also
good for the planet. $25,420
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D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats New
Volvo D r ive -E Engine
Conventional wisdom
tells us that an increase
in power requires an
increase in engine size.
Volvo has inverted that
logic. With a supercharger for power off the
line and a turbocharger
for added kick at high
speeds, the four-cylinder
Drive-E engine delivers
the same punch as a
standard five or six but
weighs 100 pounds less.
Nissan Mu rano
An Eye for Danger

Many vehicles today have collisiondetection systems, but they scan only
one car ahead. The 2015 Nissan Muranos Predictive Forward Collision Warning
system uses a bumper-mounted radar
to fire beams beneath the car so it can
see obstacles up to 492 feet away. When
it spots a slow-moving or stopped car,
the system registers the hazard, often
before the driver ahead hits the brakes.
Price not set
Michelin Premier A/S Tire
The No-Slip Tire
Spark- Renault SRT 01E
On wet roads, treads siphon away water,

making it less likely that the car will
skid or hydroplane. Still, drivers often
wear tires until theyre nearly bald.
Adapting to consumer behavior, Michelin
designed grooves that widen over time
(the opposite of most tires) as well as
grooves that emerge as the tire wears
down. The Premier A/S is also built from
a new high-silica compound that provides
better traction in the rain. From $156
A New Class of Racecar
Though electric, the new Formula E

cars look like an Indy or Formula One
car. The torque is massive off the line.
And because the weight is rearward,
thanks to the large batteries, they are
harder to drive, testing the skill level
of race drivers. Its the beginning, but
its the start of something big.
KAT HERINE LEG G E, O F T H E AMLIN AGUR I F OR MULA E TEAM, W HO DR OV E
T HE C A R IN IT S DEBUT RACE IN B EIJ ING IN S EP TEM B ER
032 /
Rolls -Royce Wraith
The Smoothest Ride

The Rolls-Royce Wraith automatically
adjusts both its transmission and
suspension to the road ahead. Only the
Wraith uses satellite navigation data and
cameras to react to upcoming turns
and on- and off-ramps. By shifting to account for them, it squeezes more power
out of the V12 engine, and by adjusting
the suspension, it creates a smoother
ride. Next-gen systems will also accommodate topographic changes. $294,025
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D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Pors che 918 Spyder
THE MOST ADVANCED

HYBRID SUPERCAR
If the 918 Spyder is any
indication, the age of
ineff ic ie nt superca rs is
over. Using a modest
V 8 engine paired w i th
two electric motors,
it races from zero
to 60 in a mere 2.5
seconds. $845,000
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : C O URT ESY PO R S C HE ; C O URT ESY G M ; C OU RT ESY TOYOTA
Evatran
Plugless L2
WIRELESS
CHARGING
FOR ELECTRIC CARS
For many electricvehicle (EV)
owners, plugging
in the car at the
end of the day is
a ritual theyd like
to forget. With
the Plugless L2,
they can. The
first wireless
charging system
for EVs transmits
electricity to an
adapter on the car
that then routes
it to the batteries.
Drivers can fit the
system to nearly
any EV, and transmission loss is just
under 10 percent.
$2,470
Toyota FCV
A Mass Market Hydrogen Car

Automakers have been reluctant to bet on hydrogen fuel cells, but Toyota
has cast doubt aside and announced the first mass-market hydrogen car.
The FCV, which launches in Japan early next year and in the U.S. in late
2015, has a 300-mile rangecomparable with combustion-engine vehicles.
It also powers up much faster than an electric plug-in. The issue is infrastructure, but Toyota is betting FCVs will drive demand. Price not set
G M 4 G LT E
The Connectivity
Tipping Point
In June, GM launched its first 4G LTE
connected car, the 2015 Chevy Malibu.
It isnt the first carmaker to offer itthe
Audi A3 beat the Malibu to market by
two monthsbut it is the first to do so at
scale. Since the Malibu, GM has released
34 connected models across its brands,
and it will incorporate 4G LTE into all
models by the end of next year. For now,
the connection makes for a really good
hotspot, robust enough for seven devices,
but GM is developing cloud updates to
refresh operating systems from afar.
Plans from $5 to $50 a month
/ 03 3
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Security
R E P O RT E D B Y N I CO L E DY E R + J E N S C H WA RT Z
A BIKE LOCK THAT

OUTSMARTS THIEVES
and ice sprays. And the
system will respond to
any threat by blaring an
alarm and sending alerts
to a phone.
The brainchild of an ER
doctor and an economist,
Lock8 weighs less than
a pound and connects to
a bicycles rear hub. The
accompanying app provides keyless entry, and by
sharing the e-key, anyone
can loan or rent his or
her bicycle. European
bike-share programs are
the first to use Lock8; its
being released this month.
The company also plans
to develop models for consumers. Price not set
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
LOCK8
034 /
Bike locks, even the

burliest ones, all have
the same Achilles heel:
If given enough time,
any determined thief can
wrest a bicycle free. Lock8
reimagines bicycle security by using hardware
and software to detect
and respond to a potential
theft. A gyroscope, an
accelerometer, and a temperature sensor can pick
up on a variety of assaults,
including bolt cutters,
chainsaws, blowtorches,
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Security
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Foscam FI9821P
Home security cameras

are only as good as
t h e i r f ie ld o f v iew.
Foscam lets homeow ne rs se e i n a l m o st ever y
direction by using a
smar tphone or tablet
to re m o te ly sw ive l t he
ca m e ra . $ 100
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : C O URT ESY ON D OT ; J O N AT HO N K A M B O UR I S; J OS E PH XU, MI CHI GA N UN I V E RS I T Y E N GI N E E RI N G COMMUN I CAT I ON S & MA RKE TI N G
REMOTE-CONTROL
PAN-AND-SCAN
CAMERA
Ondot Systems
Card Control
AN APP
THAT FIGHTS
FRAUD
With massive
payment-data
breaches on
the rise, fraud
prevention needed
a revolutionary
ally. Enter Card
Control, an app
that allows users
to turn their credit
cards on and o
with the swipe
of a nger. It also
links purchases
to a physical location, authorizes
card usage at
specic stores,
and disables or
restricts online
shopping. A secure
code syncs these
preferences with
your banks software. In beta tests,
Card Control reduced fraud by up
to 60 percent. The
tech will soon be
compatible with
10,000 local and
regional banks.
University of Michigan Nanopillar Arrays with Poly mer Multilayers
A Breath-Activated Drug Label

Counterfeit drugs for malaria and tuberculosis kill an estimated 700,000 people annually, yet its nearly
impossible to distinguish them from the real thing. Researchers from South Korea and the University of Michigan developed a label that proves a drugs legitimacy when a person breathes on it. The secret is a molding
process that imprints an array of nanoscopic pillarseach almost 500 times as thin as the width of a human
hairon the labels surface. Images hidden beneath the surface appear when the pillars trap moisture.
/ 03 7
Security
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats New
THE FIRST
HOME IRIS
SCANNER
Myris, a sleek handheld
iris scanner, brings biometric security to home
computers. The device
plugs into a USB port and
takes a split-second video
of both eyes, scanning
more than 240 points in
each. A government-grade
encrypted digital signature syncs with passwords
stored on Myris, and never
on your desktop. Once it
verifies a match, it automatically signs the user
into accounts through a
browser extension. Since
no two irises are alike, the
chance of a false positive
is less than one in two
trillion. Price not set
Carnegie Mellon University

LiveLight
Automatic
Video Editing
Sifting through hours of security-cam
footage is tedious and can fritter away
valuable time during an investigation.
LiveLight quickly edits out snoozy
stretches to create an action-packed
highlights reel. The algorithm builds a
library of dull scenes, helping it learn to
flag novel events, such as car accidents.
Applied DNA Sciences

SmokeCloak DNA
DNA Tags to
Catch Criminals
For years, security smoke has foiled
robberies by flooding the scene with a
dense vapor, provoking thieves to run.
The strategy saves valuables but doesnt
catch bad guys. So Applied DNA Sciences
and SmokeCloak added plant-based
DNA markers that leave an indelible (and
harmless) tag on skin and clothes. The
fogmade by cutting up DNA strands and
rearranging them in distinct formations
is unique to each facility, branding criminals with indisputable evidence.
DARPA Fire Line Advanced Situational Awareness for Handhelds (Flash)
Military Technology for Safer Firefighting
Exchanging data in real time was

nonexistent until now. Flash makes
communication instantaneous. For
firefighting and search-and-rescue, it
identifies hazards and safe zones and
shares routes among users. Currently,
you have to plug in GPS coordinates
by radio, which leaves room for error.
M I KE WO RRELL , PHO ENI X FIR E D EPARTMENT CAP TAIN AND F E M A U R BA N
SEA R CH-A N D -RESC UE MEMB ER
038 /
American Science & Engineering

Mini Z
A Handheld
Security Checkpoint
After the Boston Marathon bombing,
AS&E accelerated development of a
handheld scanner that can peer through
tires, walls, and backpacks to detect
contraband. Unlike traditional x-rays, the
backscatter technology detects radiation
that bounces off of materials such as
drugs and explosives. Images show up
on a tablet in real time, so law enforcement can react immediately.
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : J ON AT HO N KA M BO UR IS ; C O URT ESY S M O KEC LOA K; COURT ESY AS & E
Eye L ock My r is
RAW POWER
7R, f/10, 1/160, ISO 100, Lens used: 85mm F1.4 ZA
7R
The future of digital imaging.

And the next generation of DSLR.
Meet the Sony 7 Seriesthe worlds smallest, full-frame mirrorless
interchangeable-lens cameras. Its breakthrough Exmor sensor/BIONZ
X-processor design means stunning resolution, remarkable low-light
sensitivity and clearer HD/4K video than traditional DSLR. The future
of digital imaging is here.
sony.com/sonyalpha
#sonyalpha
2014 Sony Electronics Inc. The Sony logo is a trademark of Sony Corporation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All other trademarks are
trademarks of their respective owners.
MEET OUR EVER-EXPANDING LINEUP

OF FULL-FRAME, E-MOUNT LENSES.
7S
SKILLFULLY CRAFTED. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. Glenddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky 2014 Imported by William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY.
The Original
D i s c ov e r t h e
w h i s k y t h at
C H A N G E D h i s t o ry.
1963
Following in the footsteps of his pioneering family, Sandy Gordon
was the rst to actively promote our Glenddich Straight Malt
beyond the UK, effectively starting the entire single malt category.
To d ay
Our Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, has faithfully reproduced the
historic taste using our unrivalled collection of aged whiskies,
exactly recreating the celebrated fresh and fruity taste.
SKILlFULLY CRAFTED. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. Glenddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky 2014 Imported by William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY.
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Aerospace
REP ORTED BY ERIC ADAMS + SOPHIE BUSHWICK
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
A NEW MANNED SPACECRAFT

slow their reentry speed, which makes for a rough landing.
SpaceX gave Dragon Version 2 a propulsive landing system
instead. This technology should be gentler, to protect delicate instruments, and more accurate, to deliver the crafts
seven passengers with the precision of a helicopter. Dragon
can also be prepped for relaunch in weeks, dramatically
reducing mission turnaround time and potentially saving
millions of dollars. As a result, the final frontier will become
more accessible than ever.
C O URT ESY S PAC E X
U.S. astronauts have been bumming

rides to space from Russia for
more than three years. Soon they
wont need to. This year, SpaceX
unveiled one of the first privately
developed manned spacecraft.
A few months later, NASA officially
selected Dragon Version 2, along
with Boeings CST-100, as the
nations new taxi to and from the
International Space Station.
SpaceX emphasized both safety
and efficiency in Dragons design.
Most spacecraft, including the
Soyuz capsules that currently ferry
astronauts, rely on parachutes to
S PAC EX D R AG O N
VERSION 2
04 2 /
Aerospace
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
No r t h ro p G r um m a n RQ -1 8 0
The Biggest, Baddest

Eyes in the Sky
Google X Project Wing
Successful
Drone Delivery
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : G O OG LE ; C O URT ESY H ON DA A I R C R A FT C O MPA N Y ; COURT ESY JPL
With the public announcement of Project

Wing, a two-year-old secret project,
delivery by unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV) came that much closer to reality.
During test runs in Australia, prototype
drones flew like planes for over half a
mile, and then hovered like helicopters to
drop off packages of dog treats and other
items. By having deliveries lowered by
cable, Google X plans to keep its vehicles
out of reach, protecting both machines
and bystanders. Eventually, the company
may design a variety of UAVs capable of
delivering different payloads.
Hon d a A i rc ra f t Co m pa ny
HondaJet
A Quieter, Lighter Jet

It might take a few seconds to notice
whats unusual about the HondaJet: The
planes turbofan engines (which generate
2,050 pounds of takeoff thrust apiece)
sit on top of its wings rather than below
them. This configuration decreases drag
on the plane, making it 10 percent faster
and 12 to 17 percent more fuel-efficient
than other light jets in its size class. It
also reduces engine noise and increases
space in the cabin, which can carry a
pilot and up to half a dozen passengers.
The HondaJet had its maiden flight in
June and should be certified next year.
The RQ-180 is a major

step toward combining
endurance and
survivability in a highend unmanned aerial
vehicle. In addition to
reconnaissance, it will . . .
execute electronic attacks
and penetrate welldefended areas where
nonstealthy craft are
problematic.
L OR E N THOM P SON, M I L I TA RY A NA LYST AT
THE LEXINGTON INSTITUTE
Low-Density
Su personic
Decelerator (LDSD)
REALLIFE
FLYING
SAUCER
Landing safely on
an alien planet
requires drastic
braking at hy per sonic speeds. The
LDSD lets NA SAs
Jet Propulsion
L aborator y test
an d imp rove
deceleration
technologies, such
as parachutes and
balloons.
/ 043
Aerospace
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats New
E -volo Volocop ter
If you took a toy

hexacopter, scaled it
up to carry humans,
and tripled the number of rotors, youd
have something like
the Volocopter.
Eighteen 1.8-meterlong carbon-fiber
propellers make
the craft stable and
extremely safe: The
Volocopter, which
made its maiden
flight in November
2013, can continue
to fly with the loss
of several rotors.
Its also lightweight
and energy-efficient,
making it ideal for
short commutes.
Ch a n ge -3
CHINAS
MOON
MISSION
Airbus E - Fa n
Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander
Ico n A i rcra f t Ico n A 5
An All-Electric Plane
Monster Blimp
An Amphibious Craft
for Amateurs
The E-Fan is the first trainer plane built

to be powered entirely by batteries: All of
the crafts systems, including aerodynamics and safety, are designed for quiet,
emissions-free flight. Electric motors
will drive two ducted fans for about 75
minutes before the E-Fan has to land
to recharge its power-dense lithiumpolymer batteries, which are built into
its wings. This years public-flight debut
will be followed by the release of the
two-seater E-Fan 2.0 in 2017.
The Airlander may be the worlds longest

and largest aircraft, but its the crafts
unique shape that makes it revolutionary:
It provides 40 percent of the vessels
aerodynamic lift (the rest comes from
helium)enough to keep 10 tons of cargo
and a full crew aloft for five days. With
its long airborne time and its ability
to land on any flat surface, the blimpzeppelin hybrid is the perfect vehicle for
humanitarian, border patrol, transport,
and search-and-rescue missions.
The Icon A5 is nothing if not versatile.

The lightweight plane can use both
runways and water to take off and
land, and its wings fold back for convenient storage. To fly it, one needs only
a Sport Pilot license, which is cheaper
and requires less training than other
Federal Aviation Administration certifications. Designed for hobbyists, the
plane boasts two-person seating,
a top speed of 120 miles per hour, and
a 345-mile range.
04 4 /
When the
Change-3 probe
reached the
moon in December 2013, China
became the third
nation to successfully stick a soft
lunar landing,
and the rst to
do so in almost
40 years. The
mission deployed
a rover, Yutu, to
study the soil and
crust structure
of the lunar
surface. Yutu has
experienced some
glitches, but that
hasnt dampened
the China National
Space Administrations ambition:
to bring lunar
samples back to
Earth by Change
mission 5.
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : C O URT ESY E-VO LO ; C O URT ESY I C O N; C OU RT ESY HY B RI D A I R V E HI CL ES ; COURT ESY A I RB US
AN 18-ROTOR
AIRCRAFT
(REALLY)
Aerospace
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Visual Data
EFFICIENT
AIR TRAVEL
HAS ARRIVED
In the past decade, a dark

horse has emerged as the most
energy-efficient mode of travel:
aviation. Since the 1970s, the
airline industry has cut its perpassenger, per-mile consumption
75 percent, enough that travel by
air now takes less energy than
by car, on average. The gains
outpace those of buses, trains,
and automobiles. An electric
plane, such as the Airbus E-Fan, is
perhaps the logical next step for
an industry that saves energy any
way it can. KAT I E PEEK
10
Energy per passenger, per mile, in thousands of BTUs
Nerd box:
Energy charted
below is the
number of
British thermal
units, or BTUs,
required to
transport a single passenger
one mile on an
intercity (for
rail and air) or
highway (by
car or bus) trip.
The figures
are national
averages,
and energy
use depends
strongly on
region and
route.
E F F I C I E N T P L A N E S H AV E :
BETTER AERODYNAMICS
The more smoothly a plane slices
through the atmosphere, the less fuel it
needs to get from city to city. Winglets
the little fins at the tips of the wings
break up airflow and reduce drag on a
plane. Boeing found that its winglets
increase efficiency by 4 percent, a big
enough gain that some airlines are retrofitting existing fleets with them.
OPTIMIZED ENGINES
The key to an efficient engine is to maximize air compression for more thrust.
Design improvements have allowed
airplane engines to squeeze air through
more easily, and new materials enable
them to withstand the higher temperatures created by more-efficient thrusters.
The result is a lighter engine that gets
more force out of less jet fuel.
LESS WEIGHT
Even small cuts in weight make a difference. For example, instead of riveting
many sheets of aluminum together,
Boeing is constructing its 787 Dreamliner
body out of just a few segments, each
molded from a lightweight composite
material. The design requires 50,000
fewer fasteners per segment and thus is
a little lighter.
0
1970
2000
1990
1980
2010
MORE FLIERS
Airlines have another way boost their
per-passenger efficiency: more passengers. By reducing the number of flights
and squeezing more seats onto planes,
airlines have increased the number of
people on each plane in recent years.
AIRPLANE ENERGY-EFFICIENCY GAINS OUTPACE THOSE OF CARS, BUSES, AND TRAINS
C H A RTS BY K AT IE P EEK ; I LLU ST R AT IO N S BY TO DD D ET WI LE R
10
83
0
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Automobiles have steadily increased

in energy efficiency since the 1970s,
albeit at a slower rate than airplanes.
The improvement largely comes from
car design; automakers have tweaked
exteriors into more aerodynamic shapes
and adjusted engines to use less fuel.
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Intercity busesthink Greyhounds

have actually seen efficiency losses.
Thats due in part to wasteful practices
such as idling at stops. And since companies dont replace buses very often,
more-efficient designs also take a long
time to reach the road.
Percent
of plane
seats that
airlines
filled in
2013, up
from 56%
in 1970
Data courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory Transportation Energy Data Book. Additional reporting by Rebecca Lantner.
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Passenger trains have seen steady efficiency gains since 2000. Improvements
come from both increased ridership and
reduced fuel use. Amtrak has added
energy-saving policies, such as limits on
idling time, and new tech, such as regenerative braking on some electric trains.
/ 045
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D EC E M B E R 2 01 4
Best of Whats New
Recreation
REP ORTED BY BERNE BROUDY + CLIFF RANSOM
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
P O C H EL M ET
I N TEG R I T Y SYSTEM
A HELMET THAT
TRACKS ITS OWN
HEALTH
The key principle of helmet design is,

by and large, simple: Create a container
that will protect its contents (your brain).
Successful execution is a bit harder.
With every impact, a helmet weakens.
Sometimes thats evidenta crushed lid
is a powerful indicator that you need a
new one. But sometimes its not. Subtle
deformations and microfractures can
compromise protection even if the
helmet appears to be in good shape.
POCs Helmet Integrity system monitors a helmets ongoing health. Designers

embedded sensors throughout the liner
that record deformation and measure
the severity of a hit. If damage exceeds
a predefined limit, an indicator light in
the helmet will signal that it needs to
be retired. For now, the Comp H.I. Mips
is available only in the Skull Orbic, but
POC may add it to other ski helmets
next year. $480
/ 049
Recreation
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats New
Po l a r i s Te r ra i n A r m o r
Vision Aerial SwitchBlade -Pro
A TRICOPTER DRONE
W it h t h ree rotors, drone pi l o ts ga i n th e
smooth flight and forward orientation of
an RC plane and still retain th e s tabi l i ty
of a quadcopter. The SwitchBlade -Pro also
collapses for easy transpor t. $ 1, 9 9 9
Zwif t
S h i m a n o XT R D i 2 M 9 050 E l e c tro n ic M TB Sh i f ti n g a nd Fox

CTD Electronic Suspension
A Virtual Race on
Real-World Courses
The Automatic
Mountain Bike
Zwifts multiplayer gaming platform

allows cyclists to ride on actual courses
without leaving home. When players drop
onto one of its virtual routes, such as
New Yorks Central Park, their connected
bike trainers adapt to every turn. Cyclists
can also synchronize rides to meet
friends in the game. Zwift has more
famous courses in the works; this spring,
riders may be able to join the Gran Fondo
New York to race alongside the pros.
$10 a month
By mating electronic shifting with

electronic suspension, Shimano
and Fox created the first integrated,
programmable mountain bike. Riders
decide how they like to bike in specific
situationsfor example, a stiff rear
shock and a spongy front oneand
then create programs for each. With a
button on the handlebar display, riders
can toggle between modes as trail
conditions change. Price not set
AvaTech SP-1
CROWDSOURCED
AVALANCHE
TOOL
Testing for avalanche conditions
can be an inexact
science. You dig a
pit, examine snow
layers, and make
a judgment. The
AvaTech tool uses
a series of optical,
IR, and force sensors to determine
snow structure
and orientation at
dierent depths.
It then transmits
the GPS-tagged
data to the cloud.
Skiers can search
for any given
slope, accessing
thousands of data
points and hundreds of AvaTech
users observations. $2,249
Imagine riding miles into the backcountry only to pop a flat. Now imagine
never having to worry about that again.
Polaris is the first company to offer
airless, or nonpneumatic tires (NPTs),
on a consumer ATV. Developed for the
military, an NPT can take a .50-caliber
bullet or roll over a railroad spike and
keep going. Their unique tread helps
NPTs handle heavy-duty use. $14,999
for a Polaris Sportsman WV850 HO
ATV with NPTs
Abominable Labs F-BOM
The First Truly

Fogless Goggles
The Abominable Labs F-BOM uses
heating filaments to kill goggle fog as
soon as it starts. The filaments, each
just one tenth of a billionth of an inch
thick, run through the Carl Zeiss lens
to heat it uniformly, but they dont
affect visibility. The battery-powered
system lasts about seven hours and
recharges via micro USB. The F-BOM
also has a face-plant mode powerful
enough to melt snowfor, you know,
those really bad spills. $249
94Fifty Smar t Sensor Basketball
A Basketball That Trains You
The balls sensors allow us to track shooting and ball handling

skills, even when our students practice at home. After using it
for three weeks, weve seen a 25 percent improvement.
PAT R I C K L E F L E R , P R E S I D E N T O F S O C A L E L I T E S P O RT S , W H I C H RU N S YO U T H
BA SKET BA L L TRAINING PR OGRAM S F OR AB OUT 2,0 0 0 STU DE NTS E AC H Y E A R
05 0/
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : J ON AT HO N KA M BO UR IS ; C O URT ESY AVAT EC H; COURT ESY POL A RI S ; J ON AT HON KA MB OURI S ; COURT ESY S HI MA N O; COURT ESY ZW I F T
Never-Flat ATV Tires
*$0/0$-"45*$
The worlds first F1.8 zoom.
An F1.8 zoom, the 18-35mm lens is
designed for APS-C format cameras.
Allowing greater creative possibilities
by setting new standards in photographic
history.
NN'%$)4.
Case and Hood LH780-06 included.
USA 4 Year Service Protection
4*(."64#%PDL
Update, adjust & personalize. Customization
never thought possible. Sold separately.
SIGMA Corporation of America | 15 Fleetwood Court | Ronkonkoma, NY 11779, U.S.A. | Tel: (631) 585-1144 | www.SigmaPhoto.com
Follow us Twitter @sigma_photo and Facebook.com/sigmacorporationofamerica
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Home
R E P ORT E D BY CO RI N N E I O ZZIO + MICH AEL NUEZ
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
A DRILL WITH
AN AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
Weve been driving screws into
things for centuries, so one would
think wed have mastered the art of
drill-making. Sadly, no. Theres hardly
a project that doesnt suffer the
aggravation of a stripped or overdriven
screw. Black & Deckers AutoSense
technology could make those
problems obsolete. A torque sensor
eliminates the need for a manual
clutch (the switch that adjusts a
drills torque) by monitoring the level
of resistance of any screw as its
being driven. When it detects a major
shift in resistance, or the moment a
screw head hits a work surface, an
onboard processor stops the drills
motor entirelyno stripped heads,
no cracked wood, no guesswork. $80
BLACK & DECKER 20V MAX

LITHIUM CORDLESS DRILL
WITH AUTOSENSE TECHNOLOGY
Best of Whats New
05 2 / PO P U L A R S CIE NCE
Home
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats New
T- Fa l OptiGr ill
A PERFECT STEAK
EVERY TIME
At every cookout, there is a moment of truth: Is the meat done or not? Rather than poke, prod, or
eyeball, the OptiGrill answers the question automatically. The cook selects the type of meat and
desired doneness, then sensors embedded in the top and bottom grill plates detect the thickness of
the cut. A processor crunches that data to determine the ideal cooking time. $180
LG EcoHybr id Dr yer DLHX 4072V
Current dryer technology is equivalent

to that of a giant toasterits a simple
heating element that turns on and off
and uses a huge amount of electricity. . . .
A heat-pump dryer uses a refrigeration
cycle. You basically pump heat out of the
air. Its common technology, its just never
been used in dryers before.
PETER BANWELL , DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MARKETING AT EPA ENERGY STAR
05 4 /
Kohler To uchless Flush Kit
Hands-Free Toilet Tech

Kohlers kit converts nearly any toilet into
a hands-free model. A proximity sensor
mounted under the tank lid projects a
three-inch field. At the wave of a hand,
the sensor relays a signal to a small
battery-powered motor connected to the
flush valve. Whoosh! $99
FR O M TO P : J O N AT H O N K A M B OU R I S ; C O U RT ESY KO HL ER
A Dryer That Uses Half the Energy
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Toro Recycler with Smar tStow
SPACE-SAVING
MOWER
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : B R I A N K LUTC H ; C O U RT ESY B EL KI N ; J O NAT H ON KA MB OURI S ; COURT ESY RE MI N GTON ; COURT ESY CL E A N A L E RT
Standing upright, the Recycler

with Smar tStow takes up less
than one third of the space of a
ty pical mower. The key is a new
leakless Briggs & Stratton motor,
which includes a weep-free
carburetor and specially
designed gaskets. $349
Belkin
We Mo M aker
DIY SMART
HOME
ADAPTER
CleanAler t FilterScan WiFi
Remington iCoffee SteamBrew
Gorilla Clear Repair Ta pe
A Self-Monitoring
HVAC System
Push-Button
French Press
Invisible
Duct Tape
A clogged air filter can cause a homes

HVAC system to run for a longer period,
increasing cooling bills by up to 15 percent. The FilterScan WiFi uses pressure
sensors to monitor the airflow inside
ductwork and identify clogged filters.
When the system detects a suspicious
change in pressure (a sign of a dirty
filter), it sends homeowners a text or
email so they can address the issue.
$100 ($15 annual service fee)
For many coffee lovers, no brew beats

the French press, which surrounds coffee
grinds evenly in hot water. The trouble
is, only the most ardent few are willing
to put up with the prolonged brewing
process. The iCoffee resolves that issue
using a tried-and-true drip-style pot. The
system has three steam jets that steep
the grounds the same way a French
press does, giving users artisan-brewed
coffee at the push of a button. $150
For all its strength and utility, duct tape

is ugly stuff. Gorilla Clear Repair looks
like packing tape, but has extra adhesive and does not yellow with exposure
to sunlight. To make it transparent,
engineers developed a manufacturing
process that bonds the adhesive layer
to the top coating with no fabric mesh
in between. The result can invisibly
mend a broken window, cracked headlamp, or shattered phone screen. $7
This year saw a

surge of smart,
web-connected
appliances, but the
WeMo Maker lets
tinkerers retrot
intelligence onto
any device. The
four-inch square
contains a processor and a Wi-Fi
radio, and with
a little wiring, it
connects to nearly
any device with a
DC switch. That
means doggie
doors, sprinklers,
electric blinds,
and other lowpowered devices
can nally be
controlled with a
smartphone. $80
P OP U L AR SC I E NC E /
055
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Gadgets
R E P ORT E D BY CO RI N N E I O Z ZIO + MICH AEL NUEZ
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
7S
A CAMERA THAT SEES IN THE DARK

Five years ago, the first mirrorless interchangeable-lens
cameras (ILCs) were introduced with the hope that they could
compete with larger, more expensive digital single-lens reflex
cameras (DSLRs). They couldnt. Since then, manufacturers
have been grinding away on the technology, adding bigger
imaging sensors and better lenses. This year, Sony introduced
a ILC that not only goes toe-to-toe with DSLRs on quality (at
almost half the weight) but also does some things even better,
namely shooting at night.
05 6 /
The 7S is the first cameraDSLR or otherwisethat can

capture images in almost complete darkness. It has a fullframe sensor thats only 12.3 megapixelsabout half the typical
pixel density. The lower density allows for larger pixels that can
capture more light. Because the camera body is a trim 1.9 inches,
the sensor sits closer to the lens, which also permits light from
oblique angles. In the end, the 7S boasts a peak sensitivity
of ISO 409,600, which means that photographing a moonlit
beach is as simple as point and shoot. $2,500 (body only)
SONY
Gadgets
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Apple iBeacon
A Network for Indoor

Navigation
iBeacon, Apples new communication
tool, brings locational awareness
indoors. Unlike GPS, which typically requires an unobstructed path between the
device and satellite, the platform relies
on small Bluetooth modules that identify
peoples proximity in a given location
inside or out. The beacons can then push
tailored content (such as exhibit notes in
museums or coupons in a store) directly
to smartphones. Developers have already
built hundreds of applications, including
one that lets fans order concessions
in baseball stadiums and another that
guides blind passengers through the San
Francisco airport.
Adobe Ink & Slide
The Most Precise iPad Sketching Tools
I do a lot of advertising
work, so I have to do quick
sketches for my clients.
With Ink & Slide, I can make
quick drawings and see the
outcome right away. If I did
that on paper, Id have to
scan them and clean them
up in Photoshop.
H Y E S U L E E , F R E E L A N C E I L LU S T RAT O R I N B R O O K LY N, N E W YO R K
Stir Kinetic Desk
FR O M TOP : C O URT ESY EST I M OT E ; C O URT ESY ST I R
OFFICE FURNITURE
THAT KEEPS YOU
MOVING
Standing for part of the day can prolong a persons life. Yet more than half of sit-to-stand office desks never leave the sitting position. The Kinetic Desk
prompts users to move more frequently. A user programs the desired percentage of daily sitting and standing time on a touchscreen, and the desk takes
over. When its time for a shift, the desk will signal the user with a nudge, which he or she can accept or deny by tapping the screen. Over time, the desk
learns patternssay, a preference to stand after lunchand tweaks the schedule accordingly. $3,890
/ 057
Gadgets
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats New
Google Cardboard
VIRTUAL REALITY
ON A DIME
Instead of building a headset from scratch, Google created Cardboard, a complete vir tual reality (VR) experience made from $25
wo r th of pa r ts (a corrugated box, plastic lenses, rubber bands, glue,
and magnets). A smar tphone f its into the front of the box to serve as
both the screen and the brains of the headset. An app enables users
to take vir tual tours in Google Ear th or play games. And, for the truly
inspired, a free tool kit makes VR development easier than ever.
36 0 f ly
LG Display Flexible OLED
Kyocera Sapphire Shield
The All-Seeing
Video Camera
The First Rollable

Screen
An Unbreakable
Display
Facebook, Google, and Samsung may

have ventured into the virtual reality
market this year, but their headmounted displays wont find a lot of
traction without good content to support
them. The 360fly is a camera that may
help capture all that immersive video.
Using an eight-element lens, it records
video 360 degrees around and 240 degrees up and down. For now, viewers can
click on and drag footage to pan through
scenes. Someday, with VR, they may just
be able to move their heads. $499
Long have we lived with the promise of

truly flexible displays, and long have
the nuances of material design kept it
from becoming reality. Earlier this year,
LG introduced the first large-size massproducible flexible OLED display. Thanks
in part to a bendable polyimide film (instead of hard plastic) on the back-plane
panel, the 18-inch high-resolution screen
can roll into a one-inch-wide tube. The
company expects to develop an ultraHD flexible monitor thats greater than
60 inches by 2017.
A cracked screen is the curse of

our technologically dependent lifestyle. A recent survey found that
one out of every four iPhones will
suffer that indignity. This year,
Kyocera debuted a display thats
virtually indestructible. The Sapphire
Shield is made from lab-synthesized
sapphire, one of the hardest materials on Earth. The screen can survive
a fall from twice the height that
regular glass can. In addition, its
nearly impossible to scratch.
05 8 /
A PHONE
THAT
PROTECTS
YOUR DATA
Over the past year,
weve learned the
hard way that our
cellular networks
arent all that
secure. As data
vulnerabilities
become a greater
concern, people
will demand
better protection.
The hypersecure
Blackphone
ensures that all
communications
remain private
when being transmitted to and
from the device.
The phone runs
on PrivatOS, a
custom version
of Android.
In conjunction
with an app suite,
it can encrypt
calls and texts
as well as enable
private Web
browsing and
cloud storage.
Messages and
calls have unique
encryption keys,
so only the sender
and recipient can
decode each one.
$629 (includes one
year of service)
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : J ON AT HO N KA M BO UR IS ; C O URT ESY S I LE N T C I RCL E ; COURT ESY KYOCE RA ; COURT ESY LG; JON AT HON KA MB OURI S
S i l e nt Ci rcl e
Blackphone
Gadgets
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Q+A
THE FINAL PLATFORM

Few understand the promise and pitfalls of virtual reality (VR) better than
Jeremy Bailenson. In 2003, he founded
Stanford Universitys Virtual Human
Interaction Lab, and hes since counseled Facebook, Samsung, and others
on VR strategies. To Bailenson, VRs
potential far exceeds todays applications. The platform will become
the most important one ever.
Popular Science: Big technology
brands are racing toward VR, but is
there a market for it?
Jeremy Bailenson: Yes. People love
media. Everybodys buying bigger TVs
and playing more immersive video
games, using systems like the Wii and
Kinect. At the same time, the success
of social media shows that people like
interacting with virtual others.
E DI TE D A ND CONDE NSE D BY COR I NNE IO Z Z IO

JB: Say an insurance company wants
to train people to avoid accidents. Youd
never want to train them by making them
have a physical accident, but VR can
give them a lesson so real theyll never
[forget it]. Weight-loss companies can
teach people to maintain their diets by
showing them versions of their ideal self.
Owners of sports teams want to implement VR into their training.
PS: Those are all positive results.

Is there a potential dark side?
JB: Some experiments have shown
that when violent videogames become
more immersive, the transfer of violent
thoughts and aggressive behavior is
amplified. I try to steer the conversation
as much as I can to make results more
positive than negative. Ive tried to urge
Oculus, as the company makes videogames, to think about adding publicservice announcements, like on TV. What
if every time you played a game, youd
have to learn about the environment for
30 seconds to get to the next level?
PS: Some of your studies address
lofty ideas, like using VR to promote
environmental conservation. What do
you say to the nonbelievers?
JB: I can put up graphs until youre blue
in the face, but in the lab, its different. I
give a tree-sawing demo to groups, and
the person inside the demo always looks
at me wide-eyed. Imagine if I forced
you to take a chainsaw, go to Yosemite
National Park, and cut down a beautiful
redwood tree. That would be something that would stick with you.
PS: What makes VR so different from

the platforms were used to?
JB: When VR is done right, there is
no interface. The way you walk up to
something is by walking; the way you
make eye contact with someone is by
moving your eyes. VR produces the exact
perceptual phenomenon you have moving around the world. When Im using a
mouse, I know Im using it. When youre
in VR, you forget theres a medium.
PS: Videogames, telepresence,
and movies are the most cited
VR applications, but how else
might we use it?
2 Billion
Value, in
dollars,
Facebook
paid to
acquire
Oculus VR
PH OTOGR AP H BY
Brad Wenner
/ 059
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Engineering
REP ORTED BY AARON SEWARD + LOIS PARSHLEY
A CABLE THAT
WILL RESHAPE
SKYLINES
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
KO N E U LTR A R O P E
C O URT ESY KO N E
Of all the physical constraints that

dictate our cityscapes, perhaps the most
counterintuitive is the elevator cable.
Very long standard cables become too
heavy to haul, a limitation that restricts
the height of buildings. But UltraRope,
a new cable with a carbon-fiber core
and high-friction coating, could double
elevator heights to 3,280 feet. UltraRope weighs 80 percent less than a
standard cable, with no loss in strength,
and designers are already using it to
build higher than ever; with UltraRope,
the elevator shafts in the new Kingdom
Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will reach
a record 2,165 feet. The lighter material
also helps new buildings reduce energy
consumption by up to 45 percent.
062 /
Engineering
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Korea Research Institute of Ships

and Ocean Engineering Crabster CR200
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : C O URT ESY KO R E A R ES EA R C H I N ST I T UT E O F S HIP S A N D OCE A N E N GI N E E RI N G; COURT ESY S OL A R ROA DWAYS ; COURT ESY PHI L I PS; COURT ESY N I K K E N
A ROBOTIC CRAB
FOR EXPLORING
THE OCEAN
The six-legged,
1 ,500 -pound mechanical Crabster
helps scientists
explore prev io usly
unreachable seabeds. It can dive
660 feet and
has 11 cameras,
s on ar, and an
acoustic Doppler
current prof iler.
U. S. Naval
Research Lab
Electrochemical Acidif icat io n Ca rbo n
Capture Skid
Nikken Sekkei BioSkin
Philips and Green Sense Farms
Solar Roadways
A Building Facade to
Cool Cities
Grow Lights for

Bumper Crops
Pavement That
Produces Power
Modeled after traditional Japanese

screens, BioSkin collects rainwater and
feeds it through ceramic pipes that run
over a buildings exterior. It deflects
direct sunlight with solar panels, reducing interior temperatures by as much as
21F. The system also generates power
and lowers air-conditioning costs. With
enough buildings wrapped in BioSkin,
cities could reduce the urban heat island
effect, making the air a lot more comfortable, even for neighbors with conventional cooling systems.
This year, Green Sense Farms (GSF), a

vertical-agriculture project in Indiana,
achieved a monumental goal: It outproduced a traditional farm of comparable
size for the first time. By using Philips
LEDs, indoor farmers can grow all year
roundand researchers are working on
customizing light spectrum and intensity
for each crop. Because the lights are
cool, they can sit close to plants, ensuring uniform illumination even when crops
are grown vertically, enabling farms to
plant more per acre.
Solar Roadways has taken the first

step to creating the worlds largest
solar panel: The company uses tempered glass and photovoltaic cells to
create intelligent, energy-harvesting
pavement, complete with built-in
heating elements for melting ice and
LEDs for signage. The technology is
still in its infancy, but with funding from
the Federal Highway Administration
and an Indiegogo campaign, the company finished a prototype parking lot in
Idaho earlier this year.
Whooshh Fish Transpor t System
A Fish Ladder for Any Dam
The fish fly right through without so much as a scratch.

Also, you wont have to divert water, as you do in a ladder
system. Out here, the economy is all agriculture, and water is
gold. Thats what makes Whooshh such a great concept.
A SHIP THAT
CAN MAKE
FUEL FROM
THE SEA
The U.S. Naval
Research Laboratory developed a
process to extract
the carbon dioxide
and hydrogen in
water and turn
them into liquid
hydrocarbons. A
nickel-supported
catalyst reaction
then converts
them into the
ingredients for
commercial-grade
fuel, at a cost of
$3 to $6 a gallon
on par with the
current price. The
Navy has already
tested a prototype
in the Gulf of Mexico, and within 10
years, specially
t ships could be
mass-producing
their own fuel.
MAR K J OH NSTON, R ESEAR CH S CIENTI ST AT YA KA M A NATI ON F I SHE R I E S
/ 06 3
ThinkGeek offers thousands of hand-picked gadgets, toys, and things straight

out of your imagination for geeks of all ages, fandoms, and ninja skill levels.
How do we know what geeks want? Easy: were geeks, too. Come visit today.
www.thinkgeek.com/popsci
USE CODE: POPSCIRU LZ

EXCLUDES TAXES & SHIPPING. CANNOT BE COMBINED
WITH OTHER OFFERS. ENDS 11:59PM ET 12/24/14
STAR TREK THE

ORIGINAL SERIES
UNIFORM HOODIE
These are the hoodies of the (original)
starship Enterprise. Their mission? To
keep you warm as you explore strange
new worlds and new civilizations. Each
hoodie features embroidered insignia
and rank braid (Command Gold is
Captain, Sciences Blue is Commander,
and Engineering Red is Lieutenant).
T H I N KG E E K .C O M /S T T O S
STAR WARS R2-D2 MEASURING CUP SET

One of the fun things about using these R2-D2 Measuring Cups is that you get to
pretend youre a Jawa Chef. You found this droid, and in order to make it useful,
you have to take it all apart. Utinni! Ready to Star Wars-ify your kitchen, this
R2-D2 disassembles into 4 measuring cups and 4 measuring spoons. Now, the
R2-D2 Measuring Cups wont actually make your cookies for you, but they WILL
make your baking tons more fun. Hey, someone has to
make all the cookies for the Dark Side, right?
T H I N KG E E K .C O M / R 2 C U P S
SUPERNOVA
LIGHT CUBE LED BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
We love listening to good music, and good music calls for good speakers.
We made this Bluetooth speaker with 36 LED light show modes, because
everything is better with LEDs. The flashy show is impressive, but the
SuperNovas main feature is the awesome sound blasted out by two built-in
speakers. Your tunes will explode for all to dance to which is why we call
this speaker the SuperNova!
T H I N KG E E K .C O M /S U P E R N OVA
FLUX CAPACITOR USB CAR CHARGER

Its the Flux Capacitor from everyones favorite Back to the Future movie:
Back to the Future! Plug it into your cars
12V vehicle power adapter and the Flux
Capacitors lights start pulsing. But thats
not all it does (because that would be
silly). The Flux Capacitor Car Charger
will charge two phones or your phone
and tablet at the same time using
its two USB charging ports
(1 x 1A and 1 x 2.1A).
T H I N KG E E K .C O M / F LU X
EXCLUSIVE STAR TREK

PHASER REMOTE REPLICA
This Star Trek: The Original Series Phaser Remote lets you harmlessly blast
your home entertainment system into submission. Created from 3D laser
scans of a screen-used prop, it looks good, but its also a fully-functioning
programmable infrared remote control.
And when we say phaser we dont
just mean a Type I Phaser. It does
include a Type I which functions as
a standalone gesture-based
universal remote control
but also slots into a
Type II pistol-grip base,
which provides additional
controls. The Star Trek Phaser
Remote is absolutely stunning. Sorry, we had to.
T H I N KG E E K .C O M / P H A S E R
MINECRAFT
CREEPER BACKPACK
Minecraft is addictive, and as such
it already eats kids homework by
distracting them for hours. But now
kids can claim the Creeper ate their
homework for real as they open up
this backpack to reveal their books,
assignments, lunch, and more.
With a padded base, dividers, back,
and straps, the Creeper Backpack
will carry all your precious resources
without harming them.
HOVERKRAFT
LEVITATING CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE
HoverKraft is an old-school building game with a twist. Players take turns
stacking pieces on a platform... that levitates. Using magnetic repulsion,
weve built a game board that defies gravity (take that, weak force!).
Stack or remove translucent game pieces as the die dictates. If you place the
piece that makes others fall, you lose! HoverKraft is a combination of games
we love, mashed together and floating in midair. Nothing makes a game
better than seemingly defying the laws of physics!
T H I N KG E E K .C O M /C R E E P E R
T H I N KG E E K .C O M / H OV E R
TETRIS STACKABLE
LED DESK LAMP
STAR WARS &

BATMAN SUNSHADES
We dont like getting too much sun in our cars. So, to combat our otherwisebeloved mass of incandescent gas, we put up a sunshade. But not just any
shades will do. The Star Wars Sunshade gives the illusion that our car is now
the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. Or, we pop in the Batman Sunshade.
It acts like the Bat-Signal, so Batman knows where to meet for lunch.
S TA R WA R S : T H I N KG E E K .C O M / N O M O O N
B AT M A N : T H I N KG E E K .C O M / B AT S H A D E
Start with the straight piece. Thats the

base, where the power comes from.
The rest of the Tetris lamp pieces can
be combined in any way you wish
just like a real game of Tetris. When
the pieces connect with each other
(providing at least one is connected
to the power base), theyll all light up!
You get all seven pieces (one of each
shaped light) per set and each one is
a different color. If you get more than
one set, you can combine the pieces
from an infinite number of sets into one
massive Tetris light! Tetrimino-tacular!
T H I N KG E E K .C O M / L E D L A M P
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Software
R E P O RT E D B Y A L A N H E N RY + L I N D S E Y K RAT O C H W I L L
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
GOOGLE ANDROID WEAR
Every major hardware manufacturer

is clamoring for its share of the
smartwatch action. This year alone,
Motorola, LG, and Apple joined the
fray, yet a true leader in wearables
has yet to emerge. Instead of stepping into the hardware battle, Google
leveraged what it knows best: code.
In the past, each smartwatch ran its
own proprietary operating system
(OS), limiting the number of apps
and functionality available to users.
Android Wear gives Google an edge
on the competition by standardizing
the operating system across most
manufacturersmuch like Android
did with its smartphone OS seven
years ago. A unified OS means developers can create thousands of apps
that easily sync with Android devices.
With them, users will be able to place
calls, control Netflix and other media
players, track steps, and navigate
an unfamiliar route, all from a tiny
screen on the wrist. Oh, yes, and
theyll be able to tell the time too.
066 /
THE
WEARABLE
OPERATING
SYSTEM
Software
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Respaw n Ti tanfall
CLOUD-BOOSTED
VIDEOGAME
Rely ing more heav ily on cloud-accelerated processing than any

other console game before it, T i tan fall ca n se r ve up a r t i f ici a l ly
intelligent background characte rs and complex, detailed scenes
all free of immersion-killing lag time. Fro m $ 4 0
Po pcorn Time
A FACE-LIFT
FOR FILE
SHARING
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : C O URT ESY R ES PAW N ; C O URT ESY HUM IN ; C O U RT ESY A PPL E
When le-sharing
and streaming site
Popcorn Time
debuted earlier
this year, the
media dubbed it
Netix for Pirates.
Thats fair: It exists in a legal gray
areathe content
it oers is probably copyrighted
but developers
saw the innovation. For the rst
time, users can
instantly and
easily stream
a movie while the
site locates and
downloads the le
in the background.
Others have
adopted its opensource code for
more-benevolent
applications,
such as teaching
English to nonnative speakers
with videos.
Carnegie Mellon Univers i ty a n d Un ivers i ty

of California at Berkeley 3-D Manipulation
A 3-D Photo Editor
This photo-editing
method bridges the gap
between 2-D and 3-D
approaches. With it,
people can manipulate
[objects within] the
photo in 3-D. The effects
blend seamlessly,
almost magically.
ADAM FINKELSTEIN, CO-CREATOR OF
PATCHMATCH, WHICH POWERS PHOTOSHOPS
CONTENT-AWARE FILL FEATURE
Apple OS X Yosemite
Hum i n
An OS That Syncs with

Your Smartphone
The First Intuitive

Address Book
Apples OS X Yosemite might look like

a desktop version of the companys
iOS 8 mobile operating system, but the
connection goes deeper than design.
Yosemite marks the first time iPhones
and iPads can easily share tasks with
Apple desktops and laptops. With two
or more devices logged into the same
iCloud account, users can orchestrate
hand-offs between them: They can dial
a phone number found on the desktop or
resume reading an article on their phone
that theyd started on the laptop. Free
A persons memory isnt alphabetical,

yet thats how every phone organizes
contacts. Humin adds context to entries,
so you can search the app for a person
the same way you remember him or
herfor example, the photographer
or the person I met last month. In
addition to names and phone numbers,
Humin automatically stores information
such as where you met and mutual
friends you have, which allows the app to
send notifications for upcoming meetings
or trips that are actually useful. Free
/ 06 7
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
REP ORTED BY REBECCA B OYLE + BREANNA DRAXLER
THE BIONIC ARM

Even with todays most advanced
prosthetic limbs, amputees still struggle
to perform certain basic tasks. But the
bionic arm made by Deka, the R&D firm
founded by inventor Dean Kamen, is
nearly as dexterous as the real thing.
Nicknamed for the cybernetic hand in
Star Wars, the Luke Arm is the first
prosthesis that allows a person to make
multiple movements, such as rotating
the wrist and opening the hand, at once.
Ten minutes after putting it on,
people are able to pick things up, says
Stewart Coulter, the Luke Arm project
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
DEKA LUKE ARM
068 /
Health
manager. Our office is littered with

things that people have built with it.
In a clinical trial, 90 percent of the 36
participants were able to do previously
impossible tasks, such as unlocking a
door or using chopsticks.
Electrodes on the skin near the
attachment site pick up the electrical
impulses signaling muscle contractions
and send them to a computer in the
prosthesis. The processor translates
these messages into motion of the integrated elbow, wrist, and hand. Users
coordinate complex movements with a
joystick-like sensor on their shoe.
It works the way the patient
thinks, says Chuck Hildreth Jr., who
lost his arms in a work accident more
than 30 years ago and has been
testing the prototypes since 2008. The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved the arm in May. Deka hasnt
announced a date for its commercial
release or a price, but when the Luke
Arm hits the market, Hildreth says hell
be first in line to buy one.
Health
D EC E M B E R 2 01 4
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : C O URT ESY C LE V ER M E D K IT ; C OU RT ESY S P RO UT L I N G; COURT ESY GI L E A D S CI E N CES ; COURT ESY ME DROB OT I CS CORPORAT I ON
Best of Whats New
Clever Medkit
Spro u tl i n g Baby Mo n i to r
First Aid
Made Smarter
A Baby Monitor That

Tracks Vitals
The cloud-connected Clever Medkit

dispenses medical advice along with supplies. Got a burn? Push the button with
a flame on it, and the cubbies containing
burn gel, gauze, and a cold pack will light
up. The kit knows each time someone
removes a pill or Band-Aid and can automatically reorder supplies when stocks
are low. The units are leased to companies for a monthly service fee and will be
available in the U.S. early next year.
The Sproutling ankle band turns baby

monitors into wearable tech, tracking
heart rate, breathing, movement, and
body position. An app alerts parents if
something is awry. Company co-founder
Mathew Spolin came up with the idea
because his son liked to sleep facedown:
As soon as he flipped over, the device
wouldve pushed right to my phone.
Sproutling learns babies behaviors, such
as nap lengths, to help parents better
plan. The charging station tracks light,
noise, and temperature too. $249
Gilead Sciences Sovaldi
The Hepatitis C Cure
This year will

mark a paradigm shift
in how we treat
hepatitis C infections,
for the better of all
patients. Combination
antiviral therapies are
short in duration,
highly effective,
and without
significant toxicity.
E R I C L AW I T Z , V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F
SC I E NTI F I C A ND R E SE A R C H DE V E L OP M E N T
AT THE TEXA S LIVER INSTITUTE
Medrobotics Flex System
A BENDABLE
BOT FOR SIMPLER
SURGERY
To do minimally invasive throat surgeries, doctors currently have to choose between a rigid laparoscope, which requires a direct line of sight, and a flexible
endoscope, which can buckle or go limp. Flex System combines the best of both. Motor-actuated cables enable a surgeon to direct the device down a
patients throat without scraping it. A high-definition camera and interchangeable tools mounted at the tip make it possible to see, cut, and cauterize
otherwise inaccessible spots. This means fewer painkillers, less tissue damage, and faster recovery times. It received European approval in March.
/ 06 9
Health
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
RevMedx XStat
A QUICK FIX FOR

BATTLE WOUNDS
XStats injectable sponges ta ke just
20 seconds to swell with blood inside
a wound. Once expanded, they apply
hemostatic pressure from within to
stanch potentially fatal bleeding. This
buys wounded soldiers va luable time (up
to four hours) to get to a hospital for
surgery. The FDA approved the syringe
i n April. Price not set
LOW-COST
FERTILITY
TREATMENT
GoodLux Technologies SunSprite
Convergent Dental Solea
Exact Sciences Cologuard
A Light Tracker to
Beat the Blues
Pain-Free
Dentistry
No-Prep Colon
Cancer Testing
Sunlight helps the brain regulate sleep

cycles and mood hormones. It can even
lift depression. The bad news is most
people dont get the recommended 30
minutes a day. SunSprite clips onto
clothes to track exposure to bright light
outdoors or near a window. Beta testers
were absolutely stunned by how little
they were getting, says Harvard Medical
School psychiatrist Jacqueline Olds, who
co-invented the solar-powered device.
An app also alerts you if youre absorbing
too many damaging rays. $149
With all the high-pitched drilling, its no

wonder people dread going to the dentist.
The Solea carbon-dioxide laser offers a
nearly silent alternative for root canals,
crown fittings, and more. It works on
teeth and gums and doesnt cause bleeding or pain, even without anesthesia. In
the time it would take to give an injection,
wait for the patient to get numb, and
start a procedure, I can be done with the
laser, says L. Don Wilson, one of the first
dentists to adopt Solea. It was released
in January after the FDA approved it.
Colon cancer is the second deadliest

cancer in the U.S. Its also the most
curable if caught early, but the prospect of a colonoscopy deters people
from screening for it. The Cologuard
test is far less invasive. Its taken at
home and mailed to a lab for DNA
analysis. The test has a 92 percent
accurate detection rate. Our hope is
a test like this could make colon
cancer a rare disease, says gastroenterologist David Ahlquist, co-inventor
of Cologuard. $599
070 /
When a couple
cant conceive,
in-vitro fertilization (IVF) may
help. But the
hefty price tag
limits its use to
rich countries;
it also suggests
growing an egg
outside the womb
requires high-tech
equipment. The
Walking Egg Lab
achieves the right
incubation pH
and temperature
with just a basic
cooler containing
vials of citric acid
and bicarbonate,
cutting the cost
of IVF by a factor
of ve to ten. Its
so easy nobody
believes it, says
fertility specialist
Willem Ombelet.
He co-founded the
Walking Egg nonprot with embryologist Jonathan
Van Blerkom, who
initially came up
with the method
to transport cattle
embryos. So far, 17
babies have been
born in Belgium
via this lab; trials
are set for England and South
Africa in coming
months. $300
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : J ON AT HO N KA M BO UR IS ; C O URT ESY E XAC T S C I EN CES ; COURT ESY CON V E RGE N T DE N TA L ; JON AT HON KA MB OURI S
The Walking
Egg Lab
Health
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
The Matrix
THE BIONICS REVOLUTION

HAS BEGUN
This year marked a turning point for bionic technologies. In March, a dancer who
lost her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing returned to the stage on a prosthetic
foot and ankle. In June, a paraplegic man made the World Cups opening kick using
a mind-controlled exoskeleton. The FDA approved the first robotic exoskeleton for
home use that same month. Here, we size up standout recent advances in restoring
movement to those whove lost it. B R EAN N A D R AXLER
A DVA NCE D B IO NICS

Lu ke A r m
Deka
A brain chip that

bypasses damaged
nerves to stimulate
the muscles of a
paralyzed arm, hand,
or fingers directly
IN T H E L A B
Implantable myoelectric sensors in

muscles that allow a
user to signal multiple movements
at the same time
with an artificial limb
Re Wa l k
ReWalk Robotics
L ife h a n d 2
EPFL (Switzerland)
and SSSA (Italy)
A robotic hand that
gives a user a sense
of touch and the ability
to determine if an
object is hard or soft,
round or square
A motorized exoskeleton that assists with

movement at the hips,
knees, and ankles to
help paraplegics stand
and walk
O N T H E S H E LF
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : C O URT ESY II T ; C OU RT ESY BAT T EL LE; JO N AT HON KA MB OURI S ; COURT ESY RE WA L K ROB OT I CS ;
C O URT ESY E -N A B LE; C OU RT ESY BI O M ; C O U RT ESY O S U ; C O U RT ESY STA NM ORE I MPL A N TS ; COURT ESY E PF L / S S S A
Illinois
Institu te of
Technology
A prosthetic limb
controlled by
electrodes at the
attachment site and
a joystick-like sensor
on a users shoe
ITAP
Stanmore Implants
a stable, irritation-free
attachment point for
a prosthetic limb
Pulley-Based Tendon
Transfer
Oregon State University
Surgically implanted pulleys that
reattach tendons in the hand
to undamaged muscles in
the wrist to restore some
mechanical function
E - n ab l e
A 3-Dprinted plastic hand,
mechanically controlled by
movement of the wrist or
elbow, designed by an opensource community
/ 071
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Hardware
R E P ORT E D BY LINDSEY KRATOCH WILL + MAT T S AFF OR D
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
A P P L E M AC P R O
Normally when a
designer or video
editor is hard at work,
everyone nearby can
tell: The computer is
running at a scream
and heating up the
area in the process.
A radical redesign
makes the Apple
Mac Pro the first
high-performance PC
that packs tremendous horsepower into
a quiet, 9.9-inch-tall
cylindrical bodyone
eighth the volume
of its predecessor.
Instead of adding
heat sinks and fans
for each processor
and graphics carda
typical layout that
adds a lot of bulk and
noiseengineers built
the Mac Pro around
an aluminum thermal
core with a single
fan at the top. The
configuration cuts
the towers decibel
level in half. Apple
computers have long
been a proving ground
for innovative design
(how many MacBook
Air clones have you
seen today?), so dont
be surprised if future
desktops borrow this
arrangement.
From $2,999
072 /
COMPUTER TOWER,
REINVENTED
Hardware
D ECE M BE R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Corsair Gaming K95 RGB
THE ULTIMATE
KEYBOARD
Corsairs new mechanical keyboard has a swift response rate, wh ich is a nice feature but
not its most impressive. LEDs beneath the keys give users the ability to customize individual keys or groups of them like never before, with 16.8 million possible combinations.
Now users can make the keys they use most often pop. $ 19 0
WiGig
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP : J ON AT HO N KA M BO UR IS ; C O URT ESY S A M S UN G ; CO URT ESY ACE R
The Fastest Wireless

Acer XB280HK
Sa ms u n g 850 P ro
The Only 4K Monitor

That Matters
A Drive with
Double the Life
A 4K monitor is great in theory, but extra

pixels wont really improve gaming if the
screen cant keep up with the computers
graphics card. LCD monitors often have
fixed refresh rates of either 60 or 120
Hz, but games rarely deliver frames at a
constant speed, causing image tearing.
The 28-inch Acer XB280HK is the first 4K
monitor to include a Nvidia G-Sync board,
which allows it to match rates on the fly
with the computers graphics card. This
way, dramatic battle scenes will always
look the way developers intended. $799
Solid-state drives (SSDs) are more

reliable than their spinning-disk counterparts, but they still have one major
limitation: They can be written to only a
certain number of times before risking
failure. In the 850 Pro, Samsung engineers pioneered a new drive structure
that stacks layers of transistors on top
of one another rather than spreading
them horizontally. As a result, the drive
can handle 40 gigabytes of daily read/
write cycles for 10 yearsdouble that of
competitors. From $110
Intel Co re M
A CHIP FOR
THE ULTRATHIN FUTURE
We have a vision of a
world without wires.
WiGig is the first step
that gets us there . . .
Other wireless [standards] have latency
or lag time. With
WiGig its instant.
TI M GE E , DI R E C TOR OF L ATI TU DE
P R ODU C T P L A NNI NG AT DE L L
The portability of tablets is hard to beat, but when it comes

to running power-hungry software, they fall short of bulkier
laptops. Intels Core M processor, the rst to include ultrasmall 14-nanometer transistors (the previous generations
were 22nm), cuts power consumption by 60 percent and size
by half. This paves the way for thinner, fanless tablets and
laptops, like the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix and the HP Envy X2.
/ 073
D ECE MB E R 2 014
Best of Whats New
Entertainment
R E P ORT E D BY CO RI N N E I O ZZIO + MICH AEL NUEZ
GRAND AWARD
WINNER
D O L BY ATM O S
FO R H O M E
In the quarter century since Dolby first

introduced home-theater surround
sound, the systems have grown steadily
more sophisticated: first two audio channels, then five, then seven. But the sound
has always been two-dimensional, surrounding listeners in a ring, not a dome.
With Atmos, Dolby and its A/V partners
(Pioneer, Marantz, and Onkyo, to name
a few) have added a third dimension:
height, which audio engineers can use
to place individual sounds anywhere in
a 3-D space. Imagine watching Godzilla
while helicopter rotors beat overhead.
Atmos systems consist of a receiver
and at least eight speakers, two of which
handle overhead audio. A processor within the receiver interprets up to 118 object
tracks and precisely places sounds in any
environment. The receiver then assigns
object tracks to as many as 34 speakers
in a room. For overhead sound, users can
either install ceiling-mounted speakers or
opt for Atmos-enabled floor or bookshelf
models, which have upward-firing drivers
that ricochet sound off the ceiling to
074 /
create the illusion that its coming from

above. This fall, studios began including
Atmos tracks on select Blu-ray discs and
streaming services such as Vudu. Your
living room will never sound the same.
THE NEW SOUND

OF HOME THEATER
Entertainment
D EC E M B E R 20 1 4
Best of Whats Neww
WowWee MiP
Built in collaboration
with the robotics lab at
the University of California at San Diego,
the MiP, or mobile
inverted pendulum,
is the first selfbalancing consumer
robot. The device
uses a set of multiaxis gyroscopes
and accelerometers
to remain upright. It can
respond to gesture commands, zip around corners,
and carry small items such
as a soda can, all while
remaining vertical. The best
part? Users can network up
to eight MiPs together for
synchronized movement.
Robot dance party! $100
Sony PlayStation TV
A Streaming Game
Console
In a year or two, disc-based console
games will seem quaint, like music CDs,
and the PlayStation TV is driving that
change. The palm-sized gaming console
connects to Sonys new PlayStation Now
service, through which users can stream
more than 100 PS3 games, such as Final
Fantasy XIII and Darksiders. The box
can also stream games from a PS4 on
the same Wi-Fi network. From $100
Sa m s u n g U N 7 8 S 9 B
The First Bendable

Television
Im a x 3 D Digital Camera
The Smallest, Lightest Imax Camera
Because the camera is

extremely lightweight, you can
move it through the jungle, up
a mountain, onto an aircraft, or
wherever, far more easily. It is
about 20 percent or less of the
weight of its predecessors, which
for filmmakers is amazing.
DAVID DOUGLA S, DIRECTOR OF ISL AND OF LEMURS: MADAGASCAR, AN IMAX
D O C U M E N TA RY F I L M E D I N A N D A B OV E T H E CO U N T RY S E X T R E M E L A N D S C A P E S
076 /
Some people love the idea of a curved

television, but many hate that it has a
smaller sweet spot. Samsungs 78-inch
UN78S9B lets viewers have it both ways.
At the push of a button, the edges of the
semiflexible LCD curve inward about 15
degrees; a second push returns the panel
to its original, planar state. Price not set
TiVO Roamio OTA
DVR For Cord Cutters

Ditching cable involves some sacrifices
namely a conventional DVR and program
guide. The Roamio OTA puts an end to
such compromises. The set-top box can
receive and record digital over-the-air
broadcasts (about 12 stations in urban
areas), and it has TiVos beloved channel
guides and subscription video services.
$50 (plus $15/month for TiVo service)
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : J ON AT HO N KA M BO UR IS ; C O URT ESY S O N Y ; COURT ESY S A MS UN G; COURT ESY T I VO
TINY
SELFBALANCING
ROBOT
Blue Microphones Mo-Fi
THE FIRST
PORTABLE
HI-FI
HEADPHONES
Net f l i x U l t ra HD S treaming
C LO C KW I S E FR O M TOP LE FT : C O URT ESY NE T FL IX ; JO N AT HO N KA M BO UR IS ( 2)
FINALLY, 4K
CONTENT
With an onboard
a m p l i f ier, t he
Mo - F i ca n repro duce the clarity
of high-resolution
audio f iles (a.k.a.
studio-quality,
low-, or nocompression
reco rd i n gs) fro m
low-powered
devices, such as
iPhones. $350
The promise of
ultrahigh denition (UHD), better
known as 4K, has
been trumpeted
by display makers
for years, but
television and lm
studios have been
slow to adopt the
technology. This
year, Netix gave
early 4K adopters
something to
watch: The
company began
streaming original
and partner content in UHD. To
deliver four times
the image data
over the same
bandwidth, developers employed a
new type of compression called
high-eciency
video encoding
(HEVC). A 4K
stream, including
surround sound,
needs as little as 15
megabits per second, slightly more
than the national
average. Netix
marathoners, once
again, have something to celebrate.
$12/month
Lego Fusion
An App That Bridges Worlds

The only thing better than playing with Legos is seeing your creation come to life in a video game. This summer, Lego introduced four new play sets that meld analog and digital worlds using augmented reality. Fusion
play sets allow kids to take photos of their Lego creations and import them, exactly as they were built, into
a videogame app for a smartphone or tablet. Different themed setsTown Master, Battle Towers, Create &
Race, and Resort Designerprovide builders with different challenges and objectives. $35/set
/ 077
Doctor Designed. Audiologist Tested. FDA Registered.
Affordable New Digital Hearing Aid

Outperforms Expensive Competitors
Delivers Crystal -Clear Natural Sound
Reported by J. Page
Chicago: Board-certied physician Dr. S. Cherukuri
has done it once again with his newest invention of
a medical grade ALL DIGITAL affordable hearing aid.
This new digital hearing aid is packed with
all the features of $3,000 competitors at a mere
fraction of the cost. Now, most people with
hearing loss are able to enjoy crystal clear,
natural soundin a crowd, on the phone, in the
windwithout suffering through whistling and
annoying background noise.
New Digital Hearing Aid

Outperforms Expensive Competitors
This sleek, lightweight, fully programmed hearing
aid is the outgrowth of the digital revolution that is
changing our world. While demand for all things
digital caused most prices to plunge (consider DVD
players and computers, which originally sold for
thousands of dollars and today can be purchased at
a fraction of that price), yet the cost of a digital
medical hearing aid remained out of reach.
Dr. Cherukuri knew that many of his patients
would benet but couldnt afford the expense of
these new digital hearing aids. Generally they are
not covered by Medicare and most private health
insurance.
The doctor evaluated all the high priced digital
hearing aids on the market, broke them down to
their base components, and then created his own
affordable versioncalled the MDHearingAidAIR
for its virtually invisible, lightweight appearance.
MONEY BACK
GUARANTEE
45 DAY
RISK FREE
TRIAL
Proudly assembled in the USA

from Domestic & Imported Components.
BBB RATING
or background noise
Outperforms $3,000 models
Amazing low price

Affordable Digital Technology
Using advanced digital technology, the
MDHearingAidAIR automatically adjusts to your
listening environmentprioritizing speech and
de-emphasizing background noise. Experience all of
the sounds youve been missing at a price you can
afford. This doctor designed and approved hearing
aid comes with a full years supply of long-life
batteries. It delivers crisp, clear sound all day long
and the soft exible ear buds are so comfortable you
wont realize youre wearing them.
After years of extensive

research, Dr. Cherukuri has
now created a state-of-the-art
digital hearing aid thats packed
with the features of those
expensive $3,000 competitors
at a fraction of the price.
100%
Nearly invisible
Crystal-clear natural sound
No suffering with whistling
Try It Yourself At Home

With Our 45 Day Risk-Free Trial
Of course, hearing is believing and we invite you
to try it for yourself with our RISK-FREE 45-day
home trial. If you are not completely satised, simply
return it within that time period for a full refund of
your purchase price.
Nearly
Invisible!
Ecstatic Users Cheer
I recently purchased an MDHearingAid AIR for both ears.
They are as small and work as well as a $5,000 pair
I had previously tried.
Dennis
Im a physician, and this product is just as effective (if not
more) than traditional overly-priced hearing aids. I will be
recommending (it).
Dr. Chang
As a retired advanced practice nurse, I purchased the
MDHearingAid AIR after the Wall Street Journal review.
I am so pleased with the quality. You are providing a real
service to our affordable health care.
Ned Rubin
Compare to Expensive
$3000 Hearing Aids
FDA-Registered Hearing Aid - not an imitation
sound amplier
Nearly Invisible open-t digital hearing aid

Save Money 90% less than traditional
hearing aids
24/7 Physician/Audiologist Support

FREE - Batteries, Color User Manual, Tubing and
Domes, Cleaning Tool, and Shipping
FREE
Batteries
For A Year!
45 day in-home trial

100% Money Back Guarantee
For the Lowest Price plus

FREE Shipping Call Today
800-873-0541
Use Offer Code AM77 to get
FREE Batteries for a Full Year!
www.MDHearingAid.com/AM77
Inside: The wo rlds fastest hot tu b. Hacking T h e Nutc ra cker.

How maker skills can help the homeless.
E D I TE D BY
Sophie Bushwick
Conquer
Cold with
DIY Hand
MAKE IT
PERSONAL
To trick out a
hand warmer,
add food coloring
to the sodium
acetate.
Cold weather makes for cold

handsunless, of course, you
money on those cheap disposable ones. Instead, use kitchen
chemistry to make your own
reusable versions.
react, they form a compound
called sodium acetate. This
chemical has a high freezing
point, so in liquid form at room
temperature, it is supercooled.
acetate crystal will trigger all
the liquid to freeze solid, which
releases enough energy to heat
can drop the bag into boiling

and readying it for another use.
To make a portable hand
warmer, seal some sodium
acetate, an alligator clip, and a
crystal in a vinyl packet. When
crystals between its teeth. Heat
the crystals. SO PHI E B US H W I C K
WA R N I NG : Be careful not to burn yourself. And make sure to work in a well-ventilated

roomhot vinegar and hot vinyl stink.
P H OTO G RA PH BY
Jonathon Kambouris
continued on page 80
P OP U L A R S C IE NC E
/ 079
Looking for long-range radar detection?
Pure range is the Valentines domain.

Autoweek
M A N U A L / DEC E M B E R 20 14
Build It
continued from page 79
Now V1 comes to a touchscreen near you.

Wheres the radar? Its in the Box.
What youll see: a new,

graphic, way of analyzing
radar threats. We call it
the Threat Picture. Our
exclusive Arrow-in-the-Box
concept helps spot radar
amid false alarms. All bands
side-by-side on one screen
easily reveals Double-Zap
traps. Enables advanced
programming, too.
Arrow in the Box: means a threat in the Zone of

Certied Radar Activity.
Arrow out of the Box: No radar (except photo) can

be outside the Box and still comply with FCC rules.
Android
or Apple
at valentine1.com/touchscreen
2014 VRI
Mike Valentine
Radar Fanatic
- $69
- $49
Concealed Display - $39

V1connection LE - $49
Plus Shipping / Ohio residents add sales tax
Valentine Research, Inc.

Department No. YGD4
10280 Alliance Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
Ph 513-984-8900
Fx 513-984-8976
VINEGAR
Finding Studs Just Got A Lot Easier.
M AT E R I A L S
Wh i te vi n ega r
Baking soda
G l a ss ja r
Food coloring (optional)
Resealable plastic bag (optional)
Pa rchment pa per
C l ea r v i nyl
Colorful permanent markers (optional)
Alligator clip
UHighest
accuracy stud nder

Easy to use
U Find studs quickly and easily
U
The Franklin Sensors ProSensor 710 has innovative stud sensing

technology that instantly nds hidden studs. No sliding is required.
It senses the wall in thirteen locations simultaneously, then
immediately illuminates the LED lights in front of the stud.
The ProSensor 710 is the fastest, least error prone, and most
accurate stud nder on the market. Its the easy way to nd studs.
Funnel
Iron
Scissors
Tweezers
Kitchen utensils
www.franklinsensors.com
0 80 /
P OP U L A R S C IE NC E
IC
TO O L S
2014 EdgeCraft Corp.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT

OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT,
AND CIRCULATION
(Required by 39 USC 3685)
I L LUST R AT I O N S BY C L I N T F O R D; IC O N S BY MI C H E L LE MR UK
INSTRUCTIONS
1
Pour vinegar into a
saucepan and slowly
add 1 tablespoon of
baking soda per cup
of liquid, constantly
stirring to prevent
the mixture from
bubbling over.
Boil over medium
heat until it loses
about half its
original volume
and a white crust
begins to form
around the edges.
2
Carefully pour
the yellowish
liquidthe sodium
acetateinto a jar.
To change the color,
stir in a few drops of

food coloring. When
the saucepan is
completely cool and
dry, scrape up and
save the residue of
white crystals.
3
For an easy hand
warmer, just pour
sodium acetate into
a resealable bag
and add a crystal
to activate it. To
reuse, suspend the
bag in boiling water
until the sodium
acetate reliquefies,
then let it cool.
When you want it to
warm up again, add
another crystal.
4
For a more permanent container, cut a
shape out of parchment paper with a
tab protruding from
one edge. Sandwich
the paper between
two pieces of vinyl,
leaving plastic
margins of about an
inch. To decorate
the vinyl, draw on
its inside surface.
5
Line a baking sheet
with parchment
paper and bake
the vinyl at 350F
for three minutes.
When it cools, trim
around the edges to
free the paper tab,

then use tweezers
to pull out the paper
shape and leave a
vinyl pouch.
6
Where the paper tab
left a gap, insert the
funnel and fill the
pouch with liquid
sodium acetate,
an alligator clip,
and a solid crystal.
Seal the hole in the
vinyl with a hot iron,
using parchment
paper to prevent
direct contact.
Pinch the clip to
set the trigger,
then reliquefy the
sodium acetate.
POPUL AR S C IE NC E
/ 081
1. Publication Title: Popular Science; 2. Publication No.

0161-7370; 3. Filing Date: 10/1/14; 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly;
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 12; 6. Annual Subscription
Price: $19.95; 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of
Publication: Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY
10016; 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or
General Business Office of Publisher: Bonnier Corporation, 2
Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016; 9. Full Names and Complete
Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor:
Publisher: Greg Gatto, Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue,
New York, NY 10016; Editor: Cliff Ransom, Bonnier Corporation,
2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016; Managing Editor: Jill
Shomer, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. 10. Owner:
Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter
Park, Orange County, Florida 32789; 11. Known Bondholders,
Mortgagees, and Other Securities: None; 12. Tax Status (for
completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at
nonprofit rates): Has Not Changed During Preceding 12
Months; 13. Publication Title: Popular Science; 14. Issue Date
for Circulation Data Below: September 2014; 15a. Total
Number of Copies: 1,373,785 (September 2014: 1,358,180); b.
Paid Circulation: (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions
Stated on PS Form 3541: 1,123,515 (September 2014:
1,125,222); (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including
Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter
Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 58,776
(September 2014: 52,525), c. Total Paid Distribution: 1,182,291
(September 2014: 1,177,747) d. Free or Nominal Rate
Distribution: (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies
Included on PS Form 3541: 31,603 (September 2014: 37,022);
(3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: 38 (September
2014: 25); e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 31,641
(September 2014: 37,047); f. Total Distribution: 1,213,932
(September 2014: 1,214,794); g. Copies not Distributed:
159,853 (September 2014: 143,386); h. Total: 1,373,785
(September 2014: 1,358,180); i. Percent Paid: 97.39%
(September 2014: 96.95%). PS FORM 3526: a: Requested and
Paid Electronic Copies: 84,696, (September 2014: 80,482); b.
total Requested and Paid Print copies & Paid Electronic copies:
1,266,987, (September 2014: 1,258,229); c. Total Print
Distribution & Paid Electronic copies: 1,298,628, (September
2014: 1,295,276); d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation:
97.6%, (September 2014: 97.1%).
MANUAL/
50
DEC E M BE R 2 0 1 4
Enviable Project
Top speed, in miles per hour, of the

Carpool DeVille
Hot-Tub Drive Machine
Building the Carpool DeVille
Duncan Forster and Phil Weicker

built their first tub-on-wheels as
undergrads at McMaster University
in Ontario, Canada. With a fellow
student, they transformed an
abandoned 1982 Chevy Malibu into
a pool. This thing was hideous,
Forster says. The car barely ran,
but we were really proud of it.
Twelve years later, living in Los
Angeles, they bought a 1969 Cadillac DeVille and one-upped their beloved jalopy. The Carpool DeVille
ran so well, Forster and Weicker
set an even more ambitious goal:
worlds fastest hot tub.
A successful Kickstarter
campaign funded a trip to Utahs
Bonneville Salt Flats for Speed
Week 2014. But after arriving in the
082 /
desert with their mobile pool,

a flooded trackof all things
canceled the race, and with it,
their shot at an official record.
Undeterred, Weicker raced the
car off the track. The extra mass
on the rear axle caused it to accelerate so quickly that a Dodge
Ram chase vehicle couldnt keep
up, and hitting a small bump led
to scary side-to-side oscillations.
It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, Weicker
says. AL E X AND RA OS S OLA
VEHIC LE
TUB
D ETAILING
Fo rste r a n d
We icke r gutted
the ca rs
interior. Then
t h ey re i n fo rced
the steel frame
to suppor t
the added
weight from
t h e wate r a n d
swapped the
shock-absorbing
sp r i n gs fo r
a i rbags to
create a custom
air suspension.
Usi n g p ly wo o d
and f iberboard,
the duo made
a mold of the
ca rs interior.
To m a ke t h e
pool, they covered the mold
with gel coat
a n d t h e n l aye rs
of f i berglass. A
heat exchanger
wa r m s t h e
wate r w i t h
h eat f ro m t h e
engine.
Maintaining
the Cadillacs
look was a high
p r io r i ty, Fo rste r
says. They
had to totally
wate r p ro o f t h e
ca rs interior,
sea l i n g t h e
edges of the
f iberglass
tub a n d
customized
dashboard with
m a r i n e - grad e
si l ico n e caul k.
YOU HAVENT REALLY LIVED UNTIL YOUVE

SAT IN A HOT TUB AND WATCHED THE
WORLD ROLL BY. D UN CAN F O R ST ER
PHOTOGRA PH BY
Je Newton
MANUAL/
DEC E M B E R 2 0 14
Rubric Here
Hackertainment
ELECTRIFIED
OUTFITS LIGHT UP
THE BALLET
HIGH-TECH
TUTUS
Each tu tu holds
six LED strips. To
reduce the we ight
on the tulle, the
team linked the
lights together
with ultralight
wire before gluing
them in place.
084 /
As a dancer, Lynn Parkerson performed in traditional productions of

The Nutcracker. Now the founding
artistic director of Brooklyn Ballet
is adding technology to the classic
holiday show, with help from
Brooklyn-based hacker collective
NYC Resistor. Network engineer
Nick Vermeer, wearables wiz
Olivia Barr, and computer securities
expert Billie Ward collaborated on
MOT IO N S E NS O R S
A dancers every movement aects her core.
Even when the dancers are just kicking their
legs out, theyre rotating the pelvis a little bit,
says Vermeer. Accelerometers and a gyroscope
in the tutus waistband pick up this information
and pass it to the processor.
PRO CE S S O R
A chip at the small of the back interprets the
sensors data and then changes the speed of
the light animation accordingly. The bigger the
dancers movement or the faster her spin, the
more the animation speeds up.
P EXEL SHIRT
Mike Supreme
Fields, wh o
dances the role
of Drosselmeye r,
is a popping ar tist.
When his pecs
flex or his arms
wave, th ey p ro voke a response
from the LEDs.
LED-enhanced costumes that light

up in response to dancers motion.
On tutus, the effect is evocative of
falling snow. And for the ballets
mysterious Drosselmeyer character, the team created the Pexel
shirt, which adds a touch of magic
with lights that sync to the dancers
muscles. ALEXAN D R A O S S O LA
M US C LE S ENS O RS
Accelerometers over Fieldss pectoral muscles
pick up exing and trigger nearby LEDs. Gyroscopes in the cus measure orientation in space,
signaling lights to ash up the arms in response
to various wrist movements.
FA B RI C
The rst Pexel shirt was too stretchy, Barr says:
Every time he moved, a soldered joint would
go pop. For Pexel 2.0, Barr placed a more rigid
material over the electronics to support them.
She also made a duct-tape mold of Fieldss torso
to ensure the new shirt t him perfectly.
PHOTOGRA PH BY
Justin Steele
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Physics and Our Universe:

How It All Works
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
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PhysicsMade Clear
Physics is the fundamental science. It explains how the universe
behaves and gives us an extraordinary power over our world. Which
makes physics sound like the most complicated subject there is. But
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Offer expires 12/11/14
THEGREATCOURSES.COM/8 PS
1-800-832-2412
28.
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The Fundamental Science

Languages of Physics
Describing Motion
Falling Freely
Its a 3-D World!
Going in Circles
Causes of Motion
Using Newtons
Laws1-D Motion
Action and Reaction
Newtons Laws in 2
and 3 Dimensions
Work and Energy
Using Energy Conservation
Gravity
Systems of Particles
Rotational Motion
Keeping Still
Back and Forth
Oscillatory Motion
Making Waves
Fluid StaticsThe Tip
of the Iceberg
Fluid Dynamics
Heat and Temperature
Heat Transfer
Matter and Heat
The Ideal Gas
Heat and Work
EntropyThe Second
Law of Thermodynamics
Consequences of
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A Charged World
The Electric Field
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60.
Electric Potential
Electric Energy
Electric Current
Electric Circuits
Magnetism
The Origin of Magnetism
Electromagnetic Induction
Applications of
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Magnetic Energy
AC/DC
Electromagnetic Waves
Reflection and Refraction
Imaging
Wave Optics
Cracks in the
Classical Picture
Earth, Ether, Light
Special Relativity
Time and Space
Space-Time and
Mass-Energy
General Relativity
Introducing the Quantum
Atomic Quandaries
Wave or Particle?
Quantum Mechanics
Atoms
Molecules and Solids
The Atomic Nucleus
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D ECE M B E R 2 0 1 4
/MANUAL
F ROM L E F T : COURT ESY T ECHS HOP; MA RC ROTH
Meet a Maker
Hacking Out of
Homelessness
Marc Roth moved to San Francisco in September 2011 in search of
a sales engineering job. By December, he was living in a homeless
shelter. Thats where he overheard
a conversation about TechShop, a
makerspace that provides access
to tools and education. Roth spent
3,035
Number of people living in San

Francisco homeless shelters in 2013
nearly all of his money on a membership and ended up taking more

than 50 classes. Before long, he
For Roth, the workshop provided a

respite from homelessness. Every
morning I would
be smiling outside
of TechShop, waiting for the doors
to open at 9 a.m.,
he says.
was assisting other members and

even teaching courses. With help
from an investor, he eventually
pulled together enough money for
a home and his own lasercutting business.
At the National Day of Civic
Hacking in June 2013, Roth
shared his success storyand his
plan to replicate it. With support
from nonprofits, he founded the
Learning Shelter, an organization
that teaches technical skills to
homeless individuals, then helps
them find job and volunteer
opportunities. In August, five
students graduated from its first
educational program. If youre
inspired, you can do anything,
Roth says, so I wanted to inspire
more people. R O S E CO N RY
For more of Roths story, check out
popsci.com/homelessmaker.
Rosetta Stone
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A N SW E R S BY
I L LU ST R AT I O N S BY
Daniel Engber
Jason Schneider
You might be eligible for

$15 cash
if you bought a computer
with a Pentium 4 processor
between November 20, 2000
and June 30, 2002.
www.IntelPentium4Litigation.com
1-877-435-1884
What Is the Class Action About? The
plaintiffs claim Intel manipulated the
performance benchmark scores for its rstgeneration Pentium 4 processors and that HP
assisted with Intels allegedly unlawful conduct.
Intel and HP deny any liability and all claims of
misconduct and Intel contends the benchmarks
challenged by Plaintiffs fairly measured the
performance of the Pentium 4 processor.
Who Are Class Members? The Class includes
all residents of the United States, except
Illinois residents, who (i) purchased a new
computer equipped with a Pentium 4 processor
between November 20, 2000 and December
31, 2001, and (ii) purchased the computer for
personal, family, or household use. The Class
also includes all residents of the United States,
except Illinois residents, who (i) purchased a
new computer equipped with a rst-generation
(Willamette) Pentium 4 processor or a Pentium
4 processor at speeds below 2.0 GHz between
January 1, 2002 and June 30, 2002, and (ii)
purchased the computer for personal, family,
or household use. Individuals excluded from
the class include current Intel employees and
persons employed by Intel between November
20, 2000 and June 30, 2002.
How do spiders cast silk

strands across roads?
Short answer They rely on wind.
A
With spiders, the age-old question isnt
why they crossed the road but how. Naturalists long believed spiders would fasten
a line to a plant and carry the other end
away on foot. But in 1889, spider expert
Henry Christopher McCook offered an
alternative theory based on webs he observed near a New Jersey boat landing,
cast from shrub to shrub across open
water. How were these snares built? he
wrote. We are constrained to call in the
aeronautic habit and the air.
McCook never found proof of how
wind-facilitated travel works. Almost a
century later, William Eberhard, a scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute in Panama, captured spiders
of 65 different species and studied their
strategies. He saw that some release a
bridging line into the breeze and wait

for it to snag on a branch or stone. Once
the line catches, the spider reels in the
slack until the line is taut enough to
creep across. McCook measured a strand
that spanned 26 feet, clear across a
country road. The record holder, Caerostris darwini, or Darwins bark spider, lives
in Madagascar. Its silk stretches across
lakes and rivers more than 80 feet wide.
Then theres the balloon line. Spiders
using this strategy release a strand into
the air and hang onto the end. The wind
catches and carries the spider and the
line like Mary Poppins with her umbrella.
There are anecdotal records of spiders
ballooning many, many miles, says Todd
Blackledge, a spider biologist at the
University of Akron. Some are captured
a thousand feet up in the atmosphere or
on ships in the middle of the ocean.
But with spider locomotion, every answer begets a new question. Can a spider, as its flying, decide, Im going down
here? Eberhard asks. Thats a really
interesting question nobodys touched.
What are Your Options? As a Class Member,

you must decide whether you want to stay in the
Class, submit a claim, comment on or object to
the settlement, or be excluded from the Class.
You can get detailed information regarding your
options at www.IntelPentium4Litigation.com.
The Court will hold a hearing in this case
(Janet Skold, et al. v. Intel Corporation and
Hewlett-Packard Company, Superior Court of
California for the County of Santa Clara, Case
No. 1-05-CV-039231) to consider approving
this settlement and attorneys fees on January
23, 2015. You may appear at the hearing, but
you dont have to. The deadline to ask to be
excluded from the settlement or to object to the
settlement is December 15, 2014.
How Do You Get a Payment? Class members
can submit a claim form electronically at www.
IntelPentium4Litigation.com. Class members
may also request a paper claim form by calling
1-877-435-1884, or print a claim form from
www.IntelPentium4Litigation.com. You do not
need to provide receipts or proof of purchase.
The deadline to make a claim for payment is
April 14, 2015.
Questions? Visit
www.IntelPentium4Litigation.com
or Call 1-877-435-1884.
/ 089
JOHN ELLIS WATER DISCOVERY
VIDEO
PROOF
Norman Rockwell
and Other American Icons
These are people that inuenced my

life in New Rochelle, NY where Norman
Rockwell lived for 25 years and where
my family lived for 3 generations.
We all knew and loved the man in
spite of a book trashing him in another
attempt to destroy everything that is
great about America! I am writing a book
with a rebuttal that includes the untold
stories about many others that shaped
our country.
Did you ever wonder what happened to
over 100 signed letters from FDR, that
Harvard wanted for their archives?
Most of these people I met in my

parents living room: Dr. Norman Vincent
Peale, James Cash Penney, Lowell
Thomas, Charles E. Wilson (Chairman
of GE, FDR appointed him head of the
War Production Board WW2), Carrie
Chapman Catt (Woman Suffragist), Dr.
James E. West (Chief Scout Executive,
Boy Scouts of America), William Frank
Snyder (FDRs lawyer and close friend,
who also had polio, wrote his will and
handled his nancial affairs including Mrs.
Delano, complaining to my mother: The
Roosevelts are using my pool!). Buffalo
Bob Smith (Its Howdy Doody Time!). C.L.
Lowes: (My grandfather started BOND
BREAD. Buying trainloads of our for 50

plants, he waited for the price of our
to go UP so farmers could make a fair
prot...he was unique! General Baking
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ou have a secret hidden up your sleeve.
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The Stauer Metropolitan retains all the

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Stauer Metropolitan Timepiece $199
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use this code when you order to
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POPULAR SCIENCE DIRECT Call Chip Parham @ 212.779.5492 or email: chipparham@bonniercorp.com
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DECE MBER 2014
From the Archives
5.6
Pounds, in millions, of propellant carried

by t h e S atur n V rocket, designed under
We r n h e r vo n B rauns d i re ct io n
A Path Forward for Space Travel

In January 1963, Popular Science
anxiously awaited the day humans
would set foot on the moon.
Naturally, we had lots of questions,
and who better to answer them
than NASA engineer Wernher von
Braun? He explained to readers
the details of rocket mechanics,
the composition of the sun, what it
would be like to live in zero gravity,
and even how we might find life
on Mars. Fifty years later, America
faces another milestone in human
space travel: commercial shuttles
to the International Space Station.
SpaceXs new Dragon v2 capsule
is reusable and can carry seven
passengers. For more, turn to page
42. LIN DSE Y K R ATO CH W ILL
On Reusable Rockets
The needs of a suitable

design for the rst generation of a reusable launch
vehicle point toward a
manned craft that will
be capable of carrying
something like a dozen
passengers, plus about
ve tons of cargo, into a
low-earth orbit. . . . Just
like airliners, which make
no money while sitting
on the ground, reusable
launch vehicles must
be kept ying.
POPULAR SCIENCE magazine, Vol. 285, No.6 (ISSN 161-7370, USPS 577-250), is published monthly by Bonnier Corp., 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. Copyright 2014 by Bonnier Corp. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of Bonnier
Corp. Mailing Lists: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable rms. If you would prefer that we not include your name, please write to POPULAR SCIENCE, PO Box 6364, Harlan, IA 51593-1864. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to POPULAR SCIENCE,
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unless we receive a corrected address within two years. Photocopy Permission: Permission is granted by POPULAR SCIENCE for libraries and others registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy articles in this issue for the at fee of $1 per copy of
each article or any part of an article. Send correspondence and payment to CCC (21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970); specify CCC code 0161-7370/85/$1.000.00. Copying done for other than personal or reference use without the written permission of POPULAR SCIENCE is
prohibited. Address requests for permission on bulk orders to POPULAR SCIENCE, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016 for foreign requests. Editorial Ofces: Address contributions to POPULAR SCIENCE, Editorial Dept., 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. We are not responsible for
loss of unsolicited materials; they will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. Microlm editions are available from Xerox University Microlms Serial Bid Coordinator, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106.
098 /
Being a firefighter, Ive seen a lot of car accidents.

I feel very safe with my family in the Prius.
The Plummers, Prius owners
toyota.com/prius
Actual Prius owner made previously aware their likeness and statement may be used for advertising. 2014 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
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DC65 has the highest geometric average
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Find out more at dyson.com/allergies

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PO PU L AR S CI E N CE | D ECE MBE R 2014 | VOL U ME 28 5 N O.

HYPERSONIC FLIGHT, VIRTUAL REALITY, AND A PILL TO CURE BROKEN HEARTS!

A new app from Popular Science.

Executive Vice President Eric Zinczenko

Design Director Todd Detwiler

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

For reprints e-mail: reprints@bonniercorp.com

Chairman Jonas Bonnier

CHOOSING THE BEST S O F T WA R E

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FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS,

Volume 285 No.6

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THE 100 GREATEST

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THE FINAL PLATFORM

THE BIONICS REVOLUTION

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landlls, coal mines, and dairy

Enjoy the issue.

Its time for a breakthrough in batteries. I dont

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Since August, Icelands Brarbunga volcano has

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Infections transmitted in healthcare facilities kill at least 80,000

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2014 VF Jeanswear Inc.

Here on Earth, water, oxygen, and

What is the planet

the James Webb telescope launches

Younger than Earth

About Earths age:

How old is it?

Nothing to see here.

Procter & Gamble, Inc.,