Finally, a Cloaking Device!

How long does it take to catch up to Star Trek? Duke University's School of Engineering is trying it's best.

The cloak represents "one of the most elaborate metamaterial structures yet designed and produced," the scientists said. It also represents the most comprehensive approach to invisibility yet realized, with the potential to hide objects of any size or material property, they added.

Here's the rest of the article on 'The First Demonstration of a Working Invisibility Cloak'.

The Terror War is an Honor War

The news today tells us that about four US Sevrice men and women have been killed daily in the last month. The Iraq conflict drags on,, sectarian violence is certainly on the increase.

To our western mind, America is the shining city on the hill, the bastion of freedom and prosperity. To us, we think that a society liberated from a tyrant would pursue their new found freedom with gusto. This is doesn't seem to be the case in Iraq.

Separating us from the mind of others is the concept of honor.
Jonathan Rauch at reason.com writes an article that really helps put all this into perspective. If he's right, then it is not a conflict that can be 'won' in the traditional sense. Here's his thoughts on 'Pride Goeth Before A Brawl '.

Study: Oklahoma City, Tulsa Roads Among Nation's Worst

Suprise!

AP - 10/2/2006 3:11 PM - Updated 10/2/2006 3:26 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A new study ranks Oklahoma City and Tulsa among the nation's urban regions with the bumpiest roads.

The transportation research group "TRIP" says 43 percent of Oklahoma City's major roads in poor condition to tie with Baltimore for the 12th worst in the nation .

Tulsa is tied with Indianapolis and the Oxnard-Ventura, California, area for 15th poorest roads with 37 percent in poor condition.

TRIP says the roads cost Oklahoma City drivers $568 a year in operating and repair costs and Tulsa drivers pay an additional $527.

The cost in Oklahoma City is 8th-highest among urban areas and Tulsa's cost is 15th highest.

The report looked at the smoothness of major roads in metropolitan areas of at least 500,000 people.

San Jose, California is rated as the area with the roughest roads at 66 percent in poor condition. San Jose is also the costliest in additional operating costs at $705 per driver.

The best roads were found in Atlanta with none rated poor and drivers paying about $36 per year in additional operating costs.

Small Step for 'a' Man

Neil Armstrong always said that he was misquoted on the words spoken as he stepped off the Lunar Module on to the moon's surface. Later he thought perhaps he blew the biggest quote in history.

Well,technology comes to the rescue, there be an 'a' there.