3D-printed ceramic parts made from lunar regolith
I had to look up regolith, but wow, these are effectively parts 3D printed with dirt.
"Normally their print process is based on materials such as aluminium oxide, zirconium oxide or silicon nitride. What we've demonstrated here is that it can also work with raw regolith, which is a collection of various different types of oxides, chiefly silicon oxide but also aluminium, calcium and iron oxides, among others."
Ground and sieved down to particle size, the regolith grains are mixed with a light-reacting binding agent, laid down layer-by-layer then hardened by exposing them to light. The resulting printed part is then 'sintered' in an oven to bake it solid.
Posted 14th Nov 2018 @ 20:49
Infinite icosahedral puzzle of the Earth
This 442 piece puzzle features no fixed shape, allowing you to start and finish wherever you like. The video illustrates how you can build the shape you want. Look out for the whale piece in the video too.
You can literally make any point on the map the centre of your world. And there are some great touches, like animal shaped pieces for different continents.
You can find out more about the puzzle on the Nervous System blog.
Price: $120
Posted 14th Nov 2018 @ 09:36
Supersonic air travel is finally coming back
I'm lucky enough to have been within metres of a Concord and I still remember when it retired and a model was placed outside Heathrow. It became an unattainable thing that you put on your bucket list and I was disappointed when British Airways decide not let Virgin Atlantic take on the Concorde brand.
Something that I was not aware of was the amount of fuel required to achieve supersonic travel. I guess it's obvious but the figures are much higher than I'd have ever thought they would be.
Posted 14th Nov 2018 @ 04:32
Toy Story 4 teaser trailer
I think this teaser trailer featuring Ducky (Jordan Peele) and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key) is much better than the trailer I linked to.
Posted 14th Nov 2018 @ 01:32