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The Night Orville Wright Had Too Many Cups Of Coffee

Whenever Wilbur and Orville Wright's colleague, George Spratt, visited their Kitty Hawk glider test camp, lively discussions and arguments on flight persisted until late in the evening. On this particular night, October 2, 1902, Orville had one too many cups of coffee and could not sleep. ...

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OrvilleWright
Chemistry

Knocking the NOx Out of Coal

Nitrogen is the most common part of the air we breathe. In fact, about 80% of the air is nitrogen. Normally, nitrogen atoms float around joined to each other like chemical couples. But when air is ... Continue reading

KnockingtheNOxOutofCoal
Astronomy

Microbes In Space

There are creatures that were living on the Space Station before the first astronauts went inside. Astronauts found a few living on the Moon. Scientists believe they could even live on Mars. These ... Continue reading

MicrobesInSpace
Biology

Wise As An Owl

Are owls the smartest birds? According to trainers that work with them, not by a long shot. Parrots are easy to train and can have extensive vocabularies. Hawks can be taught to retrieve objects. Even ... Continue reading

WiseAsAnOwl
Biology

The Science of Tears

When was the last time you had a good cry? Shedding tears may be healthier than you thought, and the secret lies in the chemical composition of tears. ... Continue reading

ScienceOfTears

Snakebots Coming Your Way

SnakebotsEarly robots were stiff, clumsy machines that plodded in straight lines. More modern robots can be radio controlled and move with much more grace and precision. Snakebots, though, can weave through narrow passageways, inspect hard-to-reach areas, coil around pipes, and climb from one structure to another. In rugged terrains where wheels would be impractical, snakebots won't tip over or get bogged down.

What exactly is a snakebot? Gary Haith, head of the Serpentine Robotics Project at NASA Ames Research Center in California, says that a snake robot is a power tool that can crawl to a job site on its own, parts in tow, and then carry out its assigned task. The snakebot's structure is an engineer's dream: it's easy to modify and repair because it's a repeating series of hinged segments. Think of an electric train: just add on as many cars as you want, and take off any you don't need. That's how a snakebot is arranged. Some of the modules on a snakebot can be duplicates. That way, if one area develops a problem, a new element can be snapped into its place. That makes maintaining and repairing the robot very manageable, especially in space where a repair shop isn't handy.