In my latest column at Pajamas Media, I have the next in our series of articles on fuel efficiency and economy in automobiles. In this edition I describe a course some of us took on “eco-driving” and how to save gas during the daily commute no matter what type of vehicle you own. We also look at consumer reactions to gas prices and the somewhat angry response toward Detroit by some prospective shoppers....

Gizmodo’s Odelia Lee takes Honda’s new cyborg legs for a spin: I’m definitely not the target demographic for [Honda's fresh-from-the-labs Stride Management Assist and Bodyweight Support Assist rigs], which Honda’s Fundamental Research Institute hopes will help mobilize and rehabilitate Japan’s rapidly aging population or lessen the leg fatigue of factory workers who stand and crouch...

The 2009 New York International Auto Show is in full swing now, running through April 19th in Manhattan. This turned out to be an excellent opportunity to continue our ongoing discussion of CAFE standards, environmentally friendly engineering and the future of the automotive industry in the United States. Before beginning we will need to offer up full disclosure. TMV was invited to the Auto Show as guests of...

For those interested in the amazing universe out there, NASA has released a new series of images from the Hubble telescope. These kinds of images make me wish I had followed my childhood ambition to be an astronomer They also make me wonder who could doubt the existence of an amazing God.

Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Star This cartoon is copyritghted and licensed to appear on this site. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Should we pass a bill giving the President unfettered authority to shut down the internet during a crisis and access any and all data from anyone while allowing him sole discretion to determine what constitutes a crisis and when one occurs? What could possibly go wrong? Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency? Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.)...

Microsoft is killing off Encarta later this year: While looking around Encarta’s homepage today, I stumbled on a message that Microsoft was getting rid of MSN Encarta completely: “On October 31, 2009, MSN Encarta Web sites worldwide will be discontinued, with the exception of Encarta Japan, which will be discontinued on December 31, 2009. Additionally, Microsoft will cease to sell Microsoft Student...

It’s the old nature vs. nurture debate. Is intelligence genetic, or does your upbringing matter? Yesterday, the Times reviewed a new book that makes the case for nurture. This comment from the reviewer caught my eye: When the evidence is ambiguous, it is all the easier for ideology to influence one’s scientific judgment. Liberals hope that social policy can redress life’s unfairness. Conservatives...

NewScientist: IT IS midnight on 22 September 2012 and the skies above Manhattan are filled with a flickering curtain of colourful light. Few New Yorkers have seen the aurora this far south but their fascination is short-lived. Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker, then become unusually bright for a fleeting moment. Then all the lights in the state go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern...

It was an experiment that the White House reportedly liked and could well try again. President Barack Obama held his highly-anticipated online Town Hall and the response was big and positive — and also heavily weighted with people who had lots of questions about pot. It didn’t flop with a gong, but proved to be an intriguing idea…with a bong. No one can say the questions proved to be smoke...

This morning President Barack Obama gets to do what many Presidents have dreamed of doing: having a Q&A that (if it’s done correctly) excludes working, salaried journalists (a definition which in its usual sense excludes typical bloggers) and entails taking questions from more than people in a specific area — a Q&A that will literally be conducted by the White House with people online located...

Forensic scientists who testify for criminal defendants are under fire. Radley Balko says they ought to be praised: Ideally, government medical examiners would not only be independent of the state’s law enforcement agencies, they would be free to testify against any state claims unsupported by scientific evidence. But that isn’t the case in most of the country… Last week, the local Fox affiliate...

Thursday morning will mark yet another chapter in President Barack Obama’s use of all aspects of the new media to get his message out and answer questions. Literally. He’ll be going online Thursday morning to take questions from people about the economy. Here’s the White House video: The White House is Open for Questions from White House on Vimeo The White House is headlining this “The...

Over in the U.K. there are ideas being floated regarding reducing the nation’s population to roughly 30 million, roughly what it was during the Victorian era. Unfortunately, the argument is made in terms of environmental impact. JONATHON PORRITT, one of Gordon Brown’s leading green advisers, is to warn that Britain must drastically reduce its population if it is to build a sustainable society. Porritt’s...

Aislin, The Montreal Gazette This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Except for in the Netherlands, in the Flemish part of Belgium—the Dutch spoken there is referred to as Flemish—and in a few of the former Dutch colonies, such as Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles, Dutch is not generally spoken anywhere else in the world. (Dutch is also the “parent” language of a couple other languages, such as Afrikaans in South Africa.) The population of the Netherlands...

Everyone’s saying Cisco has flipped for the Flip, the “point and shoot” video camera that has became a certified success story with confirmation yesterday that Cisco is paying $590 million in stock to acquire San Francisco-based Pure Digital Technologies. Stacey Higginbotham explains Cisco’s interest: It’s easy to draw a line between the Flip camcorder and bandwidth consuming video...

There are some who still think Twitter has something to do with a yellow bird cartoon character in Warner Brothers cartoons voiced by the late Mel Blanc. But those are most likely some of the people managing some of the ailing daily newspapers… In fact, much of the media is now twittering. And ABC’s George Stephanopoulos did a “Twitterview” with McCain — getting questions from...

Ok… they’re not actually phasers, but we are going to be seeing some seriously big honking lasers. Northrop Grumman has apparently broken one of the technological barriers to development and built a laser with more than 100 kW output which should pretty much fry anything in its sights. Huge news for real-life ray guns: Electric lasers have hit battlefield strength for the first time — paving...

Animal rights activists around the globe will surely be up in arms over news that NASA has cruelly and unusually murdered a free-tailed bat which was attempting to get a free ride on the Space Shuttle. A bat that apparently had trouble flying instead tried to hitch a ride on the space shuttle Discovery, NASA officials said. The rodent was last seen clinging on the foam of the external tank of the space shuttle...

Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

I could be wrong, but I don’t remember detailed public opinion polls being taken here at home to coincide with planned major defense weapon systems acquisitions. On the other hand, public opinion expressed through editorials, opinion pieces, and through the use of lobbyists, corporate, political, and advocacy groups advertisements and public relations campaigns have often been a factor with important,...

In his “America Steps Forward on Stem Cell Funds … So What About Germany?: Der Tageszeitung, Germany,“ co-blogger William Kern gives a sampling of reactions to Obama’s decision to increase federal funding for stem cell research, and also of governmental stem cell research conditions and limitations in European countries. One of those countries that are looking very closely at the U.S. decisions is...

5th generation fighter planes from Gizmodo on Vimeo I have written several pieces on the ongoing debate and upcoming decisions by the U.S. on the acquisition of additional F-22 Raptor combat aircraft and on both the U.S and other nations’ plans to join in or to continue to participate in the development and purchase of the upcoming F-35 Lightning II aircraft. Those debates continue. Recently, members...