Air & Space
Earth & the Environment
Robotics
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Research
Worst-Case Scenarios
Science
Earth & the Environment
Robotics
Health & Medicine
Extreme Machines
Research
Worst-Case Scenarios
Science
Featured Story
Time-Travel Expert: Lost Finale Opens New Trap Door in Space
After last night's mind-bending episode, it's a question only this heady physicist could answer: How do you move an island, then show up halfway across the world? Let's just say the Looking Glass has nothin' on Ben.
Previous Research Stories
| MythBuster: Lost Finale's Bombs Were Crap, but I Get Big Picture In an instant expert analysis for PM's Digital Hollywood, Lost geek Adam Savage traces the chemistry of those 500 pounds of C4, and explains why the space-time continuum from last night's Season Four finale changed his theories on the future of our favorite sci-fi show.
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| Time-Travel Expert: Lost Finale Opens New Trap Door in Space After last night's mind-bending episode, it's a question only this heady physicist could answer: How do you move an island, then show up halfway across the world? Let's just say the Looking Glass has nothin' on Ben.
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| The Next 5 Extreme Research Machines You Need to Know Forget the Large Hadron Collider: Whether they’re tracking Martian robots, simulating hurricanes or fending off the supernova apocalypse, these supersize science projects don’t just look cool—they’re hunting some of the world’s biggest unsolved mysteries.
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| Inside Lost's High-Tech Mythology, Iron Man's Flying Suit and Summer Blockbuster Rumors: Geeks Go to Hollywood PODCAST The case for a modern revival of science fiction films, an exclusive Season 4 preview with Lost gurus Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, and the inventor of Iron Man's digital suit tells us where Tony Stark's new weaponry really came from.
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| Debunking Lost's Science: Hollywood Sci-Fi Behind the Scenes As our favorite TV show returns from writer’s strike purgatory, its creators reveal just how much research goes into the making of Lost’s high-tech mythology—and let slip a few secrets about the island’s future.
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| Trees in Your Tank? The Future of Green Gasoline: Earth Day Extra A new method of refining hydrocarbons stands out as likely the first direct conversion from cellulose, opening up as potential fuel sources virtually anything that grows. Commercialization may take another five to 10 years, but it could mean $1/gallon gas.
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| Nano Tanks Could Store Hydrogen in Microscopic 'Soccer Balls' Hydrogen, for all its potential, presents some serious technical challenges. As a gas, it requires gigantic tanks to store, and as a liquid, it must be kept impracticably cold. Researchers at Rice University, however, recently tested a third option.
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| Flexible OLEDs Double Efficiency as Organic Light Prices Lower Using a process similar to modern newspaper printing, General Electric has created flexible sheets of OLED lighting. With an output of approximately 30 lumens per watt, the bending panels are twice as efficient as incandescent lamps.
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| MIT Builds Efficient Nanowire Storage to Replace Car Batteries Could the ultracapacitor replace lithium ion in hybrids and plug-in vehicles? In a tiny box at a messy lab, the future of automotive efficiency is taking a surprising turn toward extending range and battery life.
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| Crash-Proof UAVs Fly Blind at MIT's High-Tech Aerodrome It will take some time to figure out why little aircraft lose control. But that's the point of RAVEN, where geeks capture every flight—and collision—in painstaking detail. There are no accidents here, just problems that haven't been sufficiently analyzed.
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| View Full Science: Research Archive | ||
Military & Law Enforcement
The New Cold War
PM maps the arms race between Russia and the U.S., with six hotspots and a snapshot of weapons deals.Worst-Case Scenarios
NYC Crain Collapse: Was It Predicted?
After a major collapse in March, causes of the new crash are more obscure. If the crane did meet all city safety regulations, what went wrong?Future of Space
First Pix From Mars!
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander didn't blow up—it shot these breathtaking images of the Martian arctic surface.Drive Green
10 Quick MPG Tips
Our guest MPG geek breaks down the vehicle mods, driving habits and common-sense fixes you need to know to max out your tank.Research
MIT Week
At the breakthrough university, PM's resident geek finds a window into new research, from robotics to race cars.Technology
iPhone 2.0 Countdown
On Monday morning, Apple CEO Steve Jobs will unveil a 3G-enabled iPhone. But are other functions more important?Drive Green
Algae's Big Moment
After years of hype as the mucky green grail of the oil crunch, algae is finally taking on its "impossible" hurdles to move from test tubes to barrels.Extreme Machines
Beyond the LHC
Forget the Large Hadron Collider: These five supersize science projects don’t just look cool—they’re hunting big mysteries.Technology
Turn Your PS3 Into a PC
With a little effort and expense, we turned a PS3 into a Linux computer—without losing any of its gaming goodness. And we're giving it away.Technology
Microhoo: What Would've Been
Yahoo played hard-to-get, and Microsoft walked away, but what would a merger have looked like? Engadget's legal geek weighs in.Drive Green
Top 10 X Prize Cars
The most comprehensive, up-to-date scouting report on the field for the 100-mpg car of tomorrow.Digital Hollywood
Debunking Lost's Science
As the show returns, its creators reveal the making of high-tech mythology—and let slip a few secrets about the island’s future.Special Report
Rebuilding America
PM's report on fixing U.S. infrastructure examines new plans for bridges and beyond.
Health & Medicine
10 High-Tech Health Breakthroughs Coming Soon to Your Body
Election News
Geek the Vote '08
The presidential race hangs in the balance, and PM compiles the candidates' science and tech proposals.Air & Space
Best of PM Aviation
From new personal jets and flying adventures to airport woes and high-tech airliners, take to the skies with us.Election News
Primary Sci/Tech Issues
The Democratic race winds down as Hillary Clinton tries to hang on against Barack Obama. Get behind their policies—and John McCain's—with PM's Geek the Vote '08 guide.
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Current Issue
Google X Prize, Mythbusters & More!
Want to take $20 million off Google's hands? Our DIY guide to building a lunar rover could make you the next X Prize winner—really.Reviews
Future Warfare: New DVD
PM's four-hour, two-disc set deploys battle footage, CG animation, live-action weapons testing and expert interviews to examine everything from robot warriors to UAVs.