Firestorm

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

18 January 2003 a major fire hit Canberra, Australia. Four lives lost, over 490 injured, plus over 500 homes destroyed & other property damage. But this was something more than just a fire: there was severe wind damage; a police car was picked up & dumped in a storm water drain; plus the fire spread faster than was predicted by the literature.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Catalyst programme takes a look:

/ fire firestorm Canberra ACT Australian Capital Territory Canberra bushfires brushfire fire 2003 several deaths fatalities 490 injured injuries severe damage outskirts Canberra Australian capital city 18–22 January 2003 70% pastures, forests pine plantations nature parks severely damaged most renowned Mount Stromlo astronomical astronomy Observatory destroyed burn burning week around the edges ACT fire flame smoke fires entered suburbs Canberra 18 January 2003next ten hours four people died death fatality 500 homes were destroyed severely damaged significant relief reconstruction effort bush fire brigade emergency services On 8 January 2003 lightning strikes started 4 fires in close proximity to Canberra. Despite their proximity and very small initial sizes, low intensity and low rate of spread these fires were not extinguished or contained by emergency services personnel. Subsequent inquiries into the bushfires including the Roche report, the McLeod inquiry and the Coroners Report identified poor management of the initial response as a key contributor to the disaster that unfolded on 18 January 2003 13 January helicopter water bombing bomber waterbombing fires forests west Canberra crashed crash Bendora Dam one person pilot injured ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope Chief Fire Officer Peter Lucas-Smith reviewing review fires nearby Snowy Hydro SouthCare helicopter pilot Southcare chopper cautiously positioned aircraft Stanhope Lucas-Smith paramedic board dive dam rescue injured pilot helicopter pilot later received awards bravery Emergency Services Bureau ESB released final media release format content clues overlooked assessment risk Canberra faced bush fire bushfire logistical support staging areas relocated Bulls Head Orroral Valley far outside urban Canberra North Curtin District Playing Fields far inside urban Canberra major retreat fire fighters imminent danger to the city /

Sugar powered bio-battery has ten times the energy density of lithium — Your phone may soon run on enzymes

Credit: Virginia Tech

http://mobile.extremetech.com/latest/103553-sugar-powered-biobattery-has-10-times-the-energy-storage-of-lithium-your-smartphone-might-soon-run-on-enzymes / sugar sucrose glucose dextrose fructose maltose enzyme enzyme sugar sugars carbohydrate coke glycemic index load insulin electricity sugar high durability enzymatic pathway energy ATP adenosine triphosphate molecules energy density pathway LiIon lithium ion lithium-ion Virginia Tech /

Penn State Lunar X Prize team plans to crowdfund its way to the moon (video)

Google Lunar X Prize Challenge: land a spacecraft on the Moon & then move it to a new location, at least 500 metres away, by the end of 2015. And the prize? $30 million.

http://gigaom.com/2014/01/20/penn-state-lunar-x-prize-team-plans-to-crowdfund-its-way-to-the-moon/ / accomplish in college university Penn State Pennsylvania State University 80 students noble goal land landing spacecraft Moon earn earning $30 million Lunar Lion team compete competing Google Lunar X Prize challenge challenges private teams land moon move craft second location at least 500 meters away end of 2015 Lunar Lion director Michael Paul former NASA spacecraft systems engineer university asked him to look into opportunities become more involved space exploration OK’d to pursue the X Prize idea build building robot robots our eyes and ears around the solar system industry student oriented team competing 18 private national teams team unique challenges emerge money tight tighter turnover high team began by investigating investigate most realistic affordable option lander to the Moon one aspect space systems engineering frugal frugality engineering can can’t afford it design for any spacecraft mission do we really need to do this mindset came into play Lunar Lions lander would move 500 meters reached the Moon wheels hop system lander takes off lands land again less expensive doesn’t require rover totally new mode of transit built into the lander staff turnover goes team organize organise organizing organizing ensure continuity underclassmen replace graduating upperclassmen STEM careers can be exciting after Apollo director of development Steve Blake school build rocket ships rocket science crowdfunding campaign engine, test lander more infrastructure, complexity rocket science /

Amazon anticipatory shipping patent granted

"Anticipatory shipping?" The mind boggles!

http://bgr.com/2014/01/17/amazon-anticipatory-shipping-patent/ / buying history Amazon big box retailers retail retailer new system The Wall Street Journal Amazon granted patent anticipatory shipping consumer consumers consumers’ past buying habits ship products will buy nearby warehouses warehouse anticipation anticipate order orders books book Amazon company book shipped ship shipping shipment warehouse near you order company same day the Journal notes Amazon’s system past shopping history product searches search wish lists list shopping cart shopping-cart contents content return returns how long Internet user user’s cursor hovers hover over item Amazon implement system eliminate days long days-long waits that customers product products pay for standard shipping brick and mortar brick-and-mortar retailer /

Carbon nanotubes can now fireproof your furniture

Credit: Gawker Assets

... just have to make sure the little devils aren't carcinogenic first ...

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/01/carbon-nanotubes-can-now-fireproof-your-furniture/ / sofa right warm crackling fireplace dangerous carbon nanotubes come to the rescue researchers National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST created carbon nanotube-based nanotube based coating foam furniture considerably less flammable revolutionary coating created microscopic club sandwich nanotubes squeezed between two layers polymers process repeated four times multi layer multi-layer plastic-like plastic like coating produced researchers develop special technique material stick to foam resulting coating thinner one-hundredth thickness of a human hair cushions other padding still feel the same when sat on after treatment about 35 per cent less flammable carbon nanotubes safe as we hope carbon nanotubes are actually carcinogen new coating safer alternative fire retardant chemicals currently use serve that candle covered birthday cake in the living room, or even in bed /

Flying or driving — which is greener?

At first glance, the answer seems obvious: a 747 uses 1 US gallon (~3.79 litres) of fuel per second — 5 US gallons per mile — 36,000 US gallons (150,000 liters) in a 10 hour flight — case closed. However, there is much more to be considered, including:

• number of passengers — cars typically have only one passenger, whereas a 747 can accommodate up to 660.

• efficiency varies between car & aircraft propulsion method, model & configuration, & even driving style.

Green Car Reports takes a look:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1089680_which-is-greener-flying-or-driving-to-your-destination / transport methods method truly green input fuel generate energy required move flying fly amount amounts fuel aircraft burn through worse than cars better cross-country cross country University of Michigan Transport Research Institute report looking scenario surprising conclusion for the most part main mainly greener to fly than drive car cars more efficient means moving people about average fuel economy light duty light-duty vehicles increase efficiency around 50 percent average passenger numbers would need to double report making driving less energy intensive than flying author Michael Sivak analyzes analyse analyze analyses amount energy needed transport person USA U.S.A U.S. given distance EV electric vehicle scheduled airline flight automobiles automobile generally become more efficient airline industry leapfrogged road transport green greenest moving people about Popular Mechanics table report energy intensities intensity flying less energy-intensive energy intensive current fuel economy fleet of light-duty vehicles increase 21.5 mpg to 33.8 mpg average passenger numbers trip passenger passengers /

Snoopy at the tennis

Credit: Charles Schulz

"I was dizzy from the middle of the first set & then I saw Snoopy & I thought, 'Wow, Snoopy, that's weird.' I couldn't keep my balance anymore & I leaned over the fence & when I woke up people were all around me." — Canadian professional tennis player Frank Dancevic, after collapsing from heat stress at the 2014 Australian Open

http://theconversation.com/how-heat-can-make-your-body-melt-down-from-the-inside-out-22042?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+16+January+2014&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+16+January+2014+CID_95854a17c5e2c6ceaff8c10da6a5a39f&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=Donna%20Green%20explains / tennis game match Australian Open world temperature tennis players hallucinate about Snoopy too hot heat stress stressed heat-stressed players player play fainted faint vomit vomited Snoopy court dangerous conditions Melbourne Australia stop play international sporting events sport event Australian Open tennis match US military 1950 1950s identify levels of heat stress restrict activity monitor required rest intervals water needs for soldiers soldier Wet Bulb Globe Temperature takes into account temperature humidity wind speed exposure to sunlight combine information better indicator how comfortable weather Wet Bulb Globe Temperature formula produces adjusted temperature measure measuring outside air temperature few degrees heat make all the difference body bodies function core body temperature too hot organs will start to fail heat stress can be deadly eating heating body bodies work properly eat calories calorie energy muscles organs nervous system work properly biochemical reactions turn calories food energy produce heat enzyme outside conditions temperate heat comfortable core body temperature around 37° 37 C degrees Celcius external temperature increases increase heat needs to be lost body bodies dissipate dissipation dissipating through our skin when you are hot sweat take off layers of clothes stand near a fan go into the shade less exercise drink water quickly get heat out of core through your skin temperature gradient reduce reduction reduced increase temperature humidity get getting rid of this heat fast enough vital organs equivalent self spontaneous self-combustion point temperature stop working core body temperature reaches 40°C 40 organs begin to fail cooler conditions immediately you will die hot core body temperature rise to lethal levels level a few degrees range of conditions Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, it’s commonly thought that your skin needs to be below 35°C body effectively dissipate heat producing Wet Bulb Globe Temperature must be well below 35°C inhabited places on the Earth daytime heat extreme longer term factor higher temperature conditions relent at night run of hot days hot nights heat wave heatwave people will die heatwaves many parts of the world last decade acclimatise acclimatize extremes extreme temperature physiologically resting inside during the heat of the day vulnerable people children elderly especially susceptible to heatwaves /