RepRap: Self-Replicating Rapid Prototyping
A self-replicating, rapid prototyping machine developed at the University of Bath in England could transform the nature of manufacturing. People could produce everyday household objects in their own homes and put them together. (re: Philip K. Dick)

Smart Buildings And Network Security
Smart buildings, which use building automation systems (BAS) to put air temperature, lighting and security on a common network, are popping up on college campuses and in the corporate world. So are security problems. (re: William Gibson)

Cigarette Lights Self (Not That We Needed It)
The cigarette has a tip anointed with sulphur and phosphorus. Striking the tip against a rough pad on the side of the packet ignites the cigarette, which is reinforced with slivers of bamboo or tobacco leaf to stop it breaking. (re: Robert Heinlein)

ShasPod - Compact Talmud Study Aid
The ShasPod is a twenty-gigabyte iPod loaded with 2,711 shiurim, one for each page of the Talmud. A shiur is a brief (30-60 minute) discussion by a religious teacher. Each shiur is in English mixed with Aramaic (the language of the Talmud) and some h (re: Frank Herbert)

Life Detector Robot To Find Life On Distant Worlds
Zoe, which was developed by Carnegie Mellon University, detects life by looking for natural fluorescence from cells that contain chlorophyll. The robot can also spray four special dyes on soil samples; they fluoresce only when they bind to one of fou (re: Frank Herbert)

DARPA's 'BigDog' Robot Now In Puppy Stage
The Defense Advanced Research Project Authority (DARPA) Learning Locomotion project seeks to create algorithms that help multi-legged platforms learn to walk in varied terrain. DARPA will be handing out a series of $600K-$800K research grants to teac (re: William Gibson)

Moon Dust Substrate For Solar Panels
Simulated moon dust has been used to make the substrate of a solar cell, according to University of Houston researchers. The fine grey powder is 50% silicon dioxide, along with a mixture of oxides of twelve different metals (including aluminum, magne (re: John W. Campbell)

Bacillus Loquacious: AI-2 and the Talkative Bacterium
"When we think about bacteria, we think about them as being tiny single-celled organisms that live these very asocial reclusive lives," said Bonnie Bassler, a molecular biologist at Princeton University. "In fact, bacteria have developed language, an (re: Greg Bear)

Did Giant Space Clouds Cause Mass Extinctions?
It's possible, according to a computer model prepared by researcher Alex Pavlov at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The model shows that "dramatic climate change" may occur when interstellar dust accumulates in the Earth's atmosphere due to the p (re: Arthur Conan Doyle)

Microwire Data Storage
Microwires 3 to 5 times thinner than a human hair are being studied as a possible data storage alternative to CD-ROMs. Microwire technology originated in the old Soviet Union; they are now being studied elsewhere. (re: Robert Heinlein)

Teddy Bear Robotic Companions
A plush robotic teddy bear sat on display at TechFest, a two-day Microsoft event that started today. Steven Bathiche, a research and development program manager, is looking to go beyond the bears you know. (re: Harry Harrison)

Brain 'Pacemaker' For Depression Sufferers
For the first time, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been shown to treat people suffering from major depression. DBS has been used to successfully treat epilepsy and Parkinson's. (re: Larry Niven)

Young Blood Found To Revive Aging Muscles
Dr. Thomas Rando and his group have been studying specialized cells called satellite cells, which are the stem cells in muscles. (re: Robert Heinlein)

Huygens Was Right - Titan Is Wet
Coming down through the clouds, the probe took pictures of what looked like river channels, beaches and islands - and landed in the mud! (re: Various)

Dyson Intelligent Vacuum Cleaner Is Self-Diagnosing
James Dyson has added a new feature to his vacuum cleaners - they can tell service personnel exactly what the problem is. All you need to do is "phone home" - that is, call the service center. (re: Arthur C. Clarke)

Demolition Robots Help Destroy Building
Robots suspended from cranes will be used to demolish the structure of one of Madrid's tallest buildings. The building was damaged by fire; the ruined structure is too dangerous to be handled by human workers. (re: Isaac Asimov)