This week’s theme is technological developments. For the new reader, Quae Vide is a weekly column highlighting the author’s picks from the web in a particular field. We’re always open to suggestions for topics – use the comments feature or send me an e-mail.
Technological Developments:
- Nuclear-powered drone aircraft that can fly for weeks on end.
- Scientists develop hafnium “gamma-ray bombs” with half-life of 31 years.
- Spam’s raison d’être found: it’s profitable!
- India to launch Moon Mission in 2008.
Also, not quite on topic, but interesting nevertheless:
- US Federal Court rejects validity of RIAA subpoenas.
- Microsoft disables WindowsUpdate site in preparation for Blaster attack.
There’s some interesting content here. Nuclear-based technology appears to be making a comeback, which is – in my opinion – a good thing indeed. It’s certainly becoming a more practicable solution to residential power requirements (though as the recent US fiasco demonstrates, a scalable, redundant power delivery infrastructure is arguably more important), and there is a clear market for atomic energy in avionics and space exploration. Military applications seem, regrettably, unavoidable.
Unfortunately, the public at large continues to retain an irrational fear about green-glowing nuclear assassins (which, at any rate, would glow blue).
