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NASA Just Released Posters for Space Tourism

In the future, we hope to “tour” around the solar system. Indeed, some companies are already working on private space tours. Here, NASA’s JPL gives us a peek at what this space tourism might look like.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) recently released awesome posters of our solar system, specifically designed at getting people to journey to the stars (or at least some nearby alien planets). “The Vision of the Future” series comprise of seven original posters. In addition to these, there are seven more posters for “Exoplanet Travel Bureau” that were published last year.

Notably, these posters are more than just fantastical imaginings. The designers who created these magnificent posters have been consulting with JPL scientists and engineers to make these tourism scenarios as realistic as they can possibly be. In short, it lets you see what the travel of tomorrow may look like.

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Mannequins of the Future Are Headless Robots

Here is a thought; could we see a future where runway models are robots? What about the Victoria Secret fashion show? Or, could all models (men and women) be replaced for the perfect robot? Maxim has already been known for using artificial models in print.


Shape-shifting dummies, the mannequins of the future, could change garment fitting in a big way.

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Bumpy liquid films could simplify fabrication of microlenses

Keeping the microfabrication process smooth.


Have you ever noticed that when heated a film of oil in a pan doesn’t remain completely flat? Instead, it forms a wavy pattern that resembles the exterior of an orange. These sorts of deformations inspired a group of researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt, in Germany, to explore whether they could be used to improve and streamline microfabrication processes.

The film of oil is a classic example of a hydrodynamic systems with a liquid-gas or liquid-liquid interface while, for instance,. Other examples include bubbles and the tiny droplets of fat in milk have a liquid-liquid interface. Planar liquid films, like the oil film, are particularly mechanically unstable and may undergo changes in morphology if not kept at a uniform temperature.

Only sufficiently thin liquid films undergo significant surface deformations upon exposure to stresses at the surface, while highly regular periodic flow patterns develop in the bulk of thicker films when subjected to the same stresses.

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Here’s how the future of TV could involve all your senses

Imagine a party on a warm summer’s evening. You can see the beautiful greenery and the dipping sun, you can smell the freshly cut grass and taste the cool drinks on offer. You hear someone walk up behind you and feel them tap you on the shoulder. Now imagine you’re not really at the party – but sitting at home and the scene and all these sensations are coming from your TV.

Working out how television programmes could one day stimulate all our senses is an interesting question for researchers like myself, who are exploring the future of TV. But the bigger, more exciting challenge is how we can not only imitate what is happening on the screen, but also use smell, taste and touch in a way that’s not a novelty and enhances the emotional experience of a show, just as a soundtrack does.

There’s good reason to think about how the TV industry can innovate in this way. Despite the rise of online video, millions if not billions of people still watch traditional broadcast media through television sets. TV remains a powerful format for programme making and watching that follows specific restrictions and guidelines.

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