Latest Stories
  • Alison K. Lanier “Sui Generis,” a revolutionary game in production after a successful and newsworthy Kickstarter campaign, does justice to its Latin name, “of its own genius.” The gaming community is hailing this product as truly unique, an imaginative and thought-provoking first of its kind. A conceptual video game by Bare Mettle Entertainment, the small-business entity under the dominion of the game’s brain-father, Madoc Evans, “Sui Generis” melds the best of many types of RPGs and delivers something entirely new to boot—a dynamic, almost unbelievably diverse digital world based, to...0May 17, 2013

    “Sui Generis” Promises a Truly Exceptional Gaming Experience

    Alison K. Lanier “Sui Generis,” a revolutionary game in production after a successful and newsworthy Kickstarter campaign, does justice to its Latin name, “of its own genius.” The gaming community is hailing this product as truly unique, an imaginative and thought-provoking first of its kind. A conceptual video game by Bare Mettle Entertainment, the small-business entity under the dominion of the game’s brain-father, Madoc Evans, “Sui Generis” melds the best of many types of RPGs and delivers something entirely new to boot—a dynamic, almost unbelievably diverse digital world based, to…

  • Michael Cleland Although James Cameron’s 2009 film “Avatar,” which is set in 2154, seems like a far stretch from reality, the first steps toward experimenting with robot surrogates have been taken. Avatar technology will prove to be able to forever change what science can accomplish for humanity. Of the many definitions of avatar, the online free dictionary contains a derivative that is the most relevant today, “a movable image that represents a person in a virtual reality environment or in cyberspace.” Recent precedents have proven that avatar-related technology has evolved...1May 16, 2013

    The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: What’s Going on Now

    Michael Cleland Although James Cameron’s 2009 film “Avatar,” which is set in 2154, seems like a far stretch from reality, the first steps toward experimenting with robot surrogates have been taken. Avatar technology will prove to be able to forever change what science can accomplish for humanity. Of the many definitions of avatar, the online free dictionary contains a derivative that is the most relevant today, “a movable image that represents a person in a virtual reality environment or in cyberspace.” Recent precedents have proven that avatar-related technology has evolved…

  • Paloma Basilio Have you ever been caught in a situation when on the day of a big job interview or a date you look in the mirror and see a blemish waving back at you? In a frantic state you reach for the quick fix—foundation, concealer, blush, eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick. Your face is what you first present yourself with, and therefore, you want to make it as perfect as possible. But in doing so you may be causing more damage than good. Ever wonder what really goes onto...0May 15, 2013

    Is that a Blemish? Makeup and Its Relation to Skin Irritation

    Paloma Basilio Have you ever been caught in a situation when on the day of a big job interview or a date you look in the mirror and see a blemish waving back at you? In a frantic state you reach for the quick fix—foundation, concealer, blush, eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick. Your face is what you first present yourself with, and therefore, you want to make it as perfect as possible. But in doing so you may be causing more damage than good. Ever wonder what really goes onto…

  • Rudy Tardin Type in “how to play ‘Free Fallin’ on guitar” in the YouTube search engine and about 358,000 results turn up. Most within the guitar playing community consider Tom Petty’s classic tune a beginner’s song to learn with its basic three-chord strumming. But sift through the first page of search results and at least three different versions instructing a how-to of the same song exist from an assortment of amateur and professional guitarists. The difficulty of determining the correct way to play can be instantly frustrating when starting off,...0May 10, 2013

    Picking through Online Guitar Lessons: What Works and What Needs Tuning

    Rudy Tardin Type in “how to play ‘Free Fallin’ on guitar” in the YouTube search engine and about 358,000 results turn up. Most within the guitar playing community consider Tom Petty’s classic tune a beginner’s song to learn with its basic three-chord strumming. But sift through the first page of search results and at least three different versions instructing a how-to of the same song exist from an assortment of amateur and professional guitarists. The difficulty of determining the correct way to play can be instantly frustrating when starting off,…

  • Bobby Miller The second episode, original airdate May 8, opens with a unique twist. Apparently the eliminated contestants will still be participating in every build. As the competition winds down, the judges will pick one capable “wild card,” who will then have a second chance at winning. Joe Caravella, who was eliminated last week, is confident that he can make a comeback. The wild card aspect certainly adds suspense to the show, and allowing the contestants to return prevents the teams from shrinking—smaller teams would mean less interesting builds. After...0May 10, 2013

    “Pure Genius”—Fire at Will, Don’t Miss the Missile

    Bobby Miller The second episode, original airdate May 8, opens with a unique twist. Apparently the eliminated contestants will still be participating in every build. As the competition winds down, the judges will pick one capable “wild card,” who will then have a second chance at winning. Joe Caravella, who was eliminated last week, is confident that he can make a comeback. The wild card aspect certainly adds suspense to the show, and allowing the contestants to return prevents the teams from shrinking—smaller teams would mean less interesting builds. After…

  • Miranda Moore In recent years, gas, grocery, insurance, and a number of other normal American expenses have radically increased. According to Yahoo News, a new car, which was once an American staple item, is now out of reach for many American families. With the growing economic pressures in the United States, many Americans as well as people abroad, overlook the environmental and political dangers that could endanger the world. What is the Doomsday Clock? Since its creation in 1947 by the board of directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic...1May 8, 2013

    How Far are We from Catastrophe? The Doomsday Clock and What it Signifies

    Miranda Moore In recent years, gas, grocery, insurance, and a number of other normal American expenses have radically increased. According to Yahoo News, a new car, which was once an American staple item, is now out of reach for many American families. With the growing economic pressures in the United States, many Americans as well as people abroad, overlook the environmental and political dangers that could endanger the world. What is the Doomsday Clock? Since its creation in 1947 by the board of directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic…

  • Tracey M. Romero Given the title of The World’s Greenest Hotel by Skal International, Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers in Denmark strives to show that sustainable living is not only possible, but can be a four-star experience for the customer while still being profitable for the business. One of their missions is to offer their guests a “vacation with a clear conscience.” The key, of course, is implementing the right innovations. As the first Danish hotel to sign the U.N. Global Compact, which asks businesses to work with the United Nations...0May 7, 2013

    Danish Hotel Proves Green Living Can Be Posh and Profitable

    Tracey M. Romero Given the title of The World’s Greenest Hotel by Skal International, Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers in Denmark strives to show that sustainable living is not only possible, but can be a four-star experience for the customer while still being profitable for the business. One of their missions is to offer their guests a “vacation with a clear conscience.” The key, of course, is implementing the right innovations. As the first Danish hotel to sign the U.N. Global Compact, which asks businesses to work with the United Nations…

  • Bobby Miller The first episode, original airdate May 1, opens with host Kal Penn explaining the scope of the series. He then tells the contestants to watch a little show as two white pickup trucks drive in traveling at 35 mph, about 56.3 kph. They collide head-on, causing boxes of explosives in the truck beds to explode. Penn explains that the explosives in the trucks were designed to detonate if their gravitational force, or G-force, exceeds 25 G’s. WiseGeek.org defines g-force as “either the force of gravity on a particular...0May 4, 2013

    “Pure Genius”—Protecting a Black Box in a Plane Crash… or Truck Collision

    Bobby Miller The first episode, original airdate May 1, opens with host Kal Penn explaining the scope of the series. He then tells the contestants to watch a little show as two white pickup trucks drive in traveling at 35 mph, about 56.3 kph. They collide head-on, causing boxes of explosives in the truck beds to explode. Penn explains that the explosives in the trucks were designed to detonate if their gravitational force, or G-force, exceeds 25 G’s. WiseGeek.org defines g-force as “either the force of gravity on a particular…

  • Bobby Miller On the Discovery Channel every Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST, a new episode of “The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius” airs. The show involves 10 contestants who are divided into teams each episode to tackle difficult engineering projects. It blends reality TV drama, where the contestants must deal with each other’s clashing personalities, with science that is explained in such a way that laypeople can understand. According to the show’s host, Kal Penn—who played Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the TV series “House”— “The Big Brain Theory” wants to...0May 4, 2013

    “The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius”—Inspiring a New Generation of Innovators

    Bobby Miller On the Discovery Channel every Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST, a new episode of “The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius” airs. The show involves 10 contestants who are divided into teams each episode to tackle difficult engineering projects. It blends reality TV drama, where the contestants must deal with each other’s clashing personalities, with science that is explained in such a way that laypeople can understand. According to the show’s host, Kal Penn—who played Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the TV series “House”— “The Big Brain Theory” wants to…

  • Bobby Miller For most people, Facebook and Twitter are ways to chat with friends and catch up on the latest news. Many people use the sites to procrastinate when they have something important to be doing. However, in some countries, these websites have saved lives and allowed political upheavals to occur. They allow for free communication that has challenged authoritarian governments, making some go so far as to say that the Internet is a tool for democracy. The Political Revolutions The first instance in which we saw social media websites...0May 3, 2013

    Political Revolutions: Like Us on Facebook

    Bobby Miller For most people, Facebook and Twitter are ways to chat with friends and catch up on the latest news. Many people use the sites to procrastinate when they have something important to be doing. However, in some countries, these websites have saved lives and allowed political upheavals to occur. They allow for free communication that has challenged authoritarian governments, making some go so far as to say that the Internet is a tool for democracy. The Political Revolutions The first instance in which we saw social media websites…