Horizon highlights – July 4 weekend
Happy Fourth of July weekend! Our regular roundup of noteworthy stories from the web covers Wall-E's secret roots, bizarre patents from the war on terror, and how to get the most out of your trash.
If you think I missed a great story, feel free to post your links as a comment down below. That way, other readers can enjoy them as well. Let’s kick it off:
Energy – Garbage In, Megawatts Out
"This week, city counselors in Ottawa, Ontario, unanimously approved a new waste-to-energy facility that will turn 400 metric tons of garbage per day into 21 megawatts of net electricity – enough to power about 19,000 homes." [Via Technology Review]
Space – France plans revolution in space
Ambitious plans for European missions to the Moon and Mars are being considered by the French government. It wants to kick-start a revolution in space by letting EU politicians, not bureaucrats, decide on priorities for the European Space Agency (Esa). [Via BBC]
– Video: Space tourism is ready for takeoff: "Wanna see outer space? The round trip will only take 30 minutes. Xcor Aerospace is counting down to 2010 for the launch of its Lynx rocket ship. The two-seater tourist plane will blast toward the sky at 1,500 miles per hour."
Humor – Top 10 Strangest Anti-Terrorism Patents
"Technology has always played a big role in fighting terrorism. Some inventions are truly useful and will undoubtedly save lives, whereas others are so bizarre that one wonders how in the world they got patented. This list is about the latter." [Via Neatorama]
