|
|
RECENTLY-DECLASSIFIED PROGRAMS
As you know, the Institute has many amazing programs in the works at any given time. As you also know, many of them are deeply classified for reasons of national security and to avoid collateral damage to bystanders. Still, the Institute has a policy of perodically reviewing the security status of its programs, and declassifying material that is no longer considered to be highly sensitive.
Institute members wishing to share newly-declassified program data are urged to contact Reno Nevada: reno@banzai-institute.com
3D DIGITAL PRINTER
USED TO FABRICATE
JET CAR PROTOTYPE
(10/710) New York University student Sean Charlesworth recently
used a Z Corp ZPrinter 510 at NYU's Advanced Media Studio to
create a miniature versionof Dr. B. Banzai's famous Jet Car.
Charlesworth created a 3D CAD digital model of the Jet Car, then
used the Z Corp printer to fabricate the model. The result would
have been a huge help during the original Jet Car program, since
it would have enabled a wide range of testing before the constructionof
the actual vehicle.
See the original news item at Popular Mechanics.com.
A tip of the ol' Twinkie to Steve Mattsson for the lead!
ELECTRICITY & THE DEAD
BIBRSI CLEARANCE LEMUR ALPHA
Henry Schlesinger's
recently published book The Battery (available HERE) closely examines the development
and history of portable power cells, and how they've been conceived,
improved, and utilized over the centuries. One application
discussed in the book involves Giovanni Aldini, who was
among a number of researchers attempting to learn more about
the affects of electrical impulses on inanimate lifeforms.
Giovanni's work pre-dates the 1818 publication of Mary Shelley's similarly themed Frankenstein by at least a decade. He never actually claimed to have fully reanimated the dead, instead extolling a command of "vital powers" and his exertion of "considerable power over the nervous and muscular systems".
In the early 19th century, Aldini's traveling exhibit featured the experimenter's strategic application of electrical currents into the corpses and decapitated heads of both humans and animals. Aldini, nephew of renowned frog zapper Giovanni Aldini and great uncle of particle physicist E. Lizardo, both thrilled and disturbed university and medical audiences in Bologna, Paris, and London with his ghoulish escapades.
A sense of Aldini's efforts can be gleaned from one of his own reports:
"...the pointed rod with one end connected to the battery was now placed in contact with the spinal marrow, while the other rod was placed in contact with the sciatic nerve. Every muscle of the body was immediately agitated with convulsive movements resembling violent shuddering from the coldOn moving the second rod from the hip to the heel, the knee being previously bent, the leg was thrown out with such force the assistants, who in vain attempted to prevent its extension."
"Electrically facilitating the re-animation of subjects postmortem is something The Institute has previously looked into..." revealed Dr. Sidney Zwiebel during a recent conference call from Bandaar Abbas. Dr Zwiebel, after whom the Akira-class large Federation cruiser/carrier "New Jersey" is named, went on to say that "It's not all that hard to raise the dead, but the energy required to do so contravenes electrical impulses in the subject's neural network. The result is troubling and distasteful."
When pressed for further details about The Institute's apparent failure to fully resuscitate deceased individuals, the doctor, often referred to as simply "New Jersey" himself, would only comment, "Well, I'll say this, and I think Dr. Banzai would agree, that was one a really long week." "And it brought us a new appreciation of liability waivers!" added Perfect Tommy.
More about Giovanni Aldini can be found HERE.
(Thanks to BBI Merrick!)
Housing crisis solution?
(3/29/10) From BBI Glen: A potential solution to both the housing crisis AND the problem of disposing liquid transport containers at the end of their useful lives. Designer Aristide Antonas imagines a future in which liquid transport tanks can be a valuable source of low-cost, efficient housing that can be either fixed to a specific location, or even transported as needed.
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/9569/aristide-antonas-keg-apartments.html
Flame on!
(1/31/10) From Dan "Big Shoulders" Berger:
Yes, Perfect Tommy has made good on his threat to go green *and*
pimp his ride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQzWD5GHJMI
Perfect Tommy's Honeymoon Hotel!
(1/27/10) World Comlink Newswire:
SEXY AERO-CHIC ERA OPENS WIDE WITH NETHERLANDISH DEBUT OF "PERFECT TOMMY'S HONEYMOON HIDEAWAY SUITE" FLAGSHIP HOSTELRY
If you're thinking to yourself, "that's sort of a small window for a luxury hotel suite," well, you're right. But it's only because this room occupies the entirety of a repurposed Cold War-era East German aircraft.
OK, the view isn't anything special: the plane stays grounded outside the Teuge airport in the Netherlands. But the room itself, dubbed the Vliegtuigsuite, is spectacular, including three flat screen TVs, a Blu-ray player, a sauna, and a jacuzzi. Guests have access to the entire plane, from your king-size bed in the back all the way up to the cockpit.
For more info, including more photos, check out Gizmodo! Thanks to BBI Glen!
Aerial lawnmower prototype successful
(1/10/10) BBI Walter reporting:
Recently-published research by the U.S. Department of Agricultural Mutations has revealed the theoretical possibility of cloud-dwelling plant forms, including high-altitude grasses and weeds. The threat to air traffic is obvious, so research has already begun into the development of aerial plant-control systems, including flying lawnmowers.
Preliminary test flights have already been successful, as
evidenced by these recently-released videos of prototype aerial
lawnmower vehicles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNWfqVWC2KI
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/flying-lawnmower/4C7482C37BC20AAB66B74C7482C37BC20AAB66B7
BBIs wishing to conduct independent research in this vital
field can order their own flying lawnmower prototype kit from:
http://www.hooked-on-rc-airplanes.com/flying-lawnmower.html
Jet Car spinoff!
(1/2/10) This just in from BBI Glen Oliver:
Henrik Toth loves all things American, to the point where he runs a Wild West theme park in Hungary, and built this amazing custom motorcycle sidecar, inspired by the classic F4-F Wildcat fighter. Looks to us like he might have also borrowed a page from Dr. Masado Banzai's original jet car design!
Read more about Henrick Toth's creation (and see more photos
at:
http://gizmodo.com/5436952/sidecar-made-from-wwii-german-fighter-plane-and-yamaha-motorbike-is-crazy+cool
and http://jalopnik.com/5437106/finally-a-sidecar-based-on-an-f4+f-wildcat
And a special thanks to BBI Steve for pointing out that the senior Dr. Banzai's first name was Masado!
|
|