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Well, Energizer’s mascot might not have changed since then, but times sure have. Today, I can’t even count the number of portable electronic gadgets I own—each of them requiring its own on-the-go power source. And yet, I probably buy fewer than 10 batteries per year. Even then I’m only buying them for my two TV remotes, smoke alarm and flashlight—things that haven’t changed much since the ’80s. Nowadays, proprietary batteries are forced upon us by the manufacturers of the very devices we need them for....

The vehicle embodying this change is called the Artura. It is McLaren’s first production hybrid and it signals the direction for the rest of the company’s products. Their very first hybrid was the limited-production P1 hypercar, and the Artura shows how this technology has trickled down to more mass-produced models. Shredding the curves and catapulting down the straights of the infield road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the $289,000 (as tested; base price is $233,000) Artura convincingly upholds the legends of Mika Hakkinen, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Emerson Fittipaldi, and other famous drivers who’ve piloted McLaren Formula 1 cars to world championships....

Continental CrossContact LX25 tire in profile The tire Kelly is chasing fireflies on is the Continental CrossContac LX25, a premium all-season tire for crossovers and SUVs. It’s ideal for year-round traction and features the EcoPlus Technology, which provides fuel savings, shorter stopping distances on wet roads, and extended tread life.

Their study, published today in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, is about using air currents to save energy while in flight. Kestrels are small falcons, weighing on average less than half a pound. (If they were drones, they’d be so light the FAA wouldn’t register them.) Kestrels were chosen as the inspiration partly for their small size, and partly because, according to lead author Alex Fisher, “they’ve got a unique way of hunting – hovering over a location without flapping their wings....

Here’s that same catch, slowed down Using a DJI Phantom-series quadcopter as the prey, Michigan Tech’s octocopter fired a net, ensnaring the smaller drone and then holding it captive below. The net-gun has a range of up to 40 feet, and can carry its prisoner to a waiting team on the ground. There, they can investigate the machine without worrying about it getting lost or destroyed in the process. The drone-catcher is piloted by either a human on the ground or an autonomous control system, or a combination....

If you’re a train commuter or a dedicated multitasker, there’s a good chance you use your phone to play games. Below, find tips for leveling up that experience: improving performance and stability, getting the action up on a big screen, and more. Whether you’re an Android or iPhone user, part-time or dedicated gamer, you should find some useful ideas here for boosting gameplay on your mobile. Silence those notifications Both these modes can be configured further—through Sound & vibration and Do Not Disturb in Settings on Android, and through Do Not Disturb in Settings on iOS....

These Items are a great way to stoke interest, and fan the flames of sophisticated, in-depth computer knowledge. Let’s face it, there is no way your child is going to live a computer-free existence, no matter how much you try and limit screentime. So getting them comfortable with keyboard layout and usage isn’t a bad idea and a smart leg up, especially since computers are entering the classroom earlier and earlier....

At present, lithium-ion batteries make up a considerable chunk of the market for energy storage. But they are expensive, involve mining rare metals, and are far from environmentally sustainable. Finding an alternative that is less ecologically degrading is crucial—and so far, scientists are analyzing replacements for lithium-ion batteries with the help of raw materials such as sodium, magnesium, and even seawater. But in the last few years, the energy industry has been investing in metal-air batteries as a next-generation solution for grid energy storage....

How poisonous is it? Oh, man. Very. It’s dangerous in just about any way it gets into your system, though ingesting (eating) it is about the least dangerous way. Injecting or inhaling requires about a thousand times less ricin to kill a human than ingesting, and that’s a very small amount indeed. An average adult needs only 1.78 mg of ricin injected or inhaled to die; that’s about the size of a few grains of table salt—which ricin resembles visually....

AY.4.2 now accounts for just over 10 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom, and has been detected in at least 36 countries and 9 states—labs in the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Nevada, Maryland, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Washington, Florida, and California have detected traces of the subvariant. AY.4.2 is one of 45 documented sublineages derived from Delta, but this is the first that seems to have some notable advantage over its progenitor....

Perhaps you climb, are a masseuse, or just type aggressively and have overworked your fingers. These spiky sensory rings massage out your overused appendages, keeping your body primed for an evening spent playing video games. Take these stainless steel rings along with you everywhere; they can also double as a fidget toy if you’re feeling anxious. If you have a stiff back, this ergonomic Dharma yoga wheel is a lifesaver....

Oxygen from plants As an atmospheric scientist, much of my work focuses on exchanges of various gases between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. Many elements, including oxygen, constantly cycle between land-based ecosystems, the oceans and the atmosphere in ways that can be measured and quantified. But virtually all of the oxygen produced by photosynthesis each year is consumed by living organisms and fires. Trees constantly shed dead leaves, twigs, roots, and other litter, which feeds a rich ecosystem of organisms, mostly insects and microbes....

It’s an impressive feat, but not necessarily the first animal you’d expect scientists to mimic when designing new robots. A team of researchers from both University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, however, recently saw potential in the snake’s talent, and used computational analysis to break down its movements’ intricacies for potential future advances in robotic mobility. In a paper published with Fluids in Physics, the group first gathered data from high-speed video recordings of flying tree snakes, which they then fed into a computational program designed to analyze the minutiae of their movements....

As of October 8, an estimated 4.2 billion gallons of lava has sloshed to the Earth’s surface from Kīlauea. While all this lava may sound horrifying, the high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard for anything in the area. Clouds of vog comprised of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide continue to endanger residents, visitors, crops, and livestock. Another dangerous feature of the eruption is Pele’s hair....

Chris Berry and other researchers from Cardiff University found tropical tree stumps–the remains of an ancient tropical forest–during field work in the frigid latitudes. 380 million years ago, the continents were in vastly different places. The solid part of the Earth that we live on is broken into sections called tectonic plates. Over time, these plates move, pushed around by the Earth’s mobile interior. Svalbard was near the equator 380 million years ago....

Choosing the right high chair means making a lot of choices—plastic vs. wood, multi-function or basic—so a lot depends on your specific wants. But these high chair options will deliver no matter what your needs, and no matter what they end up being covered in. Good for children up to the age of 3 (and not exceeding 40 pounds), the Graco TableFit is a single-function high chair that offers adjustability but, most of all, reliability....

Well, in 2012, an IgNobel Prize was awarded to a group of scientists who were able to accurately model ponytail structure and behavior. Back in 2010, Stanford University mathematician Joseph Keller noticed that ponytails swing from side to side, even though runners’ heads bounce up and down. He was able to create a mathematical model for this motion. Flash forward to 2012, when another group of scientists led by Raymond E....

Other subtleties arise from a ship’s engine setup. Arleigh Burke–class destroyers are fitted with four gas turbine propulsion engines (which are most efficient at high RPMs), so depending on the speed required, one engine going full tilt is more efficient than splitting the work across two engines. The USS Chafee burned similar amounts of propulsion fuel overall in May and July 2010, but in July its efficiency turned out to be 72 percent higher; that month the ship operated mostly with one engine cranking at maximum capacity versus using multiple engines running at lower ones....

Do you know someone that has been yearning to learn ASL but doesn’t know where to start? In that case, The All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle will get them up to speed and at their own pace and help them gain valuable language development skills that will help further their knowledge — no matter their goal. Plus, this comprehensive bundle is now on sale for only $19.99. This complete bundle efficiently teaches critical insights into ASL, properly communicating with the deaf community, and gaining a competitive advantage in the workforce by learning the language....