Leyan Lo, a 20-year old Caltech student, set a new world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube in just 11.13 seconds. He beat a previous record of 11.75 seconds set by Jean Pons.

Way to go, Leyan!

Link | Speedcubing

Dr. David Keegan and Dr. Susan Bannister pulled a McGuyver when they improvised using a Super Soaker Max-D 5000 to treat their patient’s ear wax!

Neither a formal ear syringe, nor a syringe of any kind was available on the island. The day was very hot, and no one was particularly in the mood to boat to Honey Harbour and then drive 45 minutes to Midland, just on account of ear wax. One of the owners of the property was consulted in his capacity as a professional engineer and the owner of a superbly stocked tool shed (rivalling a mid-sized Canadian Tire). He was not able to offer any substitute contraption of his own but suggested we approach his 4-year-old grandson to see if we could use his pressured water cannon.

Link (via Fawn Jotter)

Wojtek’s Pikes Peak Photo website has many more amazing photos: Moon & Sky | Sun

Cambridge and Birmingham Universities researchers are collaborating to create the world’s smallest internal combustion engines.

If they succeed, the micro-engine will outlast today’s NiCad and Li-ion batteries by as much as 20 times longer!

Research in Europe started at the University of Birmingham in 1999 and resulted in a patented fabrication process and several prototype micro-engines. The proposed collaboration project between the two Universities intends to produce a micro combustion engine, with platform of 5 x 15 x 3 mm in overall dimension and the expected indicated power output at 11.2 W at a speed of the order of 50,000 rpm.

Link

Max Kurz, a professor at the University of Houston, wants to know why penguins waddle but don’t fall (unlike humans).

"Compared to other terrestrial animals, penguins have an excessive amount of side-to-side, waddling motion," Max Kurz, UH Health and Human Performance professor said. "If humans waddle too much they fall, but penguins somehow overcome this. They may have an elegant movement strategy for stability that we’re unaware of."

Kurz hopes that learning about the penguin’s distinctive waddle will help those with walking challenges, such as the elderly, those with leg or foot injuries and toddlers learning to walk. The research findings could even allow the development of more mobile robots.

Link