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Patrick Acton’s model of the International Space Station is made of 280,000 matchsticks and 8 gallons of glue. It measures 11 by 15 feet, making it about 1/26 of the size of the real ISS, though it’s probably less resilient to the harsh environment of near-Earth orbit.The wooden ISS took him1,950 hours to create. The matchsticks, laid end to end, would reach seven miles. Acton’s model be displayed at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as part of a Ripley’s Believe It or Not exhibit....

Media Platforms Design TeamShared Space"What’s specific about the innovation economy is Brooklyn is the makeup of people that are there," said Mitch Joachim, cofounder of Terreform ONE, a nonprofit design group that promotes smart design in cities. The borough has become an area for collaboration and cooperation between innovative companies, an incubator of sorts where ideas flow freely. Joachim compared it to working with friends in a garage, but with one stipulation: “It’s not the Silicon Valley version of the garage....

Media Platforms Design TeamAt Stanford researchers have developed a technique to , allowing them to trace individual neurons, and their sometimes far-flung connections, from end to end. They’ve succeeded in doing so with an entire mouse brain and portions of human brains.make the brain see-throughMeanwhile, the federal government in 2014 is investing $100 million in Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN). The BRAIN scientists want to chart the simultaneous functions and activity of the brain’s 100 billion neurons and its 100 trillion synapses at an unprece­dented resolution....

Media Platforms Design TeamAt a time when many high-end bicycles are made from materials worthy of a Pentagon wish list, Richard Sachs builds his frames the old-fashioned way. At his Chester, Conn., shop, Sachs silver brazes chromemoly steel tubes into ornate cast lugs, in the classic style of the frames made in Europe a half-century ago. For Sachs, it’s not a retro thing–steel possesses a suppleness that gives his updated classics a smooth, distinctive ride....

Yesterday, NASA Watch reported that Oklahoma Congressman and Naval Aviator Jim Bridenstine has been selected as the nominee for NASA Administrator, and Aerojet Rocketdyne Vice President John Schumacher has been identified as Deputy Administrator. Ars Technicathen confirmed the selections with multiple sources. However, one source familiar with the situation warned that “this is Trump world,” implying that nothing is certain until a formal nomination is announced by NASA, which is expected to occur sometime in September....

How did you and Mandy come up with Collapse, and what convinced you that you could design and build your own game? It just seemed like something that would be a lot of fun. We play a lot of games with our friends, and I’m really interested in art and mathematics, both of which are big components of game design. But what convinced us we could do it ourselves was that not only is it tremendously easy to make games nowadays, but there’s just not a high barrier to entry....

Media Platforms Design TeamThis project involves using flammable materials to create a miniature hot-air balloon, and because of the danger of fire, the balloon should be ignited and flown only under the supervision of adults and with the appropriate safety precautions including a fire extinguisher. The balloon should be flown only over water.This type of balloon, made spherical or designed like the regular aeronaut’s hot-air balloon, are the best kind to make....

If you’ve ever had trouble drilling a perfectly straight hole, the BullseyeBore is here to help. With three concentric laser rings, it not only helps you drill straight down, but also lets you know how far you’ve gone. You simply mount the BullseyeBore on your drill with its lasers facing downward and just watch the circles as you drill. The more the outside circle skews, the more off-kilter you are. It’s way easier to see at a glance than spotting if your drill is just slightly tilted....

Bailout: The Week In PreviewThis is a critical week, during a decisive time for domestic automakers. Today, automakers must submit plans that outline how the companies will return to profitability. In essence, Congress wants assurances that any federal loan, bailout or rescue plan will go to a worthy cause. On Thursday at 10 am EST, the Big Three’s chiefs—GM’s Rick Wagoner, Chrysler’s Bob Nardelli, and Ford’s Alan Mullaly—and UAW President Ron Gettelfinger will all appear before the Senate Banking Committee for a hearing called “The State of the Domestic Automobile Industry: Part II....

A raw wind is cutting across the Mississippi River, freezing exposed skin at the sprawling construction site for the St. Anthony Falls Bridge in Minneapolis. The project is hurtling toward completion. Three crane drivers work at their controls on the south side of the river, while on the opposite bank four of the machines blend into the towering piers that will support the span. Hundreds of workers labor here in staggered 10-hour shifts, with some crews clocking 60 hours a week....

Media Platforms Design TeamWhen the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia foundered near shore in the Mediterranean, at least 16 people died, but most of the 4000-plus passengers and crew survived. Yet what if the accident had occurred in remote, harsh, Arctic waters, where thousands of vacationers travel on cruise ships each year? According to the United States Coast Guard, the worst-case scenario could be a shipwreck off the northern or western coast of Alaska, where the water is cold, help is hundreds of miles away, and just making it to shore would be no guarantee of survival....

A mere $3000 will buy you a life-size replica of Bishop from Aliens. But maybe you’re a sci-fi enthusiast with a little more extra cash laying around. Well, my rich geek, do we have just the thing for you: a life-size replica of the Terminator robots. The kind without the skin. The pricy replica, timed to the upcoming release of Terminator: Genisys, stands 6 feet tall, so you might need to clear out some space in the corner for it....

1984-1986 Ford Mustang SVOMedia Platforms Design Team$2000 to $15,000For a brief moment in the mid-1980s, Ford took on BMW with the full-frontal assault of a turbocharged, four-cylinder Mustang. Surprisingly, it almost worked.Beginning in 1979 Ford offered the Mustang with turbocharged versions of its 2.3-liter SOHC four-cylinder engine. But buyers, raised on years of muscle-bound Mustangs, opted for the V8 models instead. So Ford decided to add some sophistication to the turbo Four Mustang with a new nose, an intercooler, big 16-in....

Media Platforms Design TeamOn-Sale Date: AugustPrice: $10,990Competitors: Hyundai Accent, Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Sonic, Toyota YarisPowertrain: 1.6-liter I4, 109 hp, 107 lb-ft; CVTC automatic, five-speed manual, front wheel driveEPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 30/38; 27/36What’s New: The revised CVTCS (continuously variable timing control system) has a broader range than conventional continuously variable transmissions, and is considered more flexible than seven-speed automatics. The Vehicle Dynamic Control system is standard (thanks to 2012 federal regulations), making this the cheapest car in the U....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe Mazda2/Demio took home World Car of the Year bragging rights. NEW YORK — Three big-name rides took home big prizes in four categories today as the 2008 World Car of the Year Awards were announced here at the New York Auto Show. The WCOTY is decided by a panel of 47 journalists from publications worldwide, all of whom must regularly test-drive vehicles as part of their journalistic responsibilities (this reporter included)....

Media Platforms Design TeamThere’s a hidden aftermath from strong storms and hurricanes in the automotive world.Think about what happens to your car when the insurance adjuster writes you that check. You go off and purchase another car, but the soggy, undrivable junker mildewing away at the tow company lot doesn’t always go off to the crusher to be recycled. More often than not, it goes to auction. There, it’s labeled as a flood victim, and purchased by a dealer or body shop....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe orange glow of an RS-68 engine reflected off the surface of the Atlantic Ocean as the Delta IV rose from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Within 2 minutes, the rocket is just another dot of light in the starry sky. The payload this evening—Feb. 20, 2014—is a GPS satellite owned and operated by the U.S. Air Force but used by the entire world. By late the next morning, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) reports that the sat has reached its 11,000-mile-high orbit....

Media Platforms Design TeamProduct LaunchesWe are completely in the dark until they do a keynote speech. We have no idea what is coming and are not allowed to openly speculate. You can get into serious trouble if you speculate—especially to a customer. I am asked five times per day about the next iPad or iPhone, and I quite simply don’t know. But I would be in huge trouble if I said something like “The next iPad is going to have a camera....

Media Platforms Design TeamCornell University’s attempt to win the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize ended two weeks ago in disappointment. After making it through the first round of elimination, the team withdrew from the competition because of an as-yet-unexplained malfunction that damaged a circuit board. Cornell’s entry, a series hybrid plug-in dubbed Redshift, uses a diesel engine to recharge its lithium batteries. As the team explains, those Taiwan-sourced batteries were the likely source of trouble....

Media Platforms Design TeamPhoto of Japan’s Team Schaft by Landon NordemanThe real winner of the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) trials could be Google, which has positioned itself to take advantage of possible breakthrough developments in mobile robotics. Three reasons why the future appears bright for the tech company:1. Google’s new robot employees seem happyThe merger between Google and Boston Dynamics is very new. Boston Dynamics’ employees say they were informed of the merger just three weeks before the New York Times broke the news in mid-December....