Electric Cars

Where do cars get their energy from? For most cars, the answer is petrol. But some cars use electricity. These cars have special motors that get their power from large batteries.

Most people tend to think of electric cars as a new invention, but they have been around for a long time. They were popular when the technology for petrol engines was not very advanced. Recently, electric cars have again become popular because people want cars that pollute less.

Electric cars are better than petrol cars in several ways. The biggest benefit is reduced pollution. In areas where there is a high percentage of electric cars, there is less pollution. But it is important to understand that electric cars still cause pollution. Remember that the electricity to power electric cars has to come from somewhere, which is most likely a power station. Unless these power stations run on solar or wind energy, they are most likely burning coal and oil to make electricity. The second benefit of electric cars is a reduction in the dependence on foreign oil.

There are several countries, including the United States, which don't want to rely on oil coming from other countries to power their transportation systems. They want the power to come from within their country, and since electric cars can run on electricity from coal or nuclear power stations, there is less of a need to import oil.

Despite the benefits of electric cars, there are some problems with them as well. One disadvantage is that electric cars are more expensive than petrol cars. This is mostly due to the high cost of the batteries these cars need. Electric cars run on batteries, just like a mobile phone does. But unlike a mobile phone, you cannot charge your electric car's battery by plugging it into a wall. They need to be charged in special places. Now, there is a lack of places where people can charge the batteries. Another problem is that electric cars cannot travel as far as petrol cars. Some people are afraid that the battery will run out of electricity (and the car will stop) before they reach their destination.

Despite these problems, many people, including automobile industry experts, believe that the percentage of electric cars will increase in the future.

High Speed Book Scanner

Simply turning pages of a book quickly may not seem like the best way to scan it. A Japanese research group at Tokyo University has created new software that allows hundreds of pages to be scanned within minutes. Scanning text is normally a boring process with each page having to be inserted into a scanner, but the team led by Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa uses a high speed camera that takes 500 pictures a second to scan pages as they are turned by workers.

Normal scanners can only scan the information that is actually before them on the page. This high speed book scanner uses a camera that captures pages at 1000fps as they are turned. A system built in allows it to automatically correct any changes to the text due to the page bending as well as light differences due to shadows. “It takes a shot of the shape, then it calculates the shape and uses those calculations to film the scanning,” Ishikawa said, explaining the system used to reconstruct the original page.

The current system is able to scan an average 250-page book in a little over 60 seconds using basic computer hardware. While it now requires extra time to process the scanned images, the researchers hope to eventually make the technology both faster and much smaller. “In the more distant future, once it becomes possible to put all of this processing on one chip and then put that in an iPad or iPod, one could scan just using that chip. At that point, it becomes possible to scan something quickly to save for later reading,” Ishikawa said.

Being able to scan books with an iPhone may be further off, but Ishikawa says that a commercial version of the large-scale computer based scanning system could be available in two or three years. While the technology has the potential to take paper books into the digital age, it remains to be how publishers will react to people scanning their books while just turning pages quickly.

The Science of Risk-Seeking

Sometimes we decide that a little unnecessary danger is worth it because when we weigh the risk and the reward, the risk seems worth taking.     36     Some of us enjoy activities that would surprise and scare the rest of us. Why? Experts say it may have to do with how our brains work?

The reason why any of us take any risks at all might have to do with early humans. Risk-takers were better at hunting, fighting, or exploring.     37     As the quality of risk-taking was passed from one generation to the next, humans ended up with a sense of adventure and a tolerance for risk.

So why aren’t we all jumping out of airplanes then? Well, even 200,000 years ago, too much risk-taking could get one killed. A few daring survived, though, along with a few stay-in-the-cave types. As a result, humans developed a range of character types that still exists today. So maybe you love car racing, or maybe you hate it.     38    

No matter where you are on the risk-seeking range, scientists say that your willingness to take risks increases during your teenage years.     39     To help you do that, your brain increases your hunger for new experiences. New experiences often mean taking some risks, so your brain raises your tolerance for risk as well.

    40     For the risk-seekers a part of the brain related to pleasure becomes active, while for the rest of us, a part of the brain related to fear becomes active.

As experts continue to study the science of risk-seeking, we’ll continue to hit the mountains, the waves or the shallow end of the pool.