Posted on 07/22/2017 12:15:41 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Robots that mimic ivy vines can grow thousands of times their original lengths at speeds faster than the average person can run, a new study finds.
The new soft, flexible robots could one day be used in tight situations, such as to slither through rubble or snake inside the human body...
The newly developed robot is made of soft, flexible polyethylene, the most common plastic in the world. It grows from its tip via internal air pressure, which pushes plastic tubing stored at its base up through the core of its body. The robot is initially about 11 inches (28 cm) long, but can rapidly reach a maximum length of about 236 feet (72 meters), according to the researchers.
"The body doesn't move as the tip extends," Hawkes told Live Science. "That is, you could hold the body of the robot tightly in your hands, and the tip would keep growing."
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Hammered or strummed?
Is that a trick question?
Good morning. I think it’s snowing outside. They don’t let me out much.
No. They’re both called dulcimers. I like the hammered one better.
I knew that. I just imagined an additional layer of implication.
Back from Walgreen’s where only one nebulizer med of the two I need was ready, so as soon as I get the alert saying the second one is ready, I’ll go back and get it.
It probably won’t be ready until later on today.
But that’s OK. I can get it tomorrow!
That would be the player, wouldn’t it?
The dulcimer player could be hammered, yes.
A visual inspection of the coating of solidified glowbull warmthing tends to indicate that I will need to caress the Olde Deere. I haven’t ventured beyond the door for an actual viewing - after all it is still snowing. And I have 3/4 of a cup of coffee remaining in my cup. Which you might remember is 24 ounces. Because some idiot thinks a cup of coffee is only 6 ounces I must define what I mean by a real ‘cup of coffee’.
A friendly neighbor brought his tractor and plowed out the west drive so even if the Olde Deere wants to be difficult we can still get out. The temp is 31 so the Olde Deere should start but I seem to remember that it is in need of a transfusion of a volatile aliphatic hydrocarbon blend if I want to do more than start it up.
Did I mention that it’s still snowing?
And I have a half cup of coffee still in the cup?
The woman was picking it with metal picks on her fingertips. Very cool sound.
Wellnow. I got an email from my car insurance carrier at the beginning of the month, telling me that by the time my six months’ coverage is due again (March,) they will no longer be my insurer.
So I’m hoping that by the time it is due again, I’m in Utah, because no matter who my carrier is by then (if I’m still in NV) the monthly premium will more than double.
At least in UT, I can afford car insurance AND renter’s insurance for the cost of what I’m paying now for just car insurance. The car coverage will drop to $40 a month!
So I’m asking me why I haven’t moved, yet!
LOTS of reasons to move, and several of them are financial.
It’s best if you have someplace to go when you move.
Odd, that’s what my last two health insurance companies told me: they were closing up shop in California, and I’d have to migrate to an insurer more willing to deal with institutionalized bureaucratic insanity.
I just gave them the street address of the complex, explaining I couldn't give an apartment number because I had to wait to see which one I would be assigned to.
I had to ask that he also send the quote to me in snail mail, since my printer is once and truly dead. Otherwise, I'd have the quotes in my hot little hands.
This one’s parent company is State Farm, and the last I checked for prices on my BB SUV for NV coverage, they have rates quoted for it, for the little ol’ lady from Hooterville who only drives it on days ending in “y,” beginning at $168 a MONTH.
I checked a couple of others since getting the notice that I was being dropped by my current company, and the cheapest I could find was $136 a month. My question, for all of these companies, is “WHY???”
I have a clean driving record, a really old vehicle, and I’m a really old lady. OK, not THAT old, but they’re basing their quotes on the driving records of people like me all over the country. Not fair to those of us who are defensive drivers.
Now, they expect us old fogies to take a “senior driving class.” What???? I’ve had a license since I was 21 and though I’ve been in three accidents, none of them were when was I driving.
“beginning at $168 a MONTH.”
That’s about what we’ll pay for Elen to drive the Avalon. It will go down when (NOT IF!) she has a clean driving record for a year, and then it will go down again a few months later when she turns 21.
Maybe you can take Senior Driving online? My parents were at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office taking Senior Driving when Dad keeled over from excessively low heart rate. EMS in the same building; they had him to the hospital in about 10 minutes, and he got his pacemaker within 36 hours.
We’ve had several inches of snow today, but the temperature was above freezing most of the day, so the roads are clear. CPCC was closed, dog-walk not required because the owner is a home-security installer and nobody wanted installing in the snow. CPCC will be closed again tomorrow, but I hope the gym will open!
It’s been a day of Academic Instruction and/or Learning Activities here at Deo Vindice Christian School. We watched History of the Ottoman Empire videos, watched a dozen species of birds dealing with snow, practiced algebra, and made cards. Pat got a new math-puzzle book; we’ll probably only see him for meals until he’s completed all 200 of them.
James started American History on Khan Academy, because he has to wait 24 hours for another try at mastering Systems of Equations. Poor James, it’s upsetting them. I keep pointing out that this isn’t the first time we’ve had to work on a skill for quite some time ... just be patient. Patience is not the James’ strong suit. Vlad is learning World History as a break from math.
Various children went out in the snow, but most of the didn’t stay long. I think Sally has gone over to her friend’s house, and Elen may have gone to wander around in the snow again, although it’s starting to get dark.
I wrote to my seminarian in India, Brother Henry K+23otherletters. He seems like a sweet young man, has a sister and brother-in-law in Houston. He was worried about passing his first year of Philosophy, so maybe he’s not a top student ... but just being able to read and write Malayalam, his native language, as well as English, seems like a real achievement to me! I was sitting next to an Iranian friend at a church luncheon on Saturday, and he said, “It’s great that you can speak Spanish. You’re so smart!” I said, “Hamid, you speak Persian and English.” “That’s different!” (Yeah, it’s harder: Spanish is easy to learn.)
I can check out the senior driving classes (WHEN did they start “requiring” THAT?) and find out how much I’ll have to pay. It doesn’t sound exciting to me. Since I grew up in farm country, driving was second nature. I started when I was 13 but was 21 before I got my license in SD, on our way back to Sea Duty in San Diego from Gt Lakes, IL.
It was only for convenience, since my husband was too stinking cheap to get a motel room. GAH! (Don’t get me started!)
Try the Sheriff’s Department. It might be free!
I’ll check it out tomorrow, because right now, I don’t think my brain is functioning properly to give any sensible answers.
So it’s off to bed I go! See all y’all tomorrow! *waves bye*
Hope you have a good night!
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