Popular Mechanics articles from August 2003

Popular Mechanics archives from August 2003

Editors as TV stars. (Editor's Notes).
August 1, 2003... It's not like POPULAR MECHANICS editors haven't on TV before. I've done stints on "Good Morning America," and myriad local news and talk shows all over the country. Science editor Jim Wilson has been interviewed dozens of times for specials on...

Roswell UFO files. (Letters).
August 1, 2003... I am retired from the Air Force, and formerly was the director of the Mutual UFO Network for the state of Idaho. Your article was a blatant insult to the intelligence of all of us who have followed the mystery of UFOs for many years. ...

War veterans. (Letters).
August 1, 2003... The veterans healthcare system needs to be put near the top of the list when it comes to federal spending. Much of the money that is appropriated for that cause is wasted. Veterans desperate for care are left waiting in long lines, even turned...

Reader ride of the month. (advertisement).
August 1, 2003... "Our 1929 Jaguar Swallow Sport Convertible is embeded in our hearts. With the help of our grandson, we have completely rebuilt this car. Since the rebuild, it has been featured in a parade and has also won a trophy at a car show. The car is a...

Time machine.
August 1, 2003... 75 Years Ago: August 1928 Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow "Free. One Full Ampoule of my amazing hair fluid which I discovered myself and which grew hair on my head." Such a deal, and the ad showed "unretouched" photos of bald men's heads...

Giant jellyfish haunt the deep. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... A new species of jellyfish found only at depths of nearly a mile beneath the sea has been identified by scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. Tiburonia granrojo, or "Big Red," as researchers call it,...

Ultimate bird cage. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... It is what you don't see at the new Wings of Asia aviary at the Miami Metrozoo that really impresses architects. The 70-ft.-tall structure appears topless. But it is just an illusion. To keep the exotic specimens inside, 90,000 sq. ft. of...

Dirtfree vegetables. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... A Canadian inventor has found a way to improve hydroponic gardening. Tim Clarke, of Richmond, British Columbia, has designed mechanical soil. The cubes seen above contain a network of interlocking plastic pins that provides an anchor upon which...

Nonlethal killer. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... In a decision that could change the weapons used by SWAT teams around the world, New York City police say they will look for a replacement for nonlethal stun grenades. The announcement followed a botched raid in which police stormed into a home...

Computer steps. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... Putting stroke patients back on their feet requires their spending hours on the treadmill under the eye of a skilled therapist. To get patients up and moving faster, Thompson Sarkodie-Gyan, a mechanical engineer at New Mexico Tech in Socorro,...

Sea lions protect Naval fleet. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... The U.S. Navy's newest recruits cannot stand at attention or salute officers. They are California sea lions. As part of the Navy's fleet protection effort, they are assigned to the Shallow Water Intruder Detection System (SWIDS). Working...

Artificial brain cells. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... A silicon chip that mimics the cells in the part of the brain that controls mood and memory is being designed by the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Researchers studied the signals sent from the hippocampus. Then, they...

Ultrahard lightweight metal. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... A proprietary manufacturing process that permits metals to solidify without forming a crystalline structure has been developed by Liquidmetal Technologies of Lake Forest, Calif. Called Liquidmetal, the alloy is said to be twice as hard as...

Denver Museum charts the final frontier. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... Visitors to Denver's newest museum attraction can immerse themselves in space. The Space Odyssey exhibition features the world's most sophisticated digital planetarium, plus telecommunications links to the International Space Station and other...

A safer way to fight oilwell fires. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... The usual way to fight an oilwell fire is to use an explosive charge or water to isolate the oxygen supporting the blaze. When the flame is snuffed out, a shutoff valve is quickly attached to the pipe. it is risky business because escaping gas...

Zebra fish aid deaf. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... Transparent zebra fish may hold the clue to restoring hearing for humans who have lost the hair cells that stimulate nerves in their auditory system. Birth defects, disease and some drugs can trigger the loss of the hair on these specialized...

Light-emitting bridge. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... Bridge lighting usually means high-wattage spotlights playing against sturdy towers and shimmering cables. The Rijeka, Croatia, war memorial bridge does the job with a fraction of the power. Instead of incandescent bulbs, it uses light-emitting...

Planet watch. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... * BANGLADESH Two dozen residents of Saint Martin's Island died in the early hours of May 20 when a freak storm buffeted the small island in the Bay of Bengal with heavy winds. * INDIA More than 1000 people died and hundreds were sickened in...

New type of chemical bond. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... Until now, biologists believed that increasing the force applied to the chemical bonds that hold cells together would cause those bonds to break more rapidly. It turns out this notion is not universally true. Writing in the journal Nature,...

Scanning lab rats as they scurry. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... Studying the brains of lab rats to see how they respond to drugs offers valuable insights into creating cures for humans. The most useful tool for this research is the positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, which can record images of...

Thunderbirds turn 50. (Technology watch: aviation * computers * defense * energy * environment * medicine robotics * space * transportation).
August 1, 2003... Las Vegas is going online to help the Thunderbirds--based at Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base--celebrate their 50th birthday. World of Wings (WOW), organizer of the Aviation Nation 2003 air show, will take everyone with an Internet connection...

Colossal achievement. (Following Up ...).
August 1, 2003... With the closing of a sluice gate, China has marked the completion of its most ambitious civil engineering project, the construction of the Three Gorges Dam flood control project, described in our July 1996 cover story. As water begins rising...

Rogue nukes. (Following Up ...).
August 1, 2003... The Defense Department has outlined the structure of the antimissile shield intended to protect the United States against the sort of rogue missile attack detailed in our May 2000 cover story. By 2005, the United States hopes to be able to...

Playing MP3s on your stereo. (Computers).
August 1, 2003... By now you're hip to the MP3 thing, with thousands of songs--all legally purchased, of course--lurking on your computer's hard drive. You've organized them obsessively into categories and genres, artists and albums, poring over your collection...

Video games gone wild. (Gaming).
August 1, 2003... This year's E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) was a madhouse. More than 62,000 people from over 80 counties attended this spectacle of an event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The crowds were no surprise given the recent boom in the...

PM conquers Monster (Garage). (Television).
August 1, 2003... Customarily, it takes months or even years to plan and fabricate a special-purpose vehicle. On the Discovery Channel's "Monster Garage," the idea is to compress the entire process into less than a week. The assignment for the POPULAR...

Let us prey. (Outdoors).
August 1, 2003... Once I realize that my eyes will not be plucked out, I begin to appreciate the Harris (also called Harris's) hawk that's perched on my gloved fist and looking me straight in the face. If this were 4000 years ago, I might be setting out on a...

A little friction. (Nanotechnology).
August 1, 2003... The world is a rough place. You get one reminder every time you slide behind the wheel of your car and see that tiny windshield sticker urging you to change the oil every 3000 miles. Figuring out ways to conquer energy-robbing friction and...

2004 Ford F-150. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... Ford's F-150 pickup truck, the world sales leader for two decades, gets a massive redesign for 2004. But the folks at Ford are hedging their bets, and will continue to build and sell the current truck, renamed F-150 Heritage, alongside the '04...

2004 Buick Rainier. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... If looking at the Rainier brings about a feeling of deja vu, it's because Buick's first truck-based SUV shares a great deal with the Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, Olds Bravada and Isuzu Ascender. To help separate the Rainier from its cousins,...

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5 XT and Baja Turbo. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... Riding on the success of its rally-based Impreza WRX, Subaru is adding a dose of turbo-testosterone to other members of its lineup. Both the Forester and Baja are the lucky recipients of the transplant. The added power is thanks to a...

2004 Cadillac SRX. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... Regardless of what the marketing folks at Cadillac call it, the new SRX is another entry in the crowded luxury crossover market. To help differentiate it from others, the SRX will seat seven, if you wish. The Cadillac can be ordered with either...

2004 BMW 5 Series. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... The 5 Series represents 25 percent of BMW's total sales, so a new version's success is critical. After two days of driving the car through the Sardinian countryside, it appears that the folks in Bavaria can rest easy. The '04 5 Series is bigger...

2004 Yamaha Road Star. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... You'll have to squint to see the changes Yamaha made to the 2004 Road Star. And that's exactly how the cruiser crowd likes it. The biggest changes start with the engine. The massive air-cooled V-twin was bored to 1670cc and filled with new 97mm...

2004 Cadillac CTS-V. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... What do you get when you combine a 400-hp V8, 6-speed transmission, oversize brakes, speed-rated tires and a reinforced Cadillac CTS chassis? The simple answer is the CTS-V. The folks at Cadillac realize that to truly compete with such...

2003 Lamborghini Murcielago. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... Under its new owner Volkswagen, Lamborghinis are as easy to drive as a common Corvette. Take the new Murcielago. Its steering wheel tilts and telescopes, visibility and ergonomics are excellent, and the shifter requires less effort than a Dodge...

2004 Audi A8 L. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... While other luxury manufacturers are just beginning to use aluminum frames under their premium sedans, Audi is already unveiling Version 2.0. The next-generation aluminum Audi Space Frame carrying the all-new A8 L is about 300 pounds lighter...

2004 Hyundai XG350 and Santa Fe 3.5 Liter. (New Cars).
August 1, 2003... Over the past four years, Hyundai sales have increased by 316 percent. The company has no intention of letting that falter, so there are some important changes to the upscale XG350 sedan and the Santa Fe sport utility. The XG350 gets a new...

2005 Dodge Magnum. (Detroit Spy Report).
August 1, 2003... Dodge will depart from its current full-size passenger-car design in a number of ways when this 2005 Magnum makes its debut next year. This station wagon body is the only version planned at the beginning of the model run. Later a sedan, similar...

Scared to death: do breakneck speeds and high-g turns push thrill rides to a lethal new level? (Medicine).
August 1, 2003... New roller coasters crop up every year that are bigger, faster and wilder than ever. Tower rides are dropping us father. Flat rides are spinning us with unimaginable new twist. It all seemed like good clean fun until two years ago. On June 2,...

Mighty mites: a dozen cars that are small in size, but big in performance. (Comparison Test).
August 1, 2003... If you still think a musclecar has a shaker scoop sticking through the belly of some giant animal sticker on its hood and a lumpy V8 driving chromed Cragars on the rear axle, you'd better turn down that Bee Gees 8-track and listen up. The...

Bay watch: reorganized and re-equipped, the United States Coast Guard embarks on its toughest mission. (Defense).
August 1, 2003... A full moon is rising over San Diego as the U.S. Coast Guard's Edisto slices silently through the chilly Pacific waters. In the distance we hear the ominous, low-pitched beat of an approaching Coast Guard HH-60J. The Jayhawk is flying so low...

The art of acoustics: new smaller, flatter audio look as good as they sound. (Audio).
August 1, 2003... It's hard to say Who's happier about the surround sound boom--the recording engineers who mix multichannel music and effects or the listeners wrapped inside the sound-fields. Either way, it's the speaker companies that have the most to gain....

Wheels of fire: new compound bows hit the mark with higher speed, greater accuracy and less effort. (Archery).
August 1, 2003... Look closely at this Archery Research AR-34. Not only is it impossibly cool and high-tech, it's a spectacular work of art that wouldn't look out of place in New York's Guggenheim Museum. Beyond that, the just-introduced AR-34 and similar bows...

Writing class: build an elegant writing table with a leather top. (Project).
August 1, 2003... You wouldn't think of dining without a table. Or building a bookcase without a workbench. In a sense, these are just like all of your tools as important as a knife, fork and plate joiner. So, why should writing that long-delayed novel or letter...

Adapt to survive. (Appliances).
August 1, 2003... The Bosch MUM 7400 is a powerful and highly adaptable kitchen appliance. It consists of a 700-watt motor that powers a drive system with four electronically controlled speeds. To the base/drive system you mount a 6-cup blender, beaters, or a...

Turn up the heat. (Appliances).
August 1, 2003... Everywhere we go in our appliance research, we bump into the fact that Americans are eating more frozen food. Panasonic's NB-G100P toaster oven handles frozen food using infrared light. Although this sounds needlessly high-tech, it makes sense...

Cooking up innovation. (Appliances).
August 1, 2003... The Icebox is a kitchen appliance that doesn't slice, dice, chop, brew, steam, simmer or fry. But it really cooks. Available in countertop or flip-screen versions, it functions as a TV, FM radio and DVD-CD player. Using accessories, you can...

A new twist. (Appliances).
August 1, 2003... The Lids Off is, literally, a new twist on countertop appliances. Place a jar on the appliance's turntable, lower the top assembly so it rests on top of the jar, then press the button. The Lids Off clamps around the jar's lid and twists it...

Blend in. (Appliances).
August 1, 2003... The beauty of the Krups 573-70 is that it's a perfect fit for people who need a powerful blender, and then some. The machine's 400-watt motor provides the power to blend, crush ice, whip, chop, puree and liquefy, and a soft-start feature...

Coffee house. (Appliances).
August 1, 2003... Two members of our staff each bought a Capresso CoffeeTeam Luxe grinder/coffeemaker. After sampling the coffee it produces, our verdict is that this is an excellent small appliance. The machine uses a metal burr grinder, not a high-speed blade....

Cold drink. (Appliances).
August 1, 2003... If you like an absolutely ice-cold drink, then this countertop appliance may be the answer. It's a miniature refrigerator that runs on 115 volts and keeps 1.6 gal. of water at 34[degrees] to 38[degrees] F--eliminating the need for ice in the...

Yardwork: new craftsman outdoor power equipment. (Yard Care).
August 1, 2003... Sears has been busy lately. Normally, the company comes out with products at a rate that we can fold nicely into our product pages as the year progresses. This year Sears has so many yardcare products (among other things), we decided to rake...

Build an easy workbench. (Home Improvement).
August 1, 2003... Sooner or later every homeowner starts compiling a list of repair or maintenance tasks that need attention. It doesn't matter if your home is new or old, urban or suburban. It just goes with the territory. And, if you're like many folks, you...

Defective sprinkler. (Homeowners Clinic).
August 1, 2003... When my sprinkler system is set for automatic watering, every zone works but one. When I open this zone valve manually, it works fine. What's wrong? MICHAEL KAMEL LOS ANGELES, CA Each sprinkler zone is controlled by a valve that...

Preventing air-handler mold. (Homeowners Clinic).
August 1, 2003... The people who service my central air conditioner recommend I have them install a 40-watt ultraviolet light to suppress the mold that forms in the air handler. Would this be your recommendation, or is there a better way to solve the problem?...

Review: how to build a shed. (Home Journal).
August 1, 2003... Few things are as useful to a homeowner as a shed, and we've never seen a book explain shed building as well as this one does. To withstand the test of time, a shed requires good design, sound construction, a foundation that won't let it down,...

Hacksaw blade selection. (Service tip: maintenance).
August 1, 2003... A hacksaw is only as effective as the blade you use in it. Here are the essentials. First, soft or thick metals are cut with a coarse blade (14 to 18 teeth per inch) while thin or hard metals are cut with a fine blade (24 to 32 teeth per inch)....

Installing bathroom floor tiles. (Homeowners Clinic).
August 1, 2003... I want to install ceramic tiles on my bathroom floor. The toilet is wall hung, and its drain is in the wall and not the floor. Do I have to remove the toilet to lay tiles beneath it? MARCO CERVANTES VIA INTERNET The limited space...

Heating-system antifreeze. (Homeowners Clinic).
August 1, 2003... I live in a cold climate and use a solution of 50 percent antifreeze in my hot-water heating system. However, the solution causes pressure fluctuations and noise. LARRY KEMPHER VIA INTERNET The characteristics of a 50 percent...

One good turn deserves another quarter turn. (Auto Clinic).
August 1, 2003... I've built a lot of engines over the years, but they've all been in antique cars. I was helping a friend assemble an engine for his foreign car, and he had the wackiest technique for torquing the head bolts. I swore he was going to break them...

Flow or pressure. (Auto Clinic).
August 1, 2003... Why has the auto industry abandoned the amp meter, which gives a wealth of information, and gone to the voltmeter, which is almost worthless? Is it because voltmeters are cheaper? Or is it that amp meters fluctuate and worry people? The...

Head trip. (Car Care Tip).
August 1, 2003... The prospects were frightening. The brake job I had just begun was fighting me. The bolts that fixed the caliper to the upright wouldn't come off--they were corroded in place. Worse yet, one was already broken when the car was driven in. If the...

Service tips. (Car Care).
August 1, 2003... * Nissan Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) NTB02-103 says a fuel tank baffle and underseat insulation are available to cure an objectionable sloshing noise from the fuel tank on some 2002-03 Altimas. * TSB 94-02-01 says that any Audi made...

Oily. (Auto Clinic).
August 1, 2003... Does the damper rod of a MacPherson strut ever need to be lubricated? If it does, what kind of lubrication should I use and how often should it be done? JIM POITUIL TUSCALOOSA, AL The answer to your first question is no. Some...

Fixing suspension clunks and rattles. (Saturday Mechanic).
August 1, 2003... It's the proverbial 20 miles of bad road. Potholes compete with ruts for the privilege of knocking your Freedom Fries out of the bag and onto the floor. It's worth it, however, for the great weekend of backwoods hiking and knocking around....

Greatstuff: from home improvement to outdoors, automotive to electronics, here's the newest gear you'll want to own.
August 1, 2003... 1. Palm D-Zire Palm has finally created a true multimedia handheld with the Zire 71 ($299). Sporting a built-in digital camera that lies hidden behind a sliding panel until you're ready to use it, the Zire 71 allows you to listen to MP3s,...

Advanced arthropod. (GreatStuff).
August 1, 2003... Looking for a new set of tires for your SUV or pickup? Pirelli's new Scorpion STR may be the right fit. The STR is a high-mileage, all-weather tire that splits the difference between more aggressive all-terrain off-road tires and low-profile...

Bathed in splendor. (GreatStuff).
August 1, 2003... This reproduction pedestal tub is a stickler for historic detail. True, it costs $3495, but it's not as expensive as it sounds because the pedestal and plumbing are separate components. The pedestal is $700, and the floor-mounted tub-fill, hand...

How to ram a barricade. (Worst-Case Scenarios).
August 1, 2003... You're driving in a remote area and you've accidentally wandered onto some sort of compounds. You pass some shady characters loading automatic weapons onto a truck. They see you and begin shouting and coming after you. They're not very friendly...