In the Pacific Northwest or the United States – Washington to be exact – there are a series of abandoned rail lines surrounding the city of Kirkland. Many believe they are destined to become hiking trails. Many believe they will be maintained for future light rail use.
One man, John Eineigl, has a far better idea. From the piece in the Kirkland Reporter:
Last fall, he created out of common parts and materials what he refers to as a rail-bike – “a vehicle for those reclaimed rails that aren’t yet trails.”
The bike, affixed to his wooden contraption with wheels, glides over the old tracks much like a train, only it moves a lot slower, he says.
“It really works,” said Eineigl. “I can travel about half the speed I can with the bike alone.”
The vehicle, pictured above, could not look more ridiculous. But it is also a rather brilliant use of seemingly unusable space.
We have all heard the doomsday prognostications, mostly from our grandparents and elders in general.
“You know, if you keep using those cell phones, you’re going to end up with brain cancer from all the radiation!”
“It’s like you’re holding Chernobyl up to your ear!” (I have never heard this one but it would at least be clever.)
Now two Croatian retirees have invented a card that may protect human beings from radiation. From the piece in the Croatian Times – a publication I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never read before:
The Nesu Card, invented by pensioners Slavko Laus and Jurica Mavrovic, will go on sale from 1 September 2012. Zagreb company Presencija saw potential in the small little card which protects people from dangerous radition from cell phones and other devices, and have taken it upon themselves to promote the product worldwide.
“We were concentrating on people’s health, not on the phone and that is why we succeeded. For years we were looking for the right materials for making the cards. We tried a variety of materials and by trial and error we finally found the right composition of the materials, which we import from Germany because nobody in Croatia produces them. We researched for years to find the right frequency with which to programme the card with to protect people from dangerous radiation,” said Presencija Director Drazen Vulama, adding that the cards work to stabilise human energy and in layman’s terms, transfom negative energy of cell phone radiation into neutral.
Now if they could only invent a card that enables my battery to last longer than taxi ride.