grail

Kamikaze conclusion for successful moon mission

Streaking through vacuum at a mile per second just above the cratered surface of the moon, two washing machine-size science probes that have completed their mission to map the lunar gravity field will slam into a mile-high mountainside Monday, bringing a successful $500 million mission to a kamikaze conclusion.

The twin probes, named Ebb and Flow in a student naming contest, have been flying in formation at extremely low altitude since January 1, 2012, mapping subtle changes in the moon's gravitational pull to gain insights into its internal structure.

With all of the mission's scientific objectives accomplished, the … Read more

Trotify kit puts Monty Python horse coconuts on your bike

Every time I watch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," I insult along with the French knight, sing Sir Robin's praises, and fervently wish I had a coconut to add horse-trotting sound effects to my life.

Design studio Original Content London has figured out how to bring the sounds of Monty Python-style equine movement to bicycles. Trotify is a wood kit that mounts on the front of a bike. As you pedal, the tire triggers Trotify to clomp a coconut up and down. You'll have to provide your own minstrel and squire. … Read more

Bring out your dead! Ultimate 'Holy Grail' guide comes to iPad

Like any self-respecting geek, I can quote just about any scene from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"--complete with a pretty spot-on English accent.

Needless to say, it ranks among my all-time favorite films--and that's why the new Monty Python: The Holy Book of Days app for iPad is such a treat. It's like a coffee-table book come to life, a mammoth interactive collection of cast-member goodies from the filming of the movie.… Read more

NASA spacecraft releases first video of moon's far side

NASA revealed the first unique views of the far side of the moon today.

The images were captured by a video camera on one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) lunar spacecrafts on January 19. In the video (see below), the spacecraft flies towards the lunar south pole exposing the moon's north pole.

"The far side of the moon is extremely rugged," said Maria Zuber, a principal investigator on the project. "The surface also contains many impact craters which are preserved features from asteroids that hit the moons surface after it formed.&… Read more

Amazon may launch Netflix-like book service

HP launches the TopShot LaserJet Pro printer that can scan 3D objects, Netflix finally arrives on most Android phones, and Amazon.com is rumored to be in talks with major publishers to launch a Netflix-like service for books.

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded: