Enjoy a cocktail in space with this 3D-printed cup (Tomorrow Daily 238)
Ashley and Khail check out a whisky cup designed to be used in microgravity, a vomiting robot used to study the spread of a particularly widespread virus and a compass created to help visually impaired people navigate.
We've returned after a long weekend, and we're happy to report astronauts might someday be able to get drunk in space.
OK, so maybe astronauts aren't the best candidates for a glass of scotch whisky, but Ballantine's is in the middle of developing a cup that can be used in microgravity. Usually, astronauts on the ISS use a plastic bag with a straw to drink any liquids, but this would enable them to smell what they're drinking, which is an important part of any whisky-drinking experience.
Animotus is an interesting device with some potentially huge implications; in a nutshell, it's a 3D-printed device that visually impaired people can use to get directions. It rotates when the holder needs to turn left or right, and extends out to indicate how far and in which direction the user should walk.
North Carolina State University researchers wanted to study how norovirus travels from person to person, and decided they needed to create a vomiting robot to do that. It's disgusting to watch, but it's already giving the team a better understanding of how the virus is transmitted via air.
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Here are some links and notes for all the things on the show today:
- Ballantine's is developing a whisky cup that can be used in microgravity
- Animotus is a 3D-printed, navigational "compass" made for the visually impaired
- Vomit robot from North Carolina State University blows chunks for science
- New Releases: Super Mario Maker, The Visit
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