Mechanical spinning globe that shows the night/day terminator

Cory Doctorow 9:22 am Wed Feb 22, 2017

Elenco's Night 'n Day Mechanical Globe uses a system of translucent, exposed gears to rotate an internally illuminated globe that displays the seasonally adjusted, real-time night/day terminator as it spins.

The reviews indicate some build quality problems, with customers having to return their units to get a complete one, so caveat emptor, but it looks like if you're willing to put up with that hassle you will get a fully functional (and awfully cool) STEM gadget — at $173, you'd think they could sort this out (and perhaps they have, as the complaints are rather old), but apart from the QA issues, I love everything about this (I'm such a sucker for exposed mechanisms!).

The Night'n Day Real Solar Time Rotating Globe is a clock and calendar that shows the time of day and date for any location on earth. It also demonstrates which parts of the earth are in day or night. As the globe turns, you can see where people on earth are experiencing sunrise, sunset and twilight times. Features: 11" (28cm) globe. Assembly and easy set-up required, AC adaptor included.

Edu-Toys Night 'n Day Mechanical Globe [Elenco]

(via Red Ferret)

Possible sign of life on Venus

Astronomers reported today that they've detected phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus, a possible biosignature of life on the planet. The researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of… READ THE REST
Startling, beautiful, and weird close-up images of our Sun

Using Europe's largest solar telescope, GREGOR, researchers captured these incredible images of details on the surface of the sun. Above is a sunspot while the image below "reveals intricate structures… READ THE REST
Programmable, 3D-printed fabric that can "remember" its original shape and transform into new ones

Imagine that your jacket changes shape depending on the temperature or your socks can provide additional support with the push of a button. Harvard engineers created a new material using… READ THE REST
Short Post, just one paragraph

Dessert cheesecake wafer bear claw fruitcake. Fruitcake chupa chups donut candy canes marzipan. Apple pie sweet roll tart chocolate cake macaroon marshmallow carrot cake gummi bears sweet. Pastry sugar plum… READ THE REST
Save 50% on a 1-year subscription to Dashlane's premium password manager

We all know vital information about ourselves and our private digital accounts can be compromised by cybercriminals. However, many would be frightened to know just how compromised they and their… READ THE REST
The Bite Helper removes the itch of a mosquito bite in seconds

While mosquitoes have certainly earned their title as the deadliest animal on earth, their impact on most of our lives is usually a lot less consequential. But even though they… READ THE REST