Atlantica - 01.04.2006, Side 15

AT L A N T I CA 13
Hi and Lo
More feats of technology from around the world.
SELF-MONITOR
If you walk out of a bar and you’re performing complex algebraic
equations with your body weight and the number of drinks you’ve
polished off in the last 45 minutes, you’ve probably answered your own
question. Better to take a cab. But for those borderline moments and
borderline alcoholics, there’s the Alcohawk® Micro, a compact breath
alcohol screener that fits onto your key chain. The pocket breath-a-lizer
gives you a blood alcohol level reading in five seconds and it comes with
a free leather case. Buy it at the website of the manufacturer, Q3 Alcohol
Testing Specialists. www.q3ats.com
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COME IN, MISSION CONTROL
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, is bracing for a
galactic revolution. A small town in the lower belly of the
southwestern state of New Mexico, T. or C., as it’s known,
is minorly known in its dusty corner of America for a
couple of reasons. One, it’s called Truth or Consequences;
two, it’s a mecca for natural hot spring junkies. But soon
enough, T. or C. will be the closest town to the world’s
first civilian space port. The State of New Mexico and Sir
Richard Branson, the Union-Jack wearing, empire-building
eccentric behind Virgin Atlantic, recently agreed that Virgin
Galactic’s world headquarters will call New Mexico home.
Over 40,000 people from over 120 countries have already
registered to fly with the world’s first commercial space
tourism outfit. The spaceport, which will offer “fledlging
astronauts an experience that will be truly out of this
world,” hopes to be up and running by 2008. And T. or C.
will probably go from over-the-hill resort town to host
to the oil tycoons and billionaires who can afford to be
fledgling astronauts at $200,000 a pop.
www.virginatlantic.com
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YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Why not mine your architectural nostalgia this weekend
and build your own geodesic dome in the backyard?
Jonathan Smith of Santa Barbara, California, has
provided detailed instructions on how to BYOD from
recycled double-ply cardboard. The design has great
geek roots, taken from a 1973 edition of Popular Science
magazine. It uses 45 cardboard triangles and – allegedly
– takes three adults and three hours to build. We’d block
out a little more time, but it all depends on how fast you
are with your board. www.monkeyc.org/dome
009 airmail Atlantica 306.indd 13 23.4.2006 22:18:16