Cool Stuff

Two really neat inventions.

First, an astronaut creates an orbital coffee mug which makes use of surface tension to keep the coffee from floating around in blobs. This is an old problem, of course, and previously NASA solved it by packaging all liquids in sealed bags or tubes. But there are some things -- coffee and wine in particular -- that you just don't want to suck through a straw. Now you can drink in style in space. (Spotted by the always-fascinating Ephemeral Isle 'blog.)

Second, a functioning mermaid tail for a woman legless since childhood, created by the mad geniuses at Weta Workshop. These guys can build Orcs and rayguns, and now, apparently, mermaids as well. (There's an old Avram Davidson story about a girl unable to walk who takes up a career as a mermaid in a remote part of central Europe.) (Spotted by the ever-vigilant David Thompson.)