Robotica Exotica

Automotive X-Prize

The X-prize group has just released the draft standard for their automotive X-prize. Just as the original Ansari X-Prize was a 10 million purse for the first vehicle to successfully reach exo-atmospheric flight twice within a two week period. Their Automotive X-prize has two parts, one for a conventional 4 wheeled, 4 passenger vehicle that gets better than 100 mpg, the other for unconventional vehicles.

In draft guidelines to be released at the New York Auto Show, the AXP outlines an independent competition that will result in clean, efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change. The AXP also invites interested teams - major auto companies and innovators alike - to execute letters of intent to participate as the AXP moves toward an official launch later this year.

"We invite the world's best and brightest minds to look at this independent, high-profile competition as a way to make a difference for generations to come," said Mark Goodstein, executive director, Automotive X PRIZE. "In the spirit of grand competitions throughout history - including Lindbergh's historic flight across the Atlantic 80 years ago - we expect that the Automotive X PRIZE will bring about change and innovation for the benefit of everybody. This competition will help level the playing field and capture entrepreneurial, scientific and technical energy to bring about viable cars that consumers want to buy."

The draft guidelines outline a challenging multi-year competition with a multi-million-dollar cash purse. Teams first are required to meet arduous standards proving they are capable of designing and building production-capable, super-efficient vehicles. The vehicles then will compete in a series of rigorous stage races that test the vehicles under real-world driving requirements and conditions. Vehicles will compete in two different categories - Mainstream (4+ passengers, 4+ wheels) and Alternative (2+ passengers, no requirement on number of wheels). Winning vehicles must exceed 100 miles per gallon or its equivalent, while also meeting rigorous emission requirements.

Mouse Brain Hacking

While I don't write a whole lot about biological phenomena, I ran across this article which may, in fact, be one of the strangest things that I have ever read.

A mere parasite controls the fate of rats and mice by hijacking the part of the brain that makes the rodents naturally fear cats, a new study shows.

Rats and mice normally flee if they smell cat urine, but not if they're infected by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite can only complete its life cycle if its rodent host is eaten by a cat, so it "brainwashes" the creature into apparently liking the scent.

I almost cannot imagine the sequence of random variation that allows the parasite to so exquisitely tune its action on the rodents. Let alone why the parasite needs the mouse to be eaten by a mouse.