The Chinese Solar Machine Layer by Layer Fire in the Library The Mystery Behind Anesthesia
In 2002, severe flooding in Central Europe left millions isolated. Soon, however, a floating aluminum bridge could help keep flood-prone communities connected. The modular one-lane highway can be assembled in just three days. A 70-meter prototype was built on a lake in the Netherlands; 18 factory-built sections were slotted together on site. Polystyrene foam inside each section makes the road unsinkable, and foam-filled outriggers increase stability. Cars can cross the road at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. Rural Dutch communities are considering a longer-term deployment of the road, which was developed by a consortium of Dutch companies. There's also interest from Norway and eastern Europe, where it can take up to three years to build a conventional road across waterlogged land.
To read the entire article you must log in:
Most of our content — all daily news, blogs, and videos — is free. Magazine stories are paid. To read this story, you must have a subscription or you must use a reading credit. Registration to Technology Review is free and entitles registrants to three free reading credits.
Manufacturing in the United States is in trouble. That's bad news not just for the country's economy but for the future of innovation.