alchemy

Bling! Researchers create 24k gold in the lab

To put it lightly, something sensational happens upon feeding large concentrations of toxic gold chloride (also known as liquid gold) to the bacteria Cupriavidus metallidurans. After about a week's time, the bacterium creates a 24-karat gold nugget from the digested toxins.

"Microbial alchemy is what we're doing, transforming gold from something that has no value into a solid, precious metal that's valuable," said Kazem Kashefi, assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Michigan State University, where the research is taking place. … Read more

Dungeons & Dragon perfumes: Smell like an orc

Eau de elf. Essential oil of orc. Chaotic cologne. The one feature that Dungeons & Dragons has always lacked is a sense of smell. It's incredible that nobody has come up with a scratch-and-sniff dungeon adventure. That vast oversight has now been remedied by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's RPG series of perfumes.

The idea is that you build your own scent just like you build a D&D character. Choose your alignment (such as lawful or chaotic), add your class (like cleric or paladin) and top it off with your race (including half-elf or orc). Layer the fragrances together and you get the odor of your D&D alter ego. Ah, the sweet smell of a 20-sided dice.

The perfume descriptions read like wine-tasting notes. The paladin perfume smells like "immaculate white musk, sweet frankincense, bourbon vanilla, white leather, and shining armor." I'm not sure what shining armor smells like, but I'd sure like to find out.… Read more

Gadgettes 181: The Full of Win Episode (podcast)

Can you pass up an entire episode devoted to things that absolutely rule more than the world, me AND you combined? I didn't think so.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 181

Breaking News: Full of LOSS! iPhone finder found http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/04/iphone-finder/

The Knight XV is a Hummer on steroids http://dvice.com/archives/2010/04/nothing-can-tou.php

21-foot robotic baby http://io9.com/5526040/21+foot+tall-robot-baby-to-defend-peoples-republic/gallery/

Biomechanical Terminator mic stand makes even karaoke look cool http://nerdapproved.com/misc-gadgets/biomechanical-terminator-mic-stand-makes-even-karaoke-look-cool/… Read more

Simple slideshow creator

Presentation Wizard is a versatile program that allows users to create executable multimedia slideshows. Although we like the simplicity of its design, we do wish that the instructions were a little briefer.

The program's interface is uncluttered, with a small handful of buttons and menus. For the most part, the program is intuitive, and it's not hard to get started even without reading the instructions. However, users who don't read the instructions are likely to miss some important features, such as options for customizing backgrounds and other characteristics throughout the slideshow. And that can be a bit … Read more

Gaming keyboard meets manual typewriter

Hard-core gamers are always looking for gear that will survive the most merciless abuse under their sweaty palms. So needless to say, tough keyboards are frequently at the top of the list.

But it isn't often that a new version borrows a technology from the distant past. The first gaming keyboard in OCZ's new "Alchemy" series features keys made from "100 percent rubber-coating for no-slip comfort," according to PClaunches. And in doing so, the "Elixir" is taking a tack used by old Royal and Underwood manual typerwriters, which occasionally sported rubber caps … Read more