Shock, Vibration and Noise Blog

For every true life story there seems to be an accompanying true life conspiracy theory. Recent articles and commentary show that wild imaginations are again flying at the seemly innocuous effort of water exploration on the moon. What causes people to develop these fanciful and in many cases downright irrational versions of ordinary events? Tell us the top five well-known engineering-related conspiracy theories that shock you most.

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Recent articles examine the Madison Wisconsin Police Department's use of Taser guns and what some are claiming as overuse. They say users of the device have little regard for delivering a level of pain that some say is tantamount to torture. They also add tht occasionally pain is inflicted on self proclaimed innocent victims of a crime scene. Take your engineering pick and tell us why Tasers are either better or worse than alternative deterrents.

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Free speech is a powerful right that not everyone enjoys. Currently there is a noise brewing in town halls around the U.S. and the tone of all sides involved isn't always pleasant. This time, the issues surround changes to a health care system. These meetings often discuss serious issues that require serious debate. Many resist while some defend the proposed government changes, but isn't that what makes America the home of the free? Town Hall meetings are one way the average person can opine, but are there better ways? People often disagree, but isn't that what freedom is all about?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Shock, Vibration & Noise, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Shock, Vibration & Noise today.

When man discovered fire, he was most likely amazed and astonished for a long time before he finally took its power for granted. Today some people could be in a burning building and probably not notice until the flames were at their feet. Over the millennia, we've seen it all, or have we? It takes quite a bit to shock people into noticing and being truly concerned. So, what degree of news would it take to grab your attention?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Shock, Vibration & Noise, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Shock, Vibration & Noise today.

Thirty year ago, General Motors had a great idea and a viable product that might have revolutionized the automobile industry, and at the same time could have been a real dagger to oil profits. There has been debate as to why exactly the company suddenly canceled the EV1 project, perhaps for technical reasons or possibly under pressure from the oil lobby. Whatever the case, we can only imagine where the company would stand today if the program had been fully developed and prospered. GM made a corporate decision to stop production of the electric car, so shouldn't they, not the taxpayer, be responsible for their bailout? Can they redeem themselves by finally going green?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Shock, Vibration & Noise, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Shock, Vibration & Noise today.