Usually souped-up street rods are created by teenagers. But if you’re an engineer, you can convert your Prius into a 250mpg super-miser by adding a few more batteries and plugging it in overnight. This extra energy costs less than twenty-five cents a day. And Ron Gremban lives in California, where hybrids can now use the car pool lane, even if only one person is in the car.

Gremban customized his Prius by adding 18 batteries to the trunk. It cost only about $3,000 to do the job. The Prius increases its fuel efficiency by using the small amounts of electricity created by braking and coasting. The extra batteries let Gremban store even more power by plugging the car into a wall outlet in his garage.
read more

We’ve reported that ancient legends probably have an origin in fact. But what about those proverbs we’ve been hearing all our lives??Like “an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Scientists want to understand why we get so much meaning from these deceptively simple statements.

They had to start by finding out what part of the brain comprehends them. Researcher V. S. Ramachandran discovered that a region of the brain known as the angular gyrus is responsible for the human ability to understand metaphors.
read more

If a Cornell University researcher has his way, cheetahs, lions, elephants, camels and other large wild animals may soon roam parts of North America. But wait, you may say, cheetahs, lions and elephants aren’t native to the US! But their ancient ANCESTORS were, so there’s no reason these animals can’t live here again.

“If we only have 10 minutes to present this idea, people think we’re nuts,” says biologist Harry Greene. “But if people hear the one-hour version, they realize they haven’t thought about this as much as we have.” He points out that these species are dying out rapidly in their native homes, especially in Africa. This may be our only chance to save them.
read more

The Dreamland server outage has been repaired, and the last four programs are once again available for free listening from Unknowncountry.com, and the most recent program is available for free Podcast. Click on the words “Listen Now” on the right side of the masthead to listen to Dreamland.

NOTE: This news story, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.read more