01.6.2K7: Which bot is yours?

Scientific American's cover and robot (click on image to see larger version).

Popular Science's cover and robot (click on image to see larger version).

I've read Popular Science since I was a young teen, really jonesing on the coming thing science, do-it-yourself articles, energy-efficient homes, and fancy toys. When I became an adult, I realized that there was more to science than gadgets and sci-fi prognostication, and I subscribed to Scientific American, a magazine that gave me articles on cutting-edge real science, and lessons in archeology, physics, electronics, psychology, mathematics and medicine that often left my head spinning.

Still, I've recognized the value of both magazines for years, their different perspectives on science, its value, and its promise for the future, much like watching the "Mac and PC" commercials. (The funny thing about those commercials is, they don't really make the PC look all that bad overall... just work-focused. The commercial is obviously designed to attract fun-based computer users, and it does. But for those who use computers for business, the commercials simply tend to reinforce their belief that the PC really is better for them. Nice try, Apple.)

Anyway... over the years, I've gotten a kick out of the differing perspectives of the two mags, especially when they touch on similar subjects... for example, duing the SARS scare, Scientific American examined the transmission vectors involved, while Popular Science showed you ways to protect yourself. Scientific American presented a detailed, albeit confusing, article on String Theory... Popular Science presented an article that essentially showed how incredibly confusing String Theory is.

But I believe the recent articles on robots may be the best recent example of the differences between the two mags. In fact, the covers say it all. Scientific American's January 2007 cover features a sturdy-looking, decidedly masculine robot of steel and gold-plating, a robot ala US Steel (or maybe the US Army), striking a "ready to work" pose, and text hawking an article by Bill Gates about "smart mobile devices."

In contrast, Popular Science's cover features a machine of softer-looking grey and black graphite and plastic, with a sculpted female face, clearly feminine lines, and a relaxed pose, a robot ala Sharper Image (or maybe Hollywood), with text hawking "the Walking, Talking, Pie-Baking Humanoid Machine." And to put more emphasis on the point, PopSci offers an online article with photos of movie fembots over the years.

Okay, so Popular Science is noticeably more "fluffy" than Scientific American... hey, "Popular" is precisely half their name. Is there anything wrong with that? No. As I pointed out with the "Mac and PC" ads, different isn't necessarily better or worse... it's simply different. Popular Science may not provide deep scientific detail about their products, but they do present the reader with real-world practical applications of science, ideas that can be highly inspirational to the home mechanic, the garage-inventor, and the young high school grad thinking about what to do with their life.

So, one magazine teaches, while the other inspires. Sort of a Mac-PC, or maybe a Mars-Venus thing. Looks like a perfect combination to me.

01.2.2K7: Quick, what is it?

Take another good look at this bike, and you might change your quick answer... after all, that floating back end, big braking disks and dual exhaust looks like a serious sportbike... but that full fairing front, and those smaller tires, say scooter. Whuthuhey?

This is the latest entry into the "bigger is better" mantra that has taken the motorcycle industry by storm in recent years. As touring bikes and cruisers get engines of over 2000cc's, and scooters have become more and more popular, it was only a matter of time before someone would give us a scooter with real sportbike aspirations. That someone is Piaggio, a long-time scooter manufacturer, and the machine is the Gilera GP 800.

The GP 800 will have an 850cc V-twin engine, capable of 75bhp and a top speed of more than 120mph. On a scooter! Which explains the beefy brake discs on front and back, capable of serious stoppies on demand. The previous record-holder for largest scooter engine was the Suzuki Burgman, with a 650cc engine, and 50bhp. Most scooter engines are below 500cc.

With an engine essentially lifted out of an Aprilla motorcycle, I'm not sure how fuel-efficient it's going to be. However, with electronic fuel injection, a catalytic converter, and an electric automatic transmission, it's sure to run cleaner than its bike counterparts, and easier besides. As scooters become more popular in the U.S. and elsewhere, this one could turn out to be the muscle scoot of scooters.