Enery Saviour, Electric trycycle

An electricity expert at Purdue University has taken an average tricycle and made it into an electrically powered, energy-testing machine that could help develop new technologies for greener vehicles.

Athula Kulatunga, associate professor of electrical engineering technology, received support from General Motors to build a plug-in electric bicycle as a learning platform for power electronics and applied research on controllers, charging devices, battery configurations and motor drives. The result is a tricycle that features a reclining seat, pedals in the front and handlebars on the side for steering.

"The purpose of the tricycle is to conduct research, not to produce or design these for commercial use," said Kulatunga, who directs research in the International Rectifier Power Electronics Development and Applications Laboratory in the College of Technology.

CO2 emissions map on Google Earth

A new high-resolution, interactive map of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels is now available on Google Earth.

Athula Kulatunga, associate professor of electrical engineering technology, received support from General Motors to build a plug-in electric bicycle as a learning platform for power electronics and applied research on controllers, charging devices, battery configurations and motor drives.

With a few clicks on Google Earth, anyone can now view pollution from factories, power plants, roadways, and residential and commercial areas for their state, county or per capita. Individuals also can easily see how their county compares to others across the nation.

Top 5 Powerful Billionare..1

Michael Bloomberg

Source of power: mayor, New York City; Bloomberg LP

New York City's chief executive. Former Salomon Brothers trader founded financial information and services firm Innovative Market Systems; renamed Bloomberg LP in 1987. Firm now has news service, cable TV stations, radio and magazine. Today, he owns 88% of company after buying cash-strapped Merrill Lynch's 20% stake last summer. Spent $74 million becoming New York City mayor in 2001 and $85 million in 2005. Law passed in October letting Bloomberg run for third term.

Top 5 Powerful Billionare..2

Silvio Berlusconi

Source of power: prime minister, Italy; Fininvest

Currently serving his third term as prime minister of Italy. Leads a nation of 58 million people, an industrial economy with a GDP of $2.4 trillion and a military budget of roughly $43 billion. As prime minister, he lords over Italy's public TV; his diversified conglomerate Fininvest dominates Italy's private TV channels.

Top 5 Powerful Billionare..3

Lakshmi Mittal

Source of power: ArcelorMittal

Controls world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal; company accounts for 10% of crude steel production. Born in India but lives in London, where his political clout often incites controversy. In 2002, then British Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly wrote a letter to the Romanian prime minister hinting a sale of the country's steel company to Mittal would facilitate its entrance into the European Union.

Top 5 Powerful Billionare..4

Warren Buffett

Source of power: Berkshire Hathaway

Even the faintest hint of interest from Buffett can send a stock soaring. When Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway injected billions into Goldman Sachs in September, the investment bank's shares jumped by nearly 6%. Backed Barack Obama with advice and money during last year's campaign; Obama often touted the endorsement in a campaign where the economy eventually took center stage.

Top 5 Powerful Billionare..5

Vagit Alekperov

Source of power: Lukoil

Former Caspian Sea oil rig worker, now president of Lukoil, Russia's largest independent energy company. The firm's reserves are second only to ExxonMobil. Alekperov owns more than 19% of the company. Friend of Vladimir Putin who lobbies Kremlin for tax breaks for Russian oil companies

Wall Street tumbled with the Dow and S&P 500 falling to a 12 year low after insurance giant American International Group reported the biggest quarterly loss in corporate history.

The Dow Jones industrial average Monday lost almost 300 points, or 4.2 percent to end at 6763.29, its lowest point since April 25, 1997. The S&P 500 index lost 34 points, or 4.7 percent, ending at 700.82, its lowest close since Oct 28, 1996.

The Nasdaq composite lost 55 points, or 4 percent to end at 1322.85. The tech-fuelled Nasdaq has held up better than the other major averages this year and remains above its close of 1316.12 from Nov 20, 2008.

Home At Moon

It seems alot has been happening at NASA lately with regards to planning and implementation of new space missions. One such mission, is the proposal to build an outpost on the moon. The outpost is expected to begin operations in 2020, but some challenges need to be overcome in order to build the outpost landing site.

Due to the fact that there is no atmosphere on the lunar surface, it means that rockets landing and taking off from the lunar surface will blast lunar grit outwards and away from the landing/launch pad. The outpost's crew quarters and laboratories need to be in close proximity to the landing site, which means a solution needs to be found so these are not sandblasted everytime a rocket lands or takes off.