I read a book back when I was still teaching in Burnaby called "Timescape" (Gregory Benford, 1980). From the back cover the book is described like this:
1998. Earth is falling apart, on the brink of ecological disaster. But in England a tachyon scientist is attempting to contact the past, to somehow warn them of the misery and death their actions and experiments have visited upon a ravaged planet.
1962. JFK is still president, rock 'n' roll is king, and the Vietnam War hardly merits front-page news. A young assistant researcher at a California university, Gordon Bernstein, notices strange patterns of interference in a lab experiment. Against all odds, facing ridicule and opposition, Bernstein begins to uncover the incredible truth... a truth that will change his life and alter history... the truth behind time itself.
I found this to be a fascinating book. An interesting read, but it may be a difficult for some who prefer their novels on the "fluffy" side.
An interesting concept to come out of the autmotive world - the Tweel.
In theory it would not be affected by tire pressure changes (due to heat, or nails). Will it become the future?
Here's me
done up in
South Park Studio
I started designing the suspension to use a set of Yamaha R6 motorcycle shocks. While a cheap solution, this
method posed some more difficult challenges. The spring rate was more than twice what I needed, while the travel was
less than half what I needed. I decided to use a rocker arm arrangement to use mechanical advantage to work the
shocks harder. Much like a Formula 1 car does with their shocks mounted inboard. While not insurmountable, this
required far more thought than I wanted. I did design the front, and started fabricating the rockers. The back was
not working for me - I couldn't figure a way to fit the R6 shocks with the solid axle within the confines of the
Lotus frame. So, I did the most reasonable thing. I flogged them.
Instead, I bought a pair of shocks Steve Smith recommends for Dwarf cars on the cheap. I picked up a used set
of coilovers on eBay for $45 including shipping (boy people like to soak you on shipping! This guy was nice!),
And am working on a solution to mounting the coilovers on the shocks.
I just need to find a set of 150lb springs for the rear, and I should be set!!