Scientists convert glucose into fuel and polyesters
07/21/06, 06:08pm, EDT
A British engineering firm has put together a high-performance hybrid version of BMW's Mini Cooper. The PML Mini QED has an output of 640 horsepower, according to PML. It has a top speed of 150 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. The car uses a small gasoline engine with four 160 horsepower electric motors on each wheel. The car employs a brake-by-wire system to recoup some lost energy under braking. The motors are able to provide ABS and traction control with guidance of the car's onboard computer. The Mini QED is a plug-in hybrid, meaning it can be charged directly from a power outlet. The car will "not be generally commercially available," according to its creators. However, the company is "interested in discussing possible one-off orders and collaborations."
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I just watched Good Copy, Bad Copy, a stunning Danish documentary on remix culture and copyright, available as a free download. The film skips around the world, showing the changing attitudes toward art and culture in Nigeria, Sweden, Brazil, the UK, and the US, answering statements about incentives and creativity by the MPAA and IFPI by showing us real artists (like Danger Mouse and Girl Talk) making wonderful art that, according to the gangsters in the entertainment industry, no one will make without copyright. 
If the American economy tanks, look for car loans to follow the same pattern as house loans, right into the dumpster. However, 
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