Whatever, my kid can do that.Image: Pacific Tsunami Warning CenterIf we had any evidence that Republican House members were capable of feeling shame, we'd expect them to be so red right now. Mother Jones reports that one of the items on the GOP's budgetary chopping block is ... tsunami monitoring. Last month, they voted to hack out nearly a third of the funding for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which (go figure) warns about tsunamis in the Pacific: In February, the union representing the National Weather Service warned that the Republican cuts could place the residents of Hawaii in mortal …

President Carter leaving 3 Mile Island.Photo: The National ArchivesJapan has declared a state of emergency at the Fukushima nuclear reactor -- but thanks to good engineering, there's been no radiation leak and there's no risk of one. With more than 50 nuclear plants in the earthquake-vulnerable country, things would have been way worse without earthquake precautions in place. Does U.S. infrastructure have that kind of protection? Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, the top government spokesman, said the nuclear power plant developed a mechanical failure in the system needed to cool the reactor after it was shut down. He said the …

What the hell, do you not see that a guy needs to park his Jaguar? Jerks.Photo: Chris GoldNew Yorker economics writer John Cassidy thinks bike lanes should be bulldozed so that he has a place to park his Jaguar for free in Manhattan. His argument, in brief: the theft of perfectly good roadways for biking is economically unsustainable car oppression. Not surprisingly, this has generated a lot of fuss -- not just among the groups he mocks in the piece, like humorless bikeophiles and snooty Park Slope co-op members, but also among serious economists. Who are perhaps being a little …

A zero-energy TV you can see through? I know what you're thinking: "That's called a pane of glass." But this transparent screen, which Samsung unveiled at an expo in Germany, isn't just glass, it's FUTURE GLASS. For starters, the screen uses so little energy that it can be run by solar panels that feed off the ambient light in the room, like those old-school solar calculators. And while it can play regular TV images, it can also project pictures or data onto an otherwise transparent screen. That means it could be used for all kinds of crazy sci-fi applications -- …

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul went on Jon Stewart's show armed with talking points about environmental regulations. Bad move, Rand. Watch (starting around 1:50) as Jon Stewart gets him to admit that government regulations have made a huge positive difference for the environment: The Daily Show - Exclusive - Rand Paul Extended Interview Pt. 3Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook   Treehugger's summary gets right to the point: Now, the most important thing to keep in mind here is how Paul keeps repeating the refrain that "things are a lot better now" for the …

Okay, so this isn't something you can do with your home printer ... yet. But this gorgeous hunk of bike might represent the new wave of bike manufacturing. It's made using 3D printing technology, which adds nylon powder in thin layers to achieve the desired shape. In this case, that shape can be perfectly tailored to the rider -- and the nylon rivals aluminum in lightness and steel frames in strength. Plus, it looks so futurey! Read more: "3D-Printed Bike," MAKE "Bicycle material is 'grown' from high strength nylon powder," Eureka

Photo: Toban BlackNeither a borrower nor a lender be? Stuff it, old man. Shareable has collected a primer on "collaborative consumption," i.e. the fine art of consensual mooching. At the risk of sounding like a dangerous commie: It turns out there's basically no reason to be the sole owner of anything ever again. Among the things Shareable shows you how to go splitsies on: Housing. If you can handle a housemate, sharing living quarters reduces your rent and can make your utilities usage more efficient. Our favorite: The cohousing directory, which helps you find communities with cooperative home ownership. Food …

Photo: George MacklinDesigner and TED fellow Dominic Muren wants you to update your electronics like you update your wardrobe. In other words, he thinks you should be able to replace or update only what gets worn out, instead of tossing and re-purchasing everything you own at one whack just because one part is busted or old or doesn't fit your lifestyle anymore. Who really ever buys all new clothes? Instead, we modify a little at a time, replacing parts that wear out, of adding new pieces as our lifestyle changes. I needn't point out that clothing is one of the …

Photo: Jon PariseHarvard hasn't cornered the market on inventing the future, starting businesses, and all the other Zuckerbergian things people do when they're not getting laid. At this year's MIT Energy Conference, students and grads came out of their nerd caves to serve up a Jabba-sized heap of tech: personal turbines, wind-collecting balloons, bathysphere batteries, and a way to convert commercial fleet vehicles into hybrids. Witness: StranWind makes arty little turbines that you can install at home, to produce up to 4 extra kilowatts of energy. Altaeros Energies is developing giant helium-filled donuts that hang out 2,000 feet in the …

Photo: BankbryanFor the last 30-plus years, commuters in the D.C. area have been commuting to and from work via modified hitchhiking. Commuters wait in "slug lines" for a driver who's going their way -- it's a little like catching a SuperShuttle at the airport. These spontaneous carpools are beneficial for the drivers, who get to use speedy HOV lanes; for passengers, who get a free ride to work; and for the environment, because it means fewer cars on the road. The popularity of slug lines shows that people are willing to sit with strangers, put up with someone else's schedule, …