Articles by Chris Schults

The Meatrix II: Revolting official launch date and premiere

It is official, The Meatrix II: Revolting will be released on March 30th.

And all you New York area Moopheus fans can attend the premiere at the Bowery Poetry Club in the East Village on March 29th.

If you're one of the few people who haven't watched the original, I direct you here.

How do you define “environmentalism”?

Dave's environmental ethics post addressed an issue that has become more and more apparent here in Gristmill: the term "environmentalism" means something different to each one of us.

This is exemplified in today's Soapbox by Oliver Bernstein on environmental issues along the U.S.-Mexico border:

The flying car has arrived

In a relatively short time, the dreams of sci-fi and Jetson fans will finally be realized: the flying car has arrived. (I can just hear the collective groan of the environmental community.)

Let me repeat that: someone has finally designed a flying car. According to Newsweek, in two years MIT student Carl Dietrich plans to have his flying car (named the Transition) on the road and in the air, and selling for about $100,000:

The Transition runs on regular gas. But you can drive it to the airport, extend its origami-like wings, take off at double the highway speed and fly up to 500 miles away, then touch down and park it in your host's garage. With the wings folded, the Transition is about the size of an Escalade, with a little less cargo space. Of course, it's a little more difficult to maneuver -- it requires a sport pilot's license -- so it's not likely to replace your standard flightless car. "It's not like every Joe Schmo and soccer mom on a cell phone is going to be driving one," says Dietrich, an MIT grad student who won the school's top prize for young innovators.

And just to top that, his next project will be: a desktop nuclear-fusion reactor. Really. Read the press release.

(Via BB)

The Daily Grist Headline Battle Royale: Match 2

Thanks to everyone who participated in the first Daily Grist Headline Battle Royale. There were 34 votes and the winning headline was my personal fave, "One King to Bring Them All and in the Darkness Bind Them," which garnered 35% of the votes.

Here are this week's nominees:

1. Nobody Undoes It Like Sara Lee: Industry-backed bill would overthrow state food-labeling laws
2. Beetle Bailiwick: Warmer B.C. ravaged by beetles, haunted by dead birds
3. Bring in Da Illinois, Bring in Da Hunk: Obama speechifies for energy independence, chemical-plant security
4. I Know You Are, Senator, But What Am I?: Pro-drilling Alaska rep aims to punish anti-drilling Washington senators
5. Rumblings in the Bronx: A virtual walking tour of the South Bronx

Remember, if we can keep this going and gain some momentum (read: we need more than 34 votes), we could have ourselves a "Daily Grist Headline Deathmatch" at the end of the year.

Now vote!