All the Physics and Math Nerds will get this

How Pop-Up Books Are Made

Wired has up a small blurb entitled "The Science of Pop-Ups" that I found interesting. Apparently it can take quite some engineering to get it just right.

Shields Up!

Believe it or not, the first "Star Trek" technology that might make it to real life is "shields." As nations ponder a return to space, British scientists are considering how they can better protect astronauts from high-energy particles. However, the theory here is not exactly like the "Star Trek" approach which tends to be simply a projection of "force". This device would generate a powerful magnetic field and fill it with plasma (basically gas with an electric charge) which would be held in place by the field. Then high energy particles would be slowed down by the plasma until no longer dangerous or deflected to the sides.

This is technically more like a Star Trek deflector field, if there are any Trekkie Geeks out there ready to rip me a new one for my inaccurate technobabble.