Silver Wind, the latest boat from Italy’s ISA Yachts, is the first in the world to use water-jet propulsion driven by a hybrid diesel-electric system. When powered by its two marine diesel engines, the yacht can reach a top speed of 32 knots and cruise at 26 knots; when its water jets are driven exclusively by the two electric motors, it is able to cruise at 8. Not only does this system reduce fuel consumption, it also helps reduce maintenance costs by allowing the engines and generators to operate for fewer t…

Researchers Pinpoint Protein Crucial For Development Of Biological Rhythms In Mice

Johns Hopkins researchers report that they have identified a protein essential to the formation of the tiny brain region in mice that coordinates sleep-wake cycles and other so-called circadian rhythms.

By disabling the gene for that key protein in test animals, the scientists were able to home in on the mechanism by which that brain region, known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus or SCN, becomes the body’s master c…

Outside of the audiophile world, most consumers are not aware of dedicated headphone amplifiers, which take the experience of personal listening to a whole new sonic level. In recent years, many of the leading audio-product manufacturers have pulled out all the stops and released cost-is-no-object examples that deliver higher levels of musical fidelity for headphones than ever before. As more and more listeners begin gravitating toward high-resolution music files as their preferred media, these ded…

Known for creating some of the world’s slimmest complications, Piaget has once again worked its miniaturizing magic—this time creating the world’s thinnest chronograph. The Piaget Altiplano Chronograph is equipped with the company’s new 883P caliber, which is an astounding 4.65 mm thick and is housed in a case just 8.24 mm thick.

The watch’s chronograph function is of the flyback variety, meaning that unlike a traditional chronograph—which requires three presses to stop, reset, and then restart the mechanis…

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have developed a technique that can predict — with 95 percent accuracy — which stroke victims will benefit from intravenous, clot-busting drugs and which will suffer dangerous and potentially lethal bleeding in the brain.

Reporting online May 15 in the journal Stroke, the Johns Hopkins team says these predictions were made possible by applying a new method they developed that uses standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to measures damage to the blood-brain ba…

After nearly a century, Manhattan’s Knickerbocker hotel is open.

Why Go: When the ball drops in Times Square for New Year’s, the corner banquette at the Knickerbocker’s rooftop St. Cloud bar is one of the best seats in New York City. From 15 stories high, the spot looks across the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway for an unobstructed view of the Waterford Crystal ball. The hotel originally opened the year before New York City’s first Times Square ball drop, in 1906. Back then, the Knickerbocker had 5…

After nearly a century, Manhattan’s Knickerbocker hotel is open.

Why Go: When the ball drops in Times Square for New Year’s, the corner banquette at the Knickerbocker’s rooftop St. Cloud bar is one of the best seats in New York City. From 15 stories high, the spot looks across the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway for an unobstructed view of the Waterford Crystal ball. The hotel originally opened the year before New York City’s first Times Square ball drop, in 1906. Back then, the Knickerbocker had 5…

In March, a few weeks before the tulips bloom, hordes of private planes descend on the Dutch town of Maastricht for the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), the largest and most prestigious art and antiques fair in the world. Taking place this year from March 13 through 22 and featuring 275 dealers and galleries from around the world, TEFAF offers unique one-stop shopping.

Attendees will be treated to a wide array of top-tier Old Master works, such as a charming 17th-century marriage portrait of a richly dressed…

Scientists zoom in and out as the brain processes sound

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have mapped the sound-processing part of the mouse brain in a way that keeps both the proverbial forest and the trees in view. Their imaging technique allows zooming in and out on views of brain activity within mice, and it enabled the team to watch brain cells light up as mice “called” to each other. The results, which represent a step toward better understanding how our own brains process language, appeared online Ju…

Comic-book characters are experiencing something of a renaissance, inspiring wildly successful movies, television series, video games, and now pens. The Italian pen maker Montegrappa has introduced a new line of eight pens inspired by heroes and villains from the DC Comics universe. In contrast to the gritty takes on these iconic characters that are popular today, the Montegrappa pens are inspired by their campier, silver-age (approximately 1956 to 1970) incarnations. Each pen is priced from $395 to $475, depending on nib type. (<a href="http://www.montegrappa.com/products/writing_instruments/dc_comics/i…