Airplanes are built to last a decade, maybe a little longer, Furse said. But technological development in the structure of airplanes has more or less plateaued, so airlines have been replacing worn parts and updating instruments and letting planes fly with the same wiring that was installed as long as 30 years ago. The connector will electronically detect problems and immediately communicate them to the cockpit, giving the pilot time to act before a major problem in the wiring creates a disaster for the plane. The project is still in the developing stage, but within two years, Furse expects to have smart connectors small enough to embed in individual wires and sensitive enough to detect small frays in wires. The really cool on college campuses like to party hearty but without the booze overflowing.
Intoxication is so, so out.
The move away from the bottle comes as colleges around the country are under pressure to crack down on binge drinking and rowdy parties that lead to raunchy behavior, car accidents, fights and death. What the crusading universities have found is that one of their most effective weapons is the students themselves. More and more, they are turned off by excessive drinking which might cost them grades and future careers. Two-thirds of those who responded said they had four or fewer drinks per party. Sixty-six percent had turned down an offer for drugs or alcohol within the last month.