High density plasma gun generates plasmas at 190 kilometers per second

Gun has thin metal foil disc which positions or localizes gas to be ionized during electrical discharge cycle, overcoming major limiting factor in obtaining such plasmas. Expanding plasma front travels at 190 km/sec, compared to plasmas of 50 to 60 km/sec previously achieved

Application of genetic algorithms to tuning fuzzy control systems

Real number genetic algorithms (GA) were applied for tuning fuzzy membership functions of three controller applications. The first application is our 'Fuzzy Pong' demonstration, a controller that controls a very responsive system. The performance of the automatically tuned membership functions exceeded that of manually tuned membership functions both when the algorithm started with randomly generated functions and with the best manually-tuned functions. The second GA tunes input membership functions to achieve a specified control surface. The third application is a practical one, a motor controller for a printed circuit manufacturing system. The GA alters the positions and overlaps of the membership functions to accomplish the tuning. The applications, the real number GA approach, the fitness function and population parameters, and the performance improvements achieved are discussed. Directions for further research in tuning input and output membership functions and in tuning fuzzy rules are described

Calendar Acrostics

The February 1969 issue of Word Ways quoted a very old acrostic poem of twelve lines in which each word at the beginning of a line started off with the abbreviation of a month

Espyramids and Doublets

The following puzzles are excerpted from a book entitled Word Puzzles to be published by Dembner Enterprises in September 1983. In an ESPYramid Up one enlarges a one-letter word letter by letter, each addition making a new word, rearranging the letters as need dictates (a-at-tea-mate-steam-master...). The ESPYramid Down reverses this process, subtracting letters one at a time and rearranging the remainder. In Doublets , inspired by the Lewis Carroll word game, a word is gradually changed into another of opposite meaning by replacing one letter at a time, the rest remaining undisturbed and each move resulting in a new word (suite-spite-spine-swine-swing-swung-stung...)

The Venereal Game

The adjective venereal is defined in dictionaries as pertaining to sexual intercourse, but the associated noun, venery, relates either to coital activity or to the hunting of game. Although Venus pursued her prey indiscriminately in bower or bosky dell, in the venereal game only the bosky dell is involved. James Lipton\u27s An Exaltation of Larks lists scores of venereal terms, relics of mediaeval times. Some -- a school of fish, a pride of lions -- are still in general use; others -- a skulk of foxes, a barren of mules -- are still used by specialists; still others have vanished from the general ken. Mr. Lipton goes on to conjure up his own collectives, such as an unction of undertakers, a float of dancers, a dilation of pupils, and a wince of dentists. This is a game open to all. It is played with gusto on Mary Ann Madden\u27s competition page in New York Magazine

Kickshaws

Kickshaws is currently being assembled by a series of guest editors. All contributions should be sent to the editor in Morristown, New Jersey

Corn and oats experiments, 1893.

Caption title.Experiments with corn / G.E. Morrow, F.D. Gardner -- Rate of growth and chemical composition of the corn plant / E.H. Farrington -- Experiments with oats, 1893 / G.E. Morrow, F.D. Gardner

Gas Filled Coaxial Accelerator with Compression Coil

A self-energized plasma compressor which compresses plasma discharged from a coaxial plasma generator. The device includes a helical shaped coil which is coaxially aligned with the center axis of the coaxial plasma generator. The plasma generator creates a current through the helical coil which, in turn, generates a time varying magnetic field that generates a force which acts radially upon the plasma. A seal is carried on the end of the coaxial plasma generator for containing gas therein. As the plasma is accelerated out the outer end of the generator, it forces the gas outwardly also compressing such. Beads are carried adjacent the small end of the helical shaped coil for being accelerated to hypervelocities by the plasma and gas. As a result of utilizing gas in the coaxial plasma generator, such minimizes ablation of the beads as well as accelerates such to higher velocities