By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

When it came to Saturday-morning cartoons, very few of us put any critical thinking towards the shows we were watching. It's a hard to do that when you're seven or eight. You just stare at the television with a big smile on your face and anything that happens on the shows is right. It's just accepted. When Wile E. Coyote accidentally runs straight off a cliff and doesn't start falling until he looks down, that's fine. Those are the rules.

But when you grow up and start applying things like, well, logic and - gasp! - science, well the cartoon universe starts to show its true colours.

That's exactly what Kyle Hill did in a guest blog with Scientific American regarding Fred Flintstone and his wood-and-stone 'car'. Hill started making some general assumptions about things like how much the car weighed, how fast Fred could conceivably get the machine moving (40 km/h), and the condition of the roads. All of these played into figuring out if Fred's two - admittedly huge and probably thickly calloused - feet could conceivably stop the 865-kg machine. 

Basically, Hill deduced that if Fred's feet were impervious to heat that he could stop the car in about eight metres, which isn't too shabby. But if we do take friction and its biggest byproduct - heat - into account, essentially Fred's feet would have ignited and burned, much like a failed landing gear on a commercial airplane.

Hill described the feeling Fred would encounter as similar to "standing on a belt sander, with an adolescent African elephant on your back."

In another exercise he links to in the original SA post, Hill also solves a physics question about how far Batman and the Joker would slide after a collision while fighting, which is another cool thing we never thought of either.

What do you think? What show/comic scenario would you like someone to try and answer using 'real' science? Or is this just a waste of time and we should leave our childhood heroes alone? Let us know!

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

General Motors and NASA have previously collaborated on creating robotic astronauts (R1 and R2) designed to assist their human counterparts at the International Space Station. Now, the pair are teaming up to create something even closer to science fiction.

Applying the knowledge gained from working on artificial tendons and actuators on R2, the Robo-Glove is designed to assist humans who use bulky tools for long periods of time, namely auto workers and astronauts...

Essentially, the glove multiplies the gripping force exerted by the operator, which means less strain from the human being because now they only have to exert a fraction of that force. That means fewer issues with repetitive strain injuries and better productivity.

While the second-gen glove shown weighs less than a kilo, including all the motors, actuators, wiring and display, the team are working on a third version that will be more streamlined and lighter still. Power comes from an off-the-shelf lithium-ion battery that's worn on your belt.

How long before we see these at Canadian Tire or Home Hardware?

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The Toronto Star ran a Canadian Press article on June 17 that showed exactly what women think about men who drive around in high-priced autos like Porsches and Maseratis. The short answer? Not much, apparently. The 'peacock effect' raises their appeal as a sexual partner, but when considered as a potential marriage candadate, that ostentatiousness reduces any other attraction that might be built, leaving the driver no more desirable than one driving a Honda Civic. 

The reasearch done by four universities in the United States is interesting, and it's definitely worth reading the full story through.

So what do you think, gents? Ditch the Boxster for a beater? Or appeal to your baser side and stick with the sports car? 

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

With the spring weather finally here, the trees, flowers and plants are spreading their seeds at a tremendous rate. Probably trying to make up for lost time... Anyway, these pollen clouds are pretty shocking to see on a windy day, and if you're an allergy sufferer like me, you're doped up on Claritin and Kleenex for days on end.

The telltale yellow dust that coats everything outside - and inside, if you forget and leave windows open - isn't just bad for your lungs: it's bad for your car. 

Although not as bad as the giant acidic pollen clouds that travelled from Germany through Western Europe in late April, Canadian pollen can still be bad enough here to warrant some precautions.

Besides clogging your car's air and cabin filters quicker than usual, pollen can actually damage your paint if you leave it on for too long since it's quite acidic and can cause expensive burns. Experts say to give your car a good wash to get the pollen off - don't just wipe it because it's abrasive and can cause scratches.

Too bad that won't work on your nasal cavities too...

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

Those of us who have a few extra pounds around the middle may appreciate this one. According to an article on MSN Money courtesy of Insure.com, there could be some benefits to being a little portly. Apparently, a recent study at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that overweight men were more likely to survive a car crash.

Crazy results, certainly – but it’s only valid if said overweight men wear their seatbelts. Unbelted, they were more likely to be casualties thanks to the added mass. In that case, skinny guys rule.

And for women? Nothing here applies to you. Overweight ladies – and underweight one too! – were more likely to be injured than those with an ideal body mass index (BMI). 

For those interested in learning more, you can get the complete details of the study here.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

General Motors is partnering with NASA to build a robot that will eventually become a permanent resident on the International Space Station. Named Robonaut 2 – or R2 (D2?) for short – the unit is designed to help astronauts with everyday tasks.

Designed as a torso, arms and head, R2 can use any of the tools and equipment that humans can, and GM says, “Future enhancements could allow it to move more freely around the station's interior, and it could one day be modified to operate outside the complex.”

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

Directing the best and brightest young minds in the world towards a goal to on how to save fuel is a wonderful achievement. If you’re a giant oil company doing the directing, that takes a little getting used to. That’s exactly what Shell is doing now with its annual Eco-marathon Americas energy challenge, taking place this weekend in Houston, Texas.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

A group of students at the University of Western Ontario are trying to change what we drive. Having previously successfully designed and constructed solar-powered racers that compete in University-level events worldwide, the group is now moving ahead with a plan to create a separate solar charging station for a vehicle not reliant on huge solar panels.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

Ever hear something that’s just so unimaginably gross, so terribly stomach-turning that just thinking about it makes your head spin just recalling it? Today Show reporter Jeff Rosson put together a report last week that just gives you the willies.

We’ve all see the reports on bed bugs and bacteria that you can find in the hotels we stay in, but has anyone actually given a thought to the cars, trucks and minivans we rent?