John Lam

"Ninth grade physics tells me a 6m (19 ft) fall reaches a speed of 10.8m/s (39kph or 24mph). Could you imagine cycling at time-trial speeds into a net and stopping in 1m (3 ft)? Spread evenly it would generate 6g deceleration over 0.18 seconds. A 68kg (150 pound) bear would reach 740kgm/s momentum, 4kJ energy, and require 4000N (900 pounds) applied evenly and vertically to stop. Even a net held taught horizontally cannot apply vertical force evenly through its range of travel. In addition, too bad the bear fell off-center. The four men at the close side bore much more impact than the four men at the far side." - John Lam

Combining the best of two different distance measurement techniques with a super-accurate technology called an optical frequency comb, researchers built a laser ranging system that can measure multiple objects with nanometer precision over 100 kilometers. - John Lam

The oldest of 79 million Baby Boomers turn 63 this year, and they are "not interested in what their parents had in terms of assisted care, wasting away in a private house or nursing home," says California architect Charles Durrett. - John Lam