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29th October 2015
N e w s a d e m ic .co m ™
- British English edition
page
6
Working with other scientists from
Germany, the researchers now plan
to measure the brainwaves o f some
Nile crocodiles.
Nile crocodiles are found through
out the African continent. They are
named after the River Nile. Yet these
crocodiles are found in many other
parts o f Africa. They are the world’s
second largest type o f crocodile.
Nile crocodiles are social creatures
and like to stay in large groups. They
ambush their prey by hiding under
water and then suddenly jum ping out
when an animal gets close.
Sleeping with one eye open
seems strange. However, many
more creatures probably do this than
previously thought. Therefore mam
mals (such as humans) that sleep
with both eyes shut may be stranger
than those that keep one eye open. □
S
o la r
car
race
After travelling for several days an
unusual car crossed a finishing line
in the city o f Adelaide, in Australia,
on 22nd October. Called Nuna 8, the
solar-powered car had won a race
known as the Bridgestone World
Solar Challenge.
Nuna 8 and the winning team from TU D elft
This race takes place every two
years. The first one was held in
1987. University and company
teams from all around the world
are invited to take part. The Bridge
stone Company sponsors the race.
Bridgestone is a large Japanese
company that makes tyres for cars,
buses and trucks.
The race begins in the city o f Dar
win, on Australia’s northern coast.
The cars drive south across the mid
dle o f the country until they reach
Adelaide, on its southern shore. The
total distance is 3,021 kilometres
(1,877 miles). The route crosses
the desert areas o f central Australia.
Few people live in this part o f the
country, which Australians call the
‘Outback’. Here, temperatures often
reach 44°C (111°F).
The cars taking part in the com
petition do not use petrol. They have
to run on solar power, or energy gen
erated from sunlight. However, the
cars are allowed to generate some
power from their own movement.
The race began on 18th October.
Those taking part could drive from
eight o’clock in the morning to five
o’clock in the evening. During the
night the drivers camp by the road
side. This year, over 40 cars from 25
countries entered the race. N ot all
completed the course.
Students from Delft University of
Technology, in the Netherlands, de
signed and built Nuna 8. This univer
sity is often called TU Delft. ‘N una’
means ‘now ’ in Icelandic. TU Delft
first entered the World Solar Chal
lenge in 2001. Then, its solar-pow
ered car, called Nuna 1, came first.
Since then TU Delft has won the race
another five times. TU D elft’s Nuna
7 car won the race two years ago.
Nuna 8’s total driving time was
37 hours, 56 minutes and 12 sec
onds. Its average speed was 100
kilometres (62 miles) per hour.
The car’s three drivers took turns
o f three to four hours behind the
wheel. Driving the cars is hard
work. The cockpit, or driving space,
is very cramped. W hat’s more, it
becomes very hot. This is because
the designers o f the cars do not want
to waste any energy their solar pan
els produce on air conditioning.
Kogakuin University’s Owl, the Cruiser Class winner
A car called Red One finished sec
ond. It was only eight minutes behind
Nuna 8. Another team from the N eth
erlands called Solar Team Twente
built Red One. A solar car made by
Japan’s Tokai University came third.
Two years ago a new competi
tion was introduced. Called ‘Cruiser
Class’, it is for solar-powered cars
that look more like normal vehicles.
These cars also carry passengers.
Cars like Nuna 8 are designed to
be as fast as possible. Cruiser Class
cars are slower.
A car made by Kogakuin Univer
sity, in Japan, was judged to be the
winner o f the Cruiser Class compe
tition. Its car is called Owl. A team
from the city o f Eindhoven, in the
Netherlands, came second. The win
ning car does not have to cross the
finishing line first. This is because
the cars are given extra points for
things such as number of passengers
and luggage space.
The next World Solar Challenge
will be held in 2017. □
L
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