Please, call out your floor

Published 10:49 pm Sunday, October 10, 2010

Going up: Rescue teams in Chile are preparing to bring 33 trapped miners to the surface one at a time in a special elevatorlike capsule. The 20-minute ride won’t be pleasant. The cramped box will limit movement, will rotate several times and will expose the miners to temperatures from 90 degrees to near freezing.

Following the rescue, the airline industry has expressed an interest in studying the capsule so it can be used as a prototype for improvements to coach seating.

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How many cup holders? A Bothell boatbuilder has built a 54-foot unmanned vessel, dubbed the Piranha, that was designed for two unspecified defense contractors. The drone boat is now undergoing sea trials in Puget Sound.

Although the Piranha’s official duties have not been disclosed, Vice President Joe Biden has reserved it on weekends as a water ski tow boat.

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Don’t know much about history: On this date in 1975, NBC launched what would become “Saturday Night Live,” with guest host George Carlin.

Detractors of this column can blame The Buzz’s parents for letting him stay up past his bedtime to watch.