It's Fun to Know: Next-Generation Skydiving?

Skydiving without a parachute sounds insane, right? Well, engineers are working on making it a reality with a special "wingsuit." Equipped with self-inflating, rigid "wings," these garments allow the skydiver to turn, dive, and accelerate forward.

Owing part of its inspiration to the flying squirrel, the wingsuit has gone through several successful tests. The only problem left for the designers (and it's a biggie!) is how to land the skydivers safely. Currently, they cannot slow down enough as the ground approaches and need the help of a small parachute. Engineers are exploring options to eliminate the parachute, including landing gear, special landing pads, and enhanced aerodynamic features applied to the suit itself.

(Source: National Geographic)

Word to the Wise: Inveterate

"Inveterate" (in-VET-er-it) - from the Latin for "to make old" - means habitual, firmly established for a long time.

Example (as used by David Leonhardt in a New York Times review of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes): "She [Amity Shlaes] sees both [ Franklin ] Roosevelt and his Republican predecessor Herbert Hoover as inveterate economic tinkerers."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2176, 10-18-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.