Ask a Millennial what a dirigible is, and you’ll get a seriously blank look. Those of us old enough to appreciate the Goodyear Blimp (not the Hindenburg) have fond memories of them slowly air-lumbering around football stadiums. Well, their heyday might not be over quite yet if Varialift has anything to say about it. The UK-based company has built solar-powered versions that could revolutionize air freight. The big ships use solar power and jet engines and would use only 8% of the fuel used by cargo planes. In case you’re worried about highly combustible hydrogen dangers, these blimps use helium instead and benefit from strong and lightweight aluminum frames. Unfortunately, their reliance on solar power means they can’t operate at night, hampering some of their usability, but perhaps they’ll come up with a way to store some of that energy. What they do provide is more affordable construction, far less fuel, and drastically reduced emissions. But they are a lot slower than jets, which means you won’t see Amazon buy any for Prime duties.
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Huckberry’s Essential Holiday Gift Guide
Unzip your coat and have some mulled wine on the house—you’ve arrived at your final gifting destination: The Holiday Gift Guide. It’s like your friendly neighborhood one-stop holiday shop, except instead of balsa wood ornaments, ours is packed with thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list. Future heirlooms, small-but-significant stocking stuffers, and gear for getting out there (or staying in)—are all right here. There’s no music playing in the background though, so you’ll just have to hum Bing Crosby while you click around instead.
