KBEAR: Billings' Greatest Hits » Electricity

Power Restored After Major Outage [UPDATE]

Jami Bond — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:27:30 +0000

UPDATE: The lights are back on for thousands of Billings residents. Power was restored about 11:45 this morning after a widespread outage. Approximately 11,000 Northwestern Energy customers across the Magic City were without power for about 45 minutes after the 8th Street substation went down. Claudia Rapkoch of Northwestern Energy says the cause was a squirrel in the substation.

Can Electricity Shock Your Brain Into Learning Faster? It Works for the Air Force

Shauna Wright — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:00:33 +0000

One of the toughest things to teach Air Force pilots who guide unmanned attack drones is how to accurately spot targets in complex radar images. Researchers, however, have found a way to cut that lengthy training time in half.

Delivering a mild electrical current to pilots’ brains through EEG electrodes placed on the scalp — a process called transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) — can accelerate learning and improve pilot accuracy. In addition, that accuracy is sustained for up to 40 minutes, whereas it otherwise typically declines after 20 minutes.

Is Your State Paying the Most for Electricity?

Kathy Landin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:00:12 +0000

Turning up the dial on your thermostat in the fall and winter months is bound to add major coin to your electric bill, so you power through. Unless you live in Utah, and then you really have nothing to worry about, according to new data released this week.