While the PC and tablet whirlwinds have swept the nation, IBM has had a difficult time staying afloat.

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One possibility is that vortex whirlwinds arise at Gale without lifting as much dust as they do elsewhere.

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The phenomenon can be explained simply: given strong enough winds, in thunderstorms for example, small whirlwinds and mini-tornadoes may form.

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Although the robot's cameras have yet to catch sight of them, it seems whirlwinds of dust have been skirting around the six-wheeled vehicle.

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Further differentiating itself from our world's whirlwinds, this alien cyclone is locked to its planet's north pole and is fueled by small amounts of water vapor instead of an actual ocean.

ENGADGET

Louis Michaud, a Canadian engineer who works at a large oil company, believes he has devised a way to do just that, by generating artificial whirlwinds that can be controlled and harnessed.

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Researchers using the car-sized mobile laboratory have identified transient whirlwinds, mapped winds in relation to slopes, tracked daily and seasonal changes in air pressure, and linked rhythmic changes in radiation to daily atmospheric changes.

ENGADGET: Curiosity rover finds radiation levels on Mars are safe for humans