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02/13/2020 / By Michael Alexander

Seashell-inspired shatterproof glass: Researchers engineer strong composite glass based on mother of pearl that can resist impact

Despite their delicate appearance, seashells are surprisingly durable. This unexpected durability comes from the tough, impact-resistant substance known as nacre, also known as mother of pearl. Nacre is an organic-inorganic composite material that also gives seashells their signature iridescence. It is made up of microscopic calcium carbonate tablets mortared together by proteins. Arranged like bricks, […]

02/11/2020 / By Ralph Flores

Reusing carbon dioxide: Scientists capture and convert it into useful molecules

Researchers at Michigan Technological University have developed a novel device that captures carbon dioxide (CO?) and converts it into useful products. The device, which the team presented at the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration’s annual meeting in Denver, works just like a carbon scrubber to remove CO? from flue gas emitted from power plants. But unlike other scrubbers, which industries are […]

02/06/2020 / By Edsel Cook

Engineers create nanophotonic structures that can compute using “light and waves”

Analog computing might get a new lease on life thanks to metamaterials that control electromagnetic waves. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) developed a metamaterial whose tiny structures manipulate light to solve mathematical equations. “Photonic calculus” encodes parameters into the properties of an electromagnetic wave. Once the wave passes through the metamaterial, its properties get altered by nanostructures. The modified electromagnetic wave serves […]

02/04/2020 / By Michael Alexander

The quest to cool your electronics continues: New polymer can disperse heat

Overheating gadgets and devices may soon become a thing of the past, thanks to a new material developed by scientists at Rice University. Researchers from Rice University’s Brown School of Engineering recently unveiled a nanocomposite material that shows great promise as a superior dielectric or insulating material, which can then be used for flexible electronics, energy storage and electronic devices. Created […]

02/03/2020 / By Arsenio Toledo

Say goodbye to flat tires: Michelin develops new ‘puncture-proof’ airless tires

Flat tires may soon be a thing of the past. Michelin and General Motors (GM) have announced the development of a prototype for production-ready airless tires, which could roll out and replace old pneumatic rubber tires by 2025. Both companies say they have been developing the airless tires for the better part of two decades. Michelin calls their […]

01/28/2020 / By Arsenio Toledo

Mining the next frontier: NASA invests in optical mining tech for use on asteroids, the moon

NASA is investing in optical mining technology that will make it easier for resources to be extracted from the moon and, potentially, asteroids. NASA, through its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, will begin exploring the feasibility of developing technology that combines robotic rovers with mining tech that could turn mining in space from a science fiction […]

12/19/2019 / By Edsel Cook

This updated jumping robot can be used to develop smaller robots for aid-and-rescue missions, suggest scientists

Salto is a robot that stands less than a foot tall, but it jumps more than three times its height. Its small size even lets it pass through cramped spaces to reach people trapped under rubble. Developed by a team from the University of California (UC), Berkeley in 2016, Salto’s capabilities have grown in leaps and bounds over the […]

12/15/2019 / By Arsenio Toledo

Researchers design cost-efficient, clean fuel cells that might soon replace traditional gas engines in cars

Fuel cell technology has been around for some time. The first truly modern fuel cell vehicles came from the 1950s and 1960s, when they were used on experimental vehicles such as the 1966 Electrovan, a van which was outfitted with a fuel cell that took up so much space it could only fit two people. Fuel cell technology was even used by […]

12/12/2019 / By Grace Olson

How origami is helping engineers design a space vehicle that sticks its landing

Origami isn’t just about folding paper. It turns out, it’s about designing machines as well. In a study in Science Advances, engineers from the U.S. and Japan developed a potential mechanism to reduce the force of impact in spacecraft when they land – using principles from origami. The researchers developed a unique cell that softens any force […]

11/13/2019 / By Edsel Cook

No more spoiled milk? Researchers develop unique sensor that can “smell” if milk has expired without opening the container

You may not trust the expiration date printed on the milk container for various reasons. That’s why researchers have made a new colorimetric nanosensor that “smells” the dairy product to see if it’s still safe for drinking. Researchers from various departments and schools of Washington State University (WSU) pooled their expertise together to create a device […]

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