Apr 07
We’ve seen a variety of new battery technologies over the years, the most intriguing of which being the prototype from Israeli startup StoreDot. The company has shown off the prototype … Continue reading
Mar 12
It must be fun to invent something. One day it does not exist, and the next day it exists. But how would you feel if you didn’t exactly know why your new invention worked? The minds behind this all-new microscopic engine could tell you.
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Feb 10
Brain-bender alert! For the first time ever, scientists have managed to insert nanomotors into living cells. Once inside, the gold, rocket-shaped motors were propelled with ultrasonic waves and steered with magnets. Because we now live in a scene from Fantastic Voyage.
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Jan 29
When you think of cyborgs becoming a reality, you probably picture Arnold Schwarzenegger’s glowing red eye from Terminator or the steely, tight-lipped stare of Robocop. But the future where man and machine converge won’t just be built with nuts and bolts. It will be built with biology.
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Jan 17
Imagine if your sweater was actually one big computer that responded to being stretched, pressed, or adjusted. That cyborg-inspired future could now be a reality thanks to a team of scientists that has used nanowires to create a new wearable, multifunctional sensor.
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Jan 08
If “wearable” is the big buzzword of CES this year then “flexible” can’t be far behind. Cambrios Technologies isn’t a company you might associate with it – LG’s G Flex … Continue reading
Oct 04
Over the years, headphones have become very ubiquitous. You can buy them for a few dollars in the checkout lane at your local Walmart and many smartphones ship with a cheap generic pair of headphones right and the box. It also spend hundreds of dollars on audiophile grade headphones. One thing that all these headphones […]
Sep 25
Texas A&M researchers concoct nanoparticles to soak up crude oil spills
Posted in: Today's Chili
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon may be forgotten to many, but remnants of its destruction still remain in the Gulf of Mexico. Mercifully, it appears that researchers at Texas A&M University “have developed a non-toxic sequestering agent-iron oxide nanoparticles coated in a polymer mesh that can hold up to 10 times their weight in crude oil.” In layman’s terms, they’ve engineered a material that can safely soak up oil. As the story goes, the nanoparticles “consist of an iron oxide core surrounded by a shell of polymeric material,” with the goal being to soak up leftover oil that isn’t captured using conventional mechanical means. The next step? Creating an enhanced version that’s biodegradable; as it stands, the existing particles could pose a threat if not collected once they’ve accomplished their duties.
Source: Materials 360 Online, Inside Science, ACS Nano
Apr 18
Historically, whenever man or beast’s been bombarded with massive amounts of radiation the results have either been gruesome or wholly fantastical (see: any superhero origin story). But recent research out of Japan indicates that a barrage of electrons could actually help scientists revolutionize microbiology and, more excitingly, space travel. The experiment, conducted by a team from the Hamamatsu University of Medicine, found that the larvae of fruit flies hit with this electron rush were able to withstand an electron microscope’s hostile vacuum unharmed and even grew to be healthy adults. The results weren’t so rosy for the untreated group which, understandably, suffered a grislier fate: death by dehydration. The magic, it turns out, is in that subatomic spray, as the group treated with an electron shower benefited from a polymerizing effect or, more plainly, a bonding of molecules just above the skin’s surface that yielded a tough, protective nano-layer measuring between 50- to 100-billionths of a meter thick. Finesse that technique some and it’s easy to why one NASA scientist thinks this could lead to the creation of a super-thin “space shield… that could protect against dehydration and radiation.”
The process is still far from foolproof, however, seeing as how an increase in the microscope’s resolution requires an equal boost in radiation — all of which is fatal to the insects. So, in order to go deeper and get a more close-up view of the larvae’s internals, the team’s currently exploring new methods of fabricating these “nano-suits” using an array of chemicals. If you’re wondering just how far-off we are from practical human application, then consider this: the amount of radiation required to form the bonded layer is akin to “sunbathing naked on the top of Everest under a hole in the ozone.” Which is to say, keep dreaming. And get Jeff Goldblum on the phone while you’re at it… we have a promising idea for a Return of the Fly sequel.
Via: Wired
Source: ScienceNOW
Apr 09
Sol Voltaics Announces Breakthrough Use Of Nanotechnology That Helps Make Solar Cells 25% More Efficient
Posted in: Today's Chili
Sustainability and going green seems to be the buzz words commonly used these days amongst corporations, although there are limitations to sustainable technology that make it less appealing than its traditional counterpart. For example electric vehicles that not only have a considerable shorter range than their petrol counterparts, but the time it takes to charge an electric vehicle and the availability of chargers makes it a bit inconvenient.
While the boffins are probably hard at work trying to figure out the electric vehicle, Swedish company Sol Voltaics has announced today that they have found a way to use nanotechnology to build solar cell modules that they claim are 25% more efficient than the current cells available in the market. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Plants Used To Generate Hydrogen For Safe And Clean Energy, Wind Turbine Works Sans Blades, 
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