Hasta La Gadget!

Looking to expand its expertise outside imaging products, Fujifilm researchers have developed what’s called an electroacoustic film—which is basically a fancy way of saying an ultra-flat speaker that’s flexible enough to roll up and stash in your jacket pocket. More »

The Antarctic ice shelf is among the most hostile, uninhabitable environments on the face of the Earth. However, with virtually zero atmospheric pollution and low levels of electromagnetic interference, it is also one of the best places on the planet for climate, atmospheric, and geological research. But how do you keep a team of scientists from becoming meat popsicles in a place where temperatures rarely top 0 degrees? With a ski-wearing modular laboratory, of course. More »

If you’re not up on the history of England, you may or may not be familiar with King Richard III. He was one of the most heated of the ancient English kings who has been portrayed as evil monarch in various movies and plays throughout the centuries. What has been known about King Richard III was that he died on August 22, 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

What exactly happened to the unpopular king after his death remained a mystery for more than 500 years. Some reports from the time of the king say that his enemies threw his body into the river where it washed away never to be seen again. However, a group researchers and archaeologists have now confirmed “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the skeletal remains discovered under a modern parking lot are those of the former king.

Writer Philippa Langley discovered clues that led her to believe the King’s remains will be found under a parking lot in the corner of the buried ruins of the Greyfriars Priory. This idea came from the writings of the medieval historian John routes the road a few years after the teen died that he had been buried at the Priory.

The researchers believe that the Friars through King Richard III remains into an unmarked grave in buried him naked and without any of the adornments that typically went with a king’s burial. The researchers believe that the Friars buried the King quickly out of fear that those who had killed the King on the bow crowned might come looking for his remains. The body was reportedly buried in a grave so small that the cloven skull set at an angle against the edge of the grave. Mitochondrial DNA is what was used to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these are in fact the remains of British royalty. The DNA was taken from two modern-day descendents of King Richard III for comparison.

[via NYT]

Skeletal remains discovered under English parking lot belonged to King Richard III is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Antarctic is a crazy place. The ice on the cold continent slowly moves toward the ocean at a rate of a quarter-mile every year, so establishing fixed structures isn’t necessarily feasible. However, a new kind of research station that’s set to open on February 5 has legs, and it can walk over the ice to avoid falling into the ocean.

Dubbed the Halley VI, the research station consists of eight stations that are connected together, all of which have these special legs so that the different pods can move in unison. The station consists of laboratories and sleeping quarters, with the larger red station acting as a communal living area that sports some pretty cool things, such as a climbing wall and a herb garden.

The legs consists of retractable hydraulic pumps that allow the structures to beat the rising snow level, and if the station needs to move, a bulldozer can tow the entire thing to a new location with ease. Honestly, they look like something straight out of Star Wars, and could be considered a smaller, more agile version of the AT-AT, but we digress.

Halley VI will be the most sophisticated research station to lay land on Antarctica, and while the laboratories on board are important, designers were specifically focused on making the station as cozy as possible. Architects made sure to select colors that were “refreshing and stimulating,” as well as putting daylight bulbs in lamps to simulate sunlight in order to prevent stress and depression during those long Antarctic winters.

[via io9]

Futuristic Antarctic research station can walk on ice is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Scientists have been talking up the potential of super-material graphene for years now, though dedicated efforts to actually exploit the material are only now really beginning to take off. Nokia has announced that the Graphene Flagship Consortium, of which it’s perhaps the best known member, has secured a $1.35 billion grant to help develop practical applications of graphene.

Graphene is a 2-D structure that’s only one atom thick, yet it’s the strongest material ever produced being 300 times tougher than steel. The material is also one of the lightest conductors of electricity in existence making it highly appealing for use in electronic devices.

Nokia is a member of the Graphene Flagship Consortium that includes 73 other companies and academic institutions. The $1.35 billion grant the Consortium received is to be used for researching and development of graphene for practical applications, and was stumped up by the European Union for the Future and Emerging Technologies.

Nokia research leader Jani Kivioja says that not only does the graphene research consortium open up the research possibilities for the material, it also creates new jobs in Europe. The researcher suggests that, while its unlikely graphene will become a normal building material for various products, it is expected to be used to improve existing materials and products.

[via TomsHardware]

$1.35 billion grant for graphene development targets “strongest material ever” is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.