And in even more medical sensor news, researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a low-cost method of detecting bacterial infection using an artificial nose. To sniff out the particular strain of bacterium, a broad-sensitivity array is attached to the underside of a Petri dish lid and a sample of the patient’s blood is […]
Science mimics nature once again as developers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) work out a new water-collecting device based on the Namib Desert Beetle (Stenocara gracilipes), which collects condensation from coastal fog on the bumpy surface of its back. It then tips its back and lets the water roll down into its mouth, an […]
You knew it was going to happen: angry that their language has been held hostage by humans obsessed with communicating in 140 characters or less, Internet denizens of the avian variety are taking it back. Yep… birds are reclaiming Tweets. OK, so maybe that’s not exactly how it went down, but birds really are sending […]
We need planes and cars that are lighter so they burn less fuel, stronger so we’re safer aboard them, and less pollutive to produce. The University of Technology Sydney claims to have an answer in a recent breakthrough in graphene nanotech. The synthesized graphene paper (GP) samples produced at UTS are composite materials made from […]
In another crossover between the physical and virtual worlds, it will soon be possible for American owners to “borrow” Kindle books from their local library. The service has been made possible through an agreement between Amazon and Overdrive, an existing service for such e-book borrowing. The service already has apps for devices such as the […]
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have recently developed a polymer-based material that can heal itself when placed under ultraviolet light for less than a minute. Check it out: [Via]
Check out General Atomics’ new railgun as it fires a projectile, which incidentally looks almost exactly like a Hugo Award, through a steel plate and then 7km further. [Via BoingBoing]
The European Union is considering rules in response allegations that ISPs are deliberately blocking certain services. But any action will effectively be net-neutrality lite: officials say they won’t block discrimination based on speed. According to the EU, the strictest definition of net neutrality — that all legal traffic is treated equally — isn’t suitable for practical […]