Sunshine and seawater. That’s all a new, futuristic-looking greenhouse needs to produce 17,000 tonnes of tomatoes per year in the South Australian desert. It’s the first agricultural system of its kind in the world and uses no soil, pesticides, fossil … Continued
We are all farmilar with the tragedy of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which was caused by an enormous tsunami that occurred back in 2011. It brought the nuclear power debate back to life. Now, one Japanese engineer wants to harness the power of another potentially … Continued
In northern Queensland, Australia, two giant holes in the earth are about to be put to good use. What were the twin pits of the Kidston gold mine will soon become a place to store a tremendous amount of energy. … Continued
Researchers at MIT have developed an easy-to-use “biological programming language” that allows genetic engineers (or just about anyone) to design biological circuits and “hack” the genomes of living cells. LIFE-SHAPING The evolution of human technology has proceeded in lockstep with … Continued
Scientists say they have invented a super thin fabric that generates electricity from sunlight and movement. It has taken Chinese and US researchers about two years to develop the fabric, which they say is a flexible and foldable power source … Continued
Scientists from the University of Southampton have reengineered the fundamental process of photosynthesis to power useful chemical reactions that could be used to produce biofuels, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Photosynthesis is the pivotal biological reaction on the planet, providing the … Continued
Fastbrick Robotics, an ASX-listed company based in Perth, has created a robot brick layer, a form of 3D printing which can create the shell of a house without being touched by human hands. The Hadrian 105 robot, named after the … Continued
The grimsel electric racing car has broken the world record for acceleration by an electric car. The vehicle accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.513 seconds over a distance of less than 30 m. The record-breaking car was developed by students … Continued
German engineers have created a camera no bigger than a grain of salt that could change the future of health imaging — and clandestine surveillance. Using 3D printing, researchers from the University of Stuttgart built a three-lens camera, and fit … Continued
Scientists are getting closer to directly observing how and why water is essential to life as we know it. A study in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides the strongest evidence yet that proteins—the large and complex molecules that fold … Continued
Researchers at Harvard have developed a more efficient version of the bionic leaf, which can turn sunlight and water into electricity and liquid fuels. Over the last few years, great strides have been made in creating artificial leaves that mimic the … Continued
an Francisco is one step closer to its goal of transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy after the city’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on Tuesday to mandate solar installations on new buildings. According to the San Francisco Examiner, starting Jan. 1 of next year, … Continued
For the first time ever, researchers connected nine biological-solar (bio-solar) cells into a bio-solar panel. Then they continuously produced electricity from the panel and generated the most wattage of any existing small-scale bio-solar cells – 5.59 microwatts. “Once a functional … Continued
Scientists in China have developed an innovative solar panel technology that could turn raindrops into electric power. The new solar cell design, which can be “triggered” by both rain and sun, is described in a paper published in the Angewandte Chemie journal. … Continued
Archimedes pointed out that with a lever he could move the world. He most likely would have been surprised to learn that a team of six microrobots, weighing just 3.5 ounces in total, could pull a car weighing 3,900 pounds. … Continued
Some people can make business cards that stand out and show off their skills. Take for example, that one engineer who created a card that lights up and that programmer who designed one that can play Tetris. But what if you’re a medical professional, specifically a … Continued
There are libraries popping up around the world where you can see the books breathe. You can watch the books blink, cry, laugh, and think. You can ask them any sort of question and get a real answer. It’s what the books … Continued
The entire world is a global village now in the knowledge economy, and you can be sure that while command of the English language as a medium of communication in the business world remains vital, this does not mean that … Continued
f your parking skills leave something to be desired, you may welcome Tesla’s latest software update with open arms. The electric car maker, based in Palo Alto, California, issued an Autopilot update over the weekend that lets drivers use a new command … Continued
Earlier this year, Local Motors hosted a challenge to create the first 3D-printed car that can drive on the highway. For the competition, contestants were asked to “create the first highway-ready vehicle using large-scale 3D printing and the full extent of … Continued