A group of researchers at Tufts University has launched a multidisciplinary initiative focused on the science and engineering of a new class of robots that are completely soft-bodied. These devices will make possible advances in such far flung arenas as medicine and space exploration. According to Kaplan, the project will bring together biology, bioengineering and …
When a MRL mouse’s finger is cut lower than the tip it is able to form a structure but not the full digit. Amphibians can regenerate limbs. Mammals can’t. Now two teams of bioscientists are out to correct our evolutionary shortcoming under a recent $7.6-million Darpa grant. The current goal is to produce a mammalian …
This is another breakthrough that shows that molecular nanotechnology development is increasingly showing more and more impressive results on the way to major impact. A 160-kilobit memory device that is smaller than a white blood cell was made using interlocked molecules manufactured in the UCLA laboratory of J. Fraser Stoddart, director of the California NanoSystems …
Wired has some anecdotes from people trying Resveratrol and other attempts to extend life. The reasoning is that Resveratrol and calorie restriction should not be harmful and might extend life. People want to live long enough and be healthy enough to take advantage of truly effective life extension methods. Perhaps methods from SENS The other …
Wired summarizes destructive methods usable by micro robots and micro UAVs Israel is developing a robot the size of a hornet to attack terrorists. And although the prototype will not fly for three years, killer Micro Air Vehicles, or MAVs, are much closer than that. British Special Forces already use 6-inch MAV aircraft called WASPs …
A contest to build a robot that can operate autonomously in urban warfare conditions, moving in and out of buildings to search and destroy targets like a human soldier, was launched in Singapore on Tuesday. Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) is offering one million Singapore dollars ($652,000) to whoever develops a robot that completes …
Fuel cells have been made efficient for small machines like lawnmowers. Many standard fuel cell designs use electronics to control power output, but such designs require complex systems to manage humidity and fuel recovery and recycling systems to achieve acceptable efficiency. The new process controls the hydrogen feed to match the required power output, just …
An article that discusses various research and possibilities for extending maximum lifespan Optimal amounts of the amino acid methionine seems to be an important part of low calorie diets. A recent Spanish study found that methionine restriction definitely decreases oxidative damage to crucial mitochondrial DNA and proteins. Has any animal exploited the immortality of its …
Wimax will have about 20% of the next generation wireless communication market, Long Term Evolution (LTE), a follow-on to cellular’s GSM standard, will command the lion’s share of fourth-generation cellular systems. MacLeod said carriers Sprint Nextel, startup Clearwire and Russia’s Sistema have committed to WiMax, while Cingular and Vodafone are backing LTE. AT&T, BT and …
Researchers at the Centre for Material Development and Structural Studies in Toulouse (CEMES-CNRS) and their colleagues at the Free University of Berlin have, for the first time, managed to control the rotation of a wheel in a molecule. This nano-mechanical experiment concerned an 0.7 nm diameter wheel attached to a 0.6 nm-long axle. This success …
From the San Jose Mercury news, a boat capable of crossing ocean at a speed of 60 knots or 70 mph These are called Wave Adaptive Modular vessels. The catamaran-like vessel has inflatable hulls, sits only about a foot deep in the water, is powered by two 355-horsepower diesel engines and has a range of …