The state of California, once home to three major nuclear power plants, weathered an early July heat wave in good shape despite having only one operating reactor, Unit 2 at Diablo Canyon Power Plant. Unit 1 at Diablo Canyon was forced to shut down for about a week on June 27 after a minor leak …
Understanding the compatibility between spider silk and conducting materials is essential to advance the use of spider silk in electronic applications. Spider silk is tough, but becomes soft when exposed to water. Here we report a strong affinity of amine-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes for spider silk, with coating assisted by a water and mechanical shear …
Researchers at the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University has found a way to self-assemble complex structures out of gel “bricks” smaller than a grain of salt. The new method could help solve one of the major challenges in tissue engineering: creating injectable components that self-assemble into intricately structured, biocompatible scaffolds at …
The TPC (Thorium Power Canada) Thorium Reactor is a one-of-a-kind technology whose modular design can achieve any output desired at significantly reduced capital and carrying costs. The cost to build a reactor is estimated at $2.0 million per MW and can be built in 18-24 months versus conventional reactors at 5-7 years. Through a partnership …
A team of scientists at the Klarman Cell Observatory at the Broad Institute recently completed an effort to read, or sequence, all the RNA — the “transcriptome” — in individual immune cells. Whereas DNA in a cell’s genome represents its blueprint for making the building blocks of cells, RNA is more like the cell’s contractor, …
Henry Markram believes technology has finally caught up with the dream of AI: Computers are finally growing sophisticated enough to tackle the massive data problem that is the human brain. But not everyone is so optimistic. “There are too many things we don’t yet know,” says Caltech professor Christof Koch, chief scientific officer at one …
Up to 40% of patients with chronic back pain could be cured with a course of antibiotics rather than surgery. Surgeons in the UK and elsewhere are reviewing how they treat patients with chronic back pain after scientists discovered that many of the worst cases were due to bacterial infections. Many patients with unrelenting lower …
The US was the top total oil producing country in the month of November and for the last quarter of 2012. Nextbigfuture had noted that the US probably passed Saudi Arabia in Dec, 2012 based on preliminary weekly statistics. The more thorough monthly statistics indicate it happened a month earlier. Top All Oil Liquid Producing …
Problem: Actuators in robots are heavy & clunky and limit mobility, dexterity and speed. Solution: Create materials and actuators that are soft – that act more like muscles and tissues found in nature that can exert tremendous forces while being flexible and low weight. First inflatable rideable robot Breakthrough technology that makes this possible: Saul …
The electric sail (ESAIL), invented by Dr. Pekka Janhunen at the Finnish Kumpula Space Centre in 2006, produces propulsion power for a spacecraft by utilizing the solar wind. The sail features electrically charged long and thin metal tethers that interact with the solar wind. Using ultrasonic welding, the Electronics Research Laboratory at the University of …
Panasonic has developed a power assist robot named “Power Loader”. It is being targeted for assisting construction workers and disaster relief crews. The new “Power Loader Light” is smaller than prior versions. Users of the exoskeleton can easily carry about 30kg in one arm. The commercial version should allow each wearer of the exoskeleton to …