New Battery Could Overcome Key Drawbacks of Lithium-Air Batteries (28/08/2016)
Engineers from MIT propose that a new lithium-oxygen battery material could be packaged in batteries that are very similar to conventional sealed batteries yet provide much more energy for their weight.
MIT Biological Engineers Program Human Cells to Store Complex Histories in Their DNA (28/08/2016)
Newly published research details how biological engineers from MIT developed a way to record complex histories in the DNA of human cells, allowing them to retrieve “memories” of past events by sequencing the DNA.
Growing demand for IT security experts (26/08/2016)
Demand for IT security experts is increasing while there is already a short supply, resulting in increasing cyber attacks around the world.
Morphing membrane improves battery charge times, stops leakage (26/08/2016)
Taking inspiration from cells in the human body, researchers at the Ohio State University (OSU) are developing a "smart" membrane that could lead to faster-charging, safer EV batteries that hold their charge when not in use.
Ultrasound used to "jump-start" coma patient's brain (25/08/2016)
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have used an ultrasound pulsation treatment to stimulate neurons in the thalamus of a 25-year-old coma patient, leading to a marked improvement in his condition. Once verified with other patients, it's possible that the method could provide a low-cost treatment for severe brain injuries.
Protein successfully combats Alzheimer's in mice (25/08/2016)
Our understanding of Alzheimer's, a neurodegenerative condition that, according to Alzheimer's Disease International, affects a staggering 46.8 million people across the globe, is constantly improving. Now, scientists at the Salk Institute have taken another step in the right direction. They're using a laboratory mouse model of the disease to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific protein at breaking up plaques in the brain, that are central to the progression of the condition.
Oil spill clean-up material functions like a fern (24/08/2016)
When an oil spill occurs on a body of water, one way of cleaning up that spill involves the use of floating materials which soak up the oil. Those materials won't be very effective, however, if they absorb both oil and water. That's why scientists from Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have turned to nature for ideas, resulting in a fern-inspired material known as Nanofur.
Potentially habitable planet discovered just 4 light-years away (24/08/2016)
A team of astronomers has discovered clear evidence of a potentially habitable Earth-sized planet orbiting the closest star to our solar system, Proxima Centauri. This newly discovered world, which lies only four light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, will become a key target for missions searching for life beyond the nurturing influence of our Sun.
Infrared instrument lets doctors see through eardrums to spot infections (24/08/2016)
In the US, an estimated two million children are incorrectly diagnosed with ear infections every year, and unnecessarily prescribed antibiotics. A new device that switches out conventional visible light observations for shortwave infrared could help, letting doctors peer deeper into the ear than normal. It's designed to be similar to existing otoscopes, meaning doctors won't need dedicated training to use it, and should allow for much more accurate diagnoses.
Safe, edible battery designed to power ingestible medical devices (23/08/2016)
We've seen numerous ingestible medical devices dreamt up over the years, includingcamera pills, and capsules designed to listen out for your heartbeat and breathing rate. But if use of such smart capsules is to become widespread, then we need to be totally sure that they're not going to cause harm. With that goal in mind, a team of researchers has developed a tiny battery that's entirely non-toxic, providing just enough power for tiny sensing or diagnostic devices to get their jobs done.
