The harmful environmental effects of plastics are well-documented by now, but the material is so integrated into the way we live our lives that it would be difficult if not impossible to simply stop using them altogether. Instead, scientists are looking for non-petroleum-based alternatives that could make plastics biodegradable and safer overall for the planet. One of the latest alternatives comes from a research team at the University of South Carolina. They have been altering the natural resins from conifer trees through polymerization to create planet-friendly, sustainable plastics.

The rosin and turpentine found in evergreen trees contains hydrocarbons similar to those found in petroleum-based products, making them an ideal starting point for greener plastics. Although current renewable plastics are inferior in performance to petroleum-based products, professor Chuanbing Tang believes that his research can help change that. He and his team are studying the macromolecular structure of conifer-derived polymers to understand why they perform differently than conventional plastics and get the kind of results that manufacturers have been getting from petroleum-based plastics for decades.

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Wouldn’t it be great to carry a power outlet with you everywhere so you never had to worry about finding an outlet to charge your phone or laptop? The Window Socket concept would do that, and as an added bonus the power it provides would be clean, green solar energy.

The simple concept involves a little circular gadget that you would stick to any window through which the sun is shining. The solar energy would be collected and converted into electric energy within the little gadget. You simply plug a device into the socket and it receives the newly-obtained electricity.

An integrated battery is charged after 5 to 8 hours on a window. The charge holds for approximately ten hours after it’s completely charged, so you can remove it from the window, stick it in your bag and take portable electricity with you anywhere.

Although we appreciate the idea behind this unique solar power provider, it seems less than possible with currently-available technology. Converters to turn solar power into electricity are too large to fit into a device this size – though maybe at some point in the future they’ll shrink enough to make awesome portable energy possible.

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Everyone fears a bee sting, but recently researchers at Washington University have found that bee venom could have a potentially life-saving application: it can kill HIV. A toxin called melittin is found in bee venom, and somehow it is able to penetrate the little protective envelope that surrounds the HIV virus and destroy it. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be newsworthy since there are plenty of ways to kill persistent viruses – but most of those methods also destroy the surrounding normal cells.

The researchers at Washington University figured out a way around this by loading melittin onto nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are equipped with “protective bumpers” that cause them to harmlessly bypass normal cells. But the HIV virus is smaller than the nanoparticles, so it comes into contact with the melittin and is destroyed. Because the method attacks the physical structure of the HIV virus, there is no way for the virus to adapt to become immune to this type of treatment. The amazing discovery could lead not only to the prevention and cure of HIV, but to the successful cures of other viruses like Hepatitis B and C.

(top image via Treesha Duncan/Flickr)

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Maybe we’ve been spoiled by technology, but sometimes reaching for the iPhone and mashing the “snooze” button on the touchscreen is just too much early-morning thinking for us. Victor Johansson must have felt the same way when he created the Tangible Alarm.

The alarm looks like a piece of wood with three iPhone-sized slots separated by raised pieces of wood. Inside, there’s some near-field communication (NFC) technology going on that means all you have to do in the morning is pick up your phone and move it a few inches.

The middle slot turns the alarm on. In the morning when the alarm wakes you, you can move the phone to the right to snooze it or to the left to shut it off completely.

The simplified interaction is much less complex than having to interact with the touchscreen while half asleep. Those of us who are severely myopic and don’t want to put glasses on just to find the “snooze” button can relate to just how awesome this alarm is.

Besides being useful and easy to use, the Tangible Alarm looks quite lovely sitting on your bedside table. Much better than the traditional alarm clock with its too-bright numbers and ugly plastic case.

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With the exception of Aquaman and possibly Jacque Cousteau, humans cannot swim well underwater. And how can we with such primitive equipment? Flippers are impossible to use; I can’t stand idiots who constantly talk about scuba diving. Is there any hope for us who have yet to explore the sub-aquatic kingdom?

What’s that, designer Guillaume Binard? You’ve invented a wetsuit which would allow me to fly underwater? Well, I can’t even do that on land yet, but sure, why not?

Partnering with Aqua Lung, Binard has created Oceanwings. This wetsuit has neoprene membranes that spread from the wrists down to the ankles and are meant to give the diver feelings of soaring through their submarine wonderland.

If it never becomes a financial success, at least Binard has created a new piece of apparel that LARP enthusiasts and Comic-Con nerds can transform into some sort of flying squirrel-themed superhero costume.

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