konterkariert / trends

stickerobot: We’re giving away some epic @misnopales Star Wars...

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:30:15 +0200

We’re giving away some epic @misnopales Star Wars stickers at our blog… Go! http://stickerobot.com/blog

science-junkie: A storage power plant on the seabed Norwegian...

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:26:49 +0200

A storage power plant on the seabed

Norwegian research scientists will contribute to realising the concept of storing electricity at the bottom of the sea. The energy will be stored with the help of high water pressure.

The idea of an underwater pumped hydroelectric power plant may sound like Jules Verne fiction, but then it was hatched by a German engineer who has spent much of his professional life working in aerospace technology.

“Imagine opening a hatch in a submarine under water. The water will flow into the submarine with enormous force. It is precisely this energy potential we want to utilize,” explains Rainer Schramm, inventor and founder of the company Subhydro AS to Gemini.no. “Many people have launched the idea of storing energy by exploiting the pressure at the seabed, but we are the first in the world to apply a specific patent-pending technology to make this possible,” he adds.

Read more

Photo

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:30:15 +0200

Research team makes stem cell breakthrough

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:38:49 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

An international team of scientists announced today that for the first time ever, they were able to create new human stem cells by cloning older, fully mature human cells. The process cannot be used to create full human clones, as the scientists involved were quick to point out, but it does allow for cells to be grown to fit specific functions within an individual’s body — resulting in new, patient-specific liver cells or heart cells that actually pulse on their own, for example.

trendspotter’s insight:

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_events/news/2013/05-15-ohsu-research-team-succe.cfm

See on nature.com

Photo

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:30:22 +0200

Makr Shakr - The Cocktailbot by MIT

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:58:56 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

Researchers and engineers at MIT Senseable City Lab, Cambridge, in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company and Barcardi rum, have designed a robotic bar, capable of preparing approximately one googol (equal to 10 power 100) crowd-sourced drink combinations. The project, called “Makr Shakr”.

Users will download an app on their handheld devices and mix ingredients as virtual barmen. They can gain inspiration by viewing other users’ recipes and comments before sending in their drink of choice. The cocktail is then crafted by three robotic arms, whose movements reproduce every action of a barman - from the shaking of a Martini to the muddling of a Mojito, and even the thin slicing of a lemon garnish.

trendspotter’s insight:

http://youtu.be/gdvfDTZcHQM

See on makrshakr.com

Photo

Tue, 14 May 2013 20:30:04 +0200

Electronics comes to paper

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:53:03 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

Paper is becoming a high-tech material. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam-Golm have created targeted conductive structures on paper using a method that is quite simple: with a conventional inkjet printer, they printed a catalyst on a sheet of paper and then heated it. The printed areas on the paper were thereby converted into conductive graphite. Being an inexpensive, light and flexible raw material, paper is therefore highly suitable for electronic components in everyday objects.

See on mpg.de

Solar panels as inexpensive as paint

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:39:58 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

Most Americans want the U.S. to place more emphasis on developing solar power, recent polls suggest. A major impediment, however, is the cost to manufacture, install and maintain solar panels. Simply put, most people and businesses cannot afford to place them on their rooftops.

Fortunately, that is changing because researchers such as Qiaoqiang Gan, University at Buffalo assistant professor of electrical engineering, are helping develop a new generation of photovoltaic cells that produce more power and cost less to manufacture than what’s available today.

One of the more promising efforts, which Gan is working on, involves the use of plasmonic-enhanced organic photovoltaic materials. These devices don’t match traditional solar cells in terms of energy production but they are less expensive and - because they are made (or processed) in liquid form - can be applied to a greater variety of surfaces.

trendspotter’s insight:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/uab-spa051313.php

See on buffalo.edu

words-are-wild: celer & hakobune - vain shapes and...

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:30:11 +0200

words-are-wild:

celer & hakobune - vain shapes and intricate parapets (album preview)

*Excerpts from the album. Available from Experimedia.net.* Some pairings, collaborations are more natural than others; there are times you see two artists together and it instantly clicks. Celer and Hakobune is one such collaboration, the kind of thing I could see coming from a mile away, bound to happen eventually, but it delivers stellar results all the same. Both of these artists are known for their glowing drones, always steeped in raw emotion. On the two side-long pieces of “Vain Shapes and Intricate Parapets,” their assimilation is seamless. The line between each artist evaporates, leaving the focus on the music, which shines. Tonal shifts are subtle yet effective. This is music that is steeped in warmth, enveloping the listener as it builds in strength and potency. For two projects that have given so many memorable moments, “Vain Shapes and Intricate Parapets” is a uniquely high mark. – Brad Rose, Experimedia

Two prolific artists of the ambient world, Will Long (Celer) and Takahiro Yorifuji (Hakobune) join forces on this 40 minute, two track work entitled Vain Shapes and Intricate Parapets. A moment frozen in time. Music for deep thought, reflection and longing.

New electro-magnetic technique to deliver life-saving drugs to the brain

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:30:32 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

Researchers from Florida International University (FIU)’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine have developed a revolutionary technique that can deliver and fully release the anti-HIV drug AZTTP into the brain.

Madhavan Nair, professor and chair, and Sakhrat Khizroev, professor and vice chair of the HWCOM’s Department of Immunology, used magneto-electric nanoparticles (MENs) to cross the blood-brain barrier and send a significantly increased level of AZTTP — up to 97 percent more — to HIV-infected cells.

Potentially, this method of delivery could help other patients who suffer from neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, meningitis and chronic pain. It could also be applicable to diseases such as cancer.

See on news.fiu.edu

deplorableword: Sky Sculptures (by Matt Molloy)

Sun, 12 May 2013 20:30:19 +0200

deplorableword:

Sky Sculptures (by Matt Molloy)

Rick Owens Spring 2008, “Creatch”Photographed by Rick Owens

Sat, 11 May 2013 20:30:21 +0200

Rick Owens Spring 2008, “Creatch”
Photographed by Rick Owens

Printing Electronics Just Got Easier - DIY Electronic Circuits Possible with Printing System

Fri, 10 May 2013 23:36:23 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

A new technique developed by researchers in China allows easier printing of electronic components onto paper.

Technological advances may soon allow consumers to print out electronic devices on home printers. Do-it-yourself electronics manufacturing may soon be possible with your desktop printer, say the designers of a new system that directly prints electronic circuits onto ordinary paper.

Jing Liu, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said his team’s advance—published May 9 in the journal Scientific Reports—could be a leap forward in the booming business of printed electronics.

Because the electronic inks are encased in rubber they can also be stacked in layers without altering their electrical functionality. This would allow users to build electromechanical functions into the body of 3-D printed objects.

See on news.nationalgeographic.com

artruby: Kenny Scharf, Frosty Pink Donut in Outer Space (2009)

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:30:14 +0200

artruby:

Kenny Scharf, Frosty Pink Donut in Outer Space (2009)

Beamcaster - A wireless network with frickin’ laser beams on the ceiling blasts the internet through the open air

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:36:21 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

Beamcaster optical distribution unit sends out invisible beams of light to create wireless networks.

A new product called Beamcaster distributes beams of light to create wireless networks, providing an alternative or supplement to Wi-Fi and eliminating much of the cabling used to connect office workers to the Internet and corporate networks.

RiT Wireless, the makers of Beamcaster, demonstrated the technology this week at the Interop networking conference in Las Vegas. A Beamcaster “optical distribution unit” is mounted on a ceiling, distributing invisible beams of light to eight “smart outlets.”

See on arstechnica.com

Researchers work to harvest electricty from plants

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:29:17 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

New technology out of the University of Georgia allows energy generated by plants through photosynthesis to be captured before the plants can make use of it.

During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to split water atoms into hydrogen and oxygen, which produces electrons. These newly freed electrons go on to help create sugars that plants use much like food to support growth and reproduction.

“We have developed a way to interrupt photosynthesis so that we can capture the electrons before the plant uses them to make these sugars,” said Ramasamy, who is also a member of UGA’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center.

See on news.uga.edu

Sheerwind, Invelox wind turbine claims 600% advantage in energy output

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:12:50 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

SheerWind, a wind power company from Minnesota, USA, has announced the results of tests it has carried out with its new Invelox wind power generation technology. The company says that during tests its turbine could generate six times more energy than the amount produced by traditional turbines mounted on towers. Besides, the costs of producing wind energy with Invelox are lower, delivering electricity with prices that can compete with natural gas and hydropower.

trendspotter’s insight:

http://sheerwind.com/media/news/releases

See on sheerwind.com

Nano-scientists develop new kind of portable water purification system, could bring clean water to rural poor

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:32:02 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

A water purification system that uses nanotechnology to remove bacteria, viruses and other contaminants may be able to deliver clean drinking water to rural communities for less than $3 a year per family, according to a new study.

Researchers at India’s Institute of Technology Madras have developed a new kind of portable water purification system based on nanoparticle filtration. In their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team explains how their new device does its job—it employs nanoparticles to remove not just biological hazards, but toxic heavy metals as well. The system they have developed is a two-stage filtration process that provides 10 liters of clean water in just an hour’s time.

trendspotter’s insight:

http://www.livescience.com/29349-water-purification-system-nanotechnology.html

See on phys.org

MIT researchers find a way to make steel without greenhouse-gas emissions

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:17:31 +0200

See on Scoop.it - Future

Steelmaking, a major emitter of climate-altering gases, could be transformed by a new process developed at MIT.

The new process even carries a couple of nice side benefits: The resulting steel should be of higher purity, and eventually, once the process is scaled up, cheaper.

Sadoway found that a process called molten oxide electrolysis could use iron oxide from the lunar soil to make oxygen in abundance, with no special chemistry. He tested the process using lunar-like soil from Meteor Crater in Arizona — which contains iron oxide from an asteroid impact thousands of years ago — finding that it produced steel as a byproduct.

The industry has met little success in its search for carbon-free methods of manufacturing steel. The idea for the new method, Sadoway says, arose when he received a grant from NASA to look for ways of producing oxygen on the moon — a key step toward future lunar bases.

trendspotter’s insight:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/miot-rfa050813.php

See on web.mit.edu