Syracuse University (SU) researchers found a new way to use nanotechnology in order to harness bioluminescence in a much more efficient way compared to previous experiments. Inspired by firefly (Photinus pyralis), their system achieved 20 to 30 times higher efficiency, thus attaining highest efficiencies in bioluminescence known to date. Once scaled-up and perfected, the system… »

One of goals in transport is to create vehicles with less weight in order to lower their energy consumption. An EPFL spin-off company named EELCEE has developed a process that allows fast fabrication of lightweight composite components in large quantities. Polymer composites offer a good lightweight alternative to metals while offering the strength of steel…. »

Current wireless systems don’t allow the data to be sent and received in the same time over the same frequency. That’s because the strength of the transmission overwhelms any incoming signal on the same frequency. In order to increase the bandwidth and quality of data transfer, a group of engineers from the University of Waterloo… »

A team of researchers from Harvard University devised a new way to combat ice and frost on various surfaces, including metal surfaces. Once coated, the surfaces quickly shed condensation droplets as well as frost simply by employing gravity. The technology could find its use as a coating for a wide variety of metal surfaces used… »

Glue finds its uses in many objects ranging from sticky notes to airplanes. It is all around us, even in objects we don’t expect it to be. Until now, the majority of glues (adhesives) have been manufactured from petroleum-based materials, but the researchers from Fraunhofer Institute are looking for ways to improve them by developing… »

An interdisciplinary team consisting out of computer scientists, biologists, and cognitive psychologists at Harvard, Northwestern, Wellesley, and Tufts, conducted a pair of studies where they investigated the actual learning outcomes of educational games in both formal and informal settings. The results revealed that educational games succeeded at making the process of learning difficult material engaging… »

Princeton University researchers developed a new nanomaterial which dramatically improves the sensitivity of immunoassays – a common medical test which mimics the action of the immune system to detect the presence of chemicals associated with diseases. According to researchers, their method increases the sensitivity over 3 million times more sensitive compared to other similar tests…. »

The Japanese art of paper folding Origami (from ori meaning “folding”, and kami meaning “paper”) inspired researchers from Purdue University to develop a method they named Kaleidogami – computational algorithms and tools used to turn a single sheet of paper into precisely folded morphing mechanisms. They also devised a variation of Kaleidogami named Kinetogami –… »