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Material with both magnetic and superconducting properties found

By Damir Beciri
27 September 2011

simes-superconductor-magnet-julie-bertResearchers at the Stanford University have made an interesting discovery after they sandwiched two nonmagnetic insulators together. Contrary to expectations, the layer where the two materials meet has both magnetic and superconducting regions – two properties which haven’t been found to co-exist in nature. The discovery could be a starting point for creation of new materials… »

Bionics| Tech»

Pitcher plant biomimicry leads to SLIPS – efficient liquid repelling coating

By Damir Beciri
One Comment22 September 2011

pitcher-plant-nepenthes-monkey-cupInspired by pitcher plant, a group of applied scientists at Harvard University managed to create a material that repels just about any type of liquid, including blood and oil, and does so even while it is exposed to high pressure or freezing temperatures. Since it is carnivorous by nature, the ability to have a virtually… »

Bionics| Tech»

Moss table employs biophotovoltaic technology to generate power

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments22 September 2011

cambridge-biophotovoltaics-1Although many gardeners treat moss as a menace and tend to eradicate it from their lawns, a team of designers and scientists at the University of Cambridge are developing a way to harness energy from moss by using it as biophotovoltaics (BPVs). BPV devices may become competitive alternatives to conventional renewable technologies such as bio-fuels… »

Bionics| Tech»

Researchers getting closer to creation of 3D printed blood vessels

By Damir Beciri
19 September 2011

fraunhofer-biorapResearchers at Fraunhofer are combining two different techniques – 3D printing technology established in rapid prototyping and multiphoton polymerization developed in polymer science – in order to create artificial blood vessels. Aside creating artificial blood vessels that could be used to could supply artificial tissue, the technology could be a starting point for creation of… »

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Yale engineers developed a magnetic fluid pump with no moving parts

By Damir Beciri
One Comment17 September 2011

yale-ferrofluid-pumpA group of researchers from Yale University and colleagues from the University of Georgia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated a novel approach that allows ferrofluids to be pumped by magnetic fields alone. The approach could allow this material to be used in new generation of highly compact, integrated, quiet, and efficient liquid cooling schemes… »

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Pilot plant in UK cleans waste water and produces fuel

By Damir Beciri
16 September 2011

uk-pilot-plant-waste-water-cleaning-fuel-production-1A new industrial plant that uses algae to clean waste water has opened in Gloucestershire, run by scientists from the University of Bath and environmental innovation company Aragreen. The pilot facility will demonstrate the efficacy of algae as a sustainable water polishing technology, using waste water from a nearby Welsh Water plant. The algae will… »

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Zinc oxide moulding enables production of thinner and cheaper solar cells

By Damir Beciri
One Comment11 September 2011

epfl-thin-pv-cellEven though silicon is one of the most abundant elements, the energy required to make silicon from sand is immense. A group of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) developed a new nanopatterning technique which boosts the output of the cells, thus enabling manufacture of solar cells that are one… »

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Polymer batteries for cheaper and safer next-generation electronics

By Damir Beciri
One Comment11 September 2011

smartphoneRechargeable lithium-ion batteries are now the power of choice for a variety of portable consumer electronics. A group of researchers from the University of Leeds has invented a new type of polymer gel that could replace the liquid electrolytes currently used in rechargeable lithium cells. It would also enable production of cheaper lithium batteries without… »