Bookmarks (998)

Although autonomous, uncrewed ships are now being trialled, those vessels still need human workers to moor them when they come into port. That could soon change, however, thanks to a new automated suction-based mooring system.Continue ReadingCategory: Marine, TransportTags: Autonomous, Ships

Australian food company Vow is working on lab-grown foie gras that not only takes the cruelty out of producing it, but also aims to make a distinctively tastier version of the delicacy.Continue ReadingCategory: TechnologyTags: Lab grown meat, Food

The incredible rate of construction in Saudi Arabia shows no sign of slowing with yet another ambitious project announced. This time it's a massive sports stadium, which will be one of the world's largest once complete, and is designed to resemble a seed germinating in the desert.Continue ReadingCategory: Architecture, LifestyleTags: Building and Construction, Saudi Arabia, Stadium

Prepare to start seeing unprecedented shapes and designs in the motocross world. Spanish company Stark Future is taking titanium 3D printing out of the prototyping lab, and into mass production of its insane electric dirtbikes.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: 3-D+Printing, Electric Motorcycles, Dirtbikes, Manufacturing Technologies, Titanium

The sixth flight of SpaceX's Starship went off today without a second capture landing of the Super Heavy first stage, but it did have a dramatic daylight powered soft landing of the Starship second stage in the Indian Ocean. And a banana.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: Starship, SpaceX, Launch

Milwaukee camper van innovator Orion Motors takes the largest Ford Transit cargo van out there and turns it into a camper utility van so versatile, you can use it 365 days a year.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Campervan, Ford, RV, Cargo, Van, Outdoors and Camping, Camping

It's ironic that even when surrounded by water, sailors who are lost at sea can still die of thirst. The QuenchSea 3.0 portable desalinator is designed to keep that from happening, and it requires no power source other than its user's arm muscles.Continue ReadingCategory: Outdoors, LifestyleTags: Kickstarter, Desalination, Water, Osmosis

When most of us think of freshly poured concrete, we picture a material that should be left to dry as smooth as possible. A new wheeled robot drives right over the stuff, however, gouging its surface to make structures stronger yet also cheaper to build.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, TechnologyTags: Concrete, Construction, Autonomous

Phoenix-based mobility outfit Lectric has a reputation for quality builds at affordable prices. Such is the case for an updated version of the XPeak all-terrain adventure bike, which keeps the same price tag as the original but can now be optioned with a longer-range battery.Continue ReadingCategory: Bicycles, TransportTags: ebikes, Pedal-assisted, Off-road

China is now home to the world's most powerful centrifuge capable of creating artificial gravity. This facility will enable a wide range of experiments to help make sense of scientific phenomena, simulate geological events, and test new materials.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: Gravity, China, Testing, World's Most Powerful

Back in 2022, Eco Wave Energy announced plans to relocate its wave energy array from Gibraltar to the Port of Los Angeles. Now the company has secured final approval for what will become the first onshore wave energy project in the US.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, TechnologyTags: Wave Power, Renewable Energy, Clean Energy

At a test track in Germany, Bugatti has just recorded an open-top speed much quicker than the iconic Veyron managed with a roof on when it stunned the world in 2010. Next stop, says Mate Rimac, is 500 km/h (311 mph) and the outright speed crown.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Bugatti, Hypercar, Supercar, World's Fastest, World Records, Convertible

Chilean architectural studio Tololo Ugarte has created a luxurious vaulted tiny house that blurs the lines between its tasteful interior and the surrounding landscape. Dubbed Catalejo, which means Spyglass, the project leverages the unique attributes of its site to inform the design.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, LifestyleTags: Tiny Footprint, Cabins, Off-grid, Home

The rebirth of commercial supersonic flight has kind of, sort of come to pass as Dawn Aerospace announces that its 16-ft (4.8-m) Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered aircraft broke the sound barrier with a speed of Mach 1.1 on November 12, 2024.Continue ReadingCategory: Aircraft, TransportTags: Supersonic, Dawn Aerospace

A peptide hormone produced in the brain that triggers physiological reproductive responses has been 'hacked' by scientists to form an effective, safe and non-invasive way to treat chronic gut pain. It's being deemed an entirely new class of painkiller.Continue ReadingCategory: Chronic Pain, Illnesses and conditions, Body & MindTags: University of Queensland, Irritable bowel syndrome, irritable-bowel-disease, Chronic, Pain, Drugs, Drug delivery, Analog, molecular biology, Gastrointestinal

On November 11, MAPHEUS-15 became the 600th suborbital rocket launched from Sweden’s Esrange Space Center. While not wanting to downplay this impressive milestone, many are keener to see whether its payload paid off, scientifically speaking.Continue ReadingCategory: Body & MindTags: Cells, Health, Microgravity, La Trobe University

Pushing heavy loads in a wheelbarrow may be easier than carrying them, but it can certainly still be a plenty difficult task. The eBarrow Kit was designed with that fact in mind, as it electrifies existing wheelbarrows.Continue ReadingCategory: Around The Home, LifestyleTags: Hub Motors, Electric, Urban Gardening

The icy fingers of winter are starting to grip folks in the Northern Hemisphere. Generally this might mean packing away the bike until things warm up a little. But the latest electric ride from Giant has been designed for "those who embrace the thrill of winter riding."Continue ReadingCategory: Bicycles, TransportTags: ebikes, Pedal-assisted, Off-road

With its length of 4.8 m (15 ft) and its simple, space-saving layout, the 4800L Compact tiny house could be a good fit for those looking for a weekender or guest house. It's also relatively affordable and starts at just AUD$48,000 (roughly US$31,000).Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, LifestyleTags: Building and Construction, Micro-House, House, Home, Tiny Footprint

It’s not just the Mulders of the world watching the skies anymore – the Scullys are getting involved. The US Department of Defense (DoD) has released its latest report on UFOs, with some intriguing stats and stories.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: Aerial, Department of Defense, Extraterrestrial, Aircraft, Flying Saucer, drones

We've been following the development of Australia's AMSL Aero's longe-range, hydrogen-powered Vertiia eVTOL for some time and now the box-winged tilt-rotor aircraft has completed its first free flight after over a year of 50 tethered tests.Continue ReadingCategory: Aircraft, TransportTags: eVTOL, Flight Tests, Hydrogen Aviation

Chinese company JiYue has unveiled a stonking high-performance, long-range, intelligent supercar capable of doing 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 1.9 seconds, 400 miles (644 km) to a charge, and featuring a unibody carbon frame.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: China, Supercar, Supercars, Artificial Intelligence, Self driving cars, Electric Vehicles

When disaster strikes, drones and robots can be sent into danger zones to scout for survivors. The RoBoa from a student team at ETH Zurich is designed to snake its way through debris that would stop other solutions in their tracks.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, TechnologyTags: Soft Robotics, ETH Zurich, Rescue, Monitoring, Mapping, Disasters, Biomimicry

LG Display has built on the technology powering its flexible screen prototype that stretched by 20% in 2022, announcing what's claimed to be the world's first stretchable display capable of expanding up to 50%.Continue ReadingCategory: TechnologyTags: LG Display, Display, Stretchable Electronics, Micro LED, Foldable, Flexible Electronics, Screens

The unassuming yet popular white button mushroom has cancer-fighting abilities, according to the results of a human clinical trial on the use of food as medicine. Not only does it slow tumor growth, but it also allows cancer-fighting immune cells to do their job effectively.Continue ReadingCategory: Cancer, Illnesses and conditions, Body & MindTags: Mushrooms, Prostate cancer, Treatment, City of Hope

It's nearly 15 years since the first air fryer as we know it hit the market, but food companies and consumers are still catching up when it comes to food safety and these game-changing kitchen gadgets. Experts say better instructions and user awareness will lower the risk of food-related illness.Continue ReadingCategory: Wellness & Healthy Living, Body & MindTags: Food technology, Food, Cooking, Bacteria, Kitchen,...

Many of us will have had a tooth pulled in the dentist chair, either under local or general anesthetic, and even with modern medicine, it's not a pleasant experience. So spare a thought for the people who, for millennia, voluntarily had good, healthy front teeth hammered or pulled out – a practice that continued from 4800 BP to the early 1900s. And it was...

With its length of 45 ft (10.3 m), the Cumberland is about as large as a tiny house can get before we need to start thinking about calling it something else. Arranged on one level, the dwelling boasts a spacious open interior with a home office, plus a sizable porch too.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, LifestyleTags: Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home, Building and Construction

We've seen plenty of futuristic-looking concept motorcycles over the years – the BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 and Yamaha Motoroid prototype, to name just two. The Rocket One fits comfortably amongst such offerings, with a massive LED headlamp that looks like a jet engine inlet or the Argo’s wave motion gun from Star Blazers.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Electric Motorcycles, Concept Motorcycles, Triumph, HUD, Augmented...

Manipulating important non-neuronal brain cells called astrocytes using light prevented fear memories from being retained long-term, according to new research. The findings add to growing evidence about astrocytes’ role in memory and open the door to potential treatments for conditions like PTSD, which is characterized by abnormal fear memory.Continue ReadingCategory: Learning & Memory, Brain Health, Body & MindTags: Memory, Fear, Optogenetics, Astrocyte, Tohoku University

Following a successful Indiegogo for a long-range folding ebike in January, Chinese e-mobility outfit Mihogo has returned to the platform with a lightweight commuter. The Air's carbon fiber frame is jam-packed with batteries for up to 128 miles per charge.Continue ReadingCategory: Bicycles, TransportTags: ebikes, Pedal-assisted, Indiegogo

A new study has found a link between the rollout of high-speed internet services and a rise in obesity rates in the country. The researchers who conducted the study attribute the increase to the effect of high-speed internet access on physical activity and eating habits.Continue ReadingCategory: Obesity, Illnesses and conditions, Body & MindTags: High-speed, Internet, Obesity, Exercise, Monash University

Genetic studies have revealed that when male mosquitoes lose their hearing, they also lose their sex lives. The surprising discovery could lead to new ways to reduce mosquito populations and the diseases they spread.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Mosquito, Insect, Hearing, Deaf, University of California Santa Barbara, UC Santa Barbara

Memories can form outside of the brain, according to new research. Non-brain cells exposed to chemical pulses similar to the ones that brain cells are exposed to when presented with new information caused the non-brain cells to switch on a gene critical for memory formation.Continue ReadingCategory: Learning & Memory, Brain Health, Body & MindTags: neurons, Memory, Learning, Cells, New York University

In Kentucky, bourbon demand is expected to double in the next five years, while the state's cattle population has now reached its lowest point since 1951. Here's how these two facts could combine to turn bourbon distilleries into a new source of biofuels.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, TechnologyTags: Methane, Distillery, University of Kentucky, Bacteria, Biofuel

For the first time, engineers have digitally recreated the complex muscular architecture of the octopus arm and its unique movements, which opens the door to developing soft robotics with unprecedented dexterity.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: University of Illinois, Soft Robotics, Engineering, Animal science, Muscle

Love the all-new electrified incarnation or not, the Volkswagen Microbus is finally making a return to the US market. And with it, the Volkswagen camper bus – and some promising sub-$100K camper van options in general – also make a much-welcome return to US shores. We had the chance to test the world's first ID. Buzz camper van ahead of its official US availability...

Lockheed Martin's famous-but-secret Skunk Works has released a sort-of-new image of a concept for the company's Next Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS) military tanker aircraft for in-flight refueling of multiple warplanes.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, TechnologyTags: Lockheed Martin, Aircraft, US Air Force

Cranking up the air conditioner is one way to keep buildings cool, but it guzzles energy. Passive materials can regulate interior temperatures more efficiently, and now scientists in South Korea have developed a new coating that keeps glass much cooler, while still being transparent.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, ScienceTags: Heating, Light, Coating, Coatings, Postech, Korea University, Cooling, Silver Ink

If you've ever fancied yourself a spaceship architect that could design a vessel to carry colonists to another star system on a journey that could last for centuries, check out the Project Hyperion Design Contest, which invites teams to lay out their Generation Ship plans.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: Spacecraft

Meteorology may not seem like an eco-unfriendly field, but its does need to clean up its act in at least one way. A new high-tech glider could help it do so, by allowing single-use weather-balloon-carried devices to be reclaimed and reused.Continue ReadingCategory: Environment, ScienceTags: EPFL, Weather, gliders, Reuse

Various groups are now growing baby corals for transplantation into the world's disappearing reefs, but they need a hand. A new robotic hand has been created to help, by carefully and efficiently transferring the li'l corals between tanks as they grow up.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, TechnologyTags: Ecology, CSIRO, Coral, Soft Robotics

Many of us will serve up our favorite tunes using a smartphone, but may be left wanting in the sound quality department. That's where a portable headphone amp/DAC can help, and the latest model from Fiio promises to satisfy with desktop-level power and performance.Continue ReadingCategory: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Audiophile, Portable, Hi-fi, Digital music, Earphones, Headphones, Bluetooth

An annual photography competition, celebrating scientific microscopic images, has unveiled this year’s winners. A startling cross-section shot of a flower has been awarded the fifth annual Evident Image of the Year Award, leading a mesmerizing gallery of miniature marvels.Continue ReadingCategory: Photography, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Photographers, Competition, Gallery, Microscopes, Olympus

Though they don't boast some of the bells and whistles of their North American counterparts, in some ways European tiny houses are actually more impressive – since stricter towing laws mean they must be significantly smaller and lighter. Leïla's tiny house is another example of this and squeezes a comfortable and light-filled home for two into a length of just 6 m (20 ft).Continue...

Small aircraft manufacturer BETA Technologies has rolled the first electric plane off its fully scaled production line in Vermont. You can go along for the ride with this milestone-setting aircraft in a slick new video from the makers.Continue ReadingCategory: Aircraft, TransportTags: Beta Technologies, Electric Aircraft, Plane, eVTOL, Flight, FAA

The first of 35 fully automated Metropolis trains from French company Alstom, which is planned for a new Light Green Line metro system, has made its debut in Taiwan. When complete, the entirely automated 22.8-km (14-mile) line will shave 30 minutes off the current commute time end to end, taking just 20 minutes to travel the entire route between New Taipei City and the...

Astro Mechanica – founded in 2021 by Ian Brooke and with a tight ship of only eight employees – is an aerospace startup developing what it calls a turboelectric adaptive engine for both subsonic and supersonic flight ... with electric car motor technology.Continue ReadingCategory: Aircraft, TransportTags: Supersonic, Subsonic, Electric Aircraft, Hybrid, Jets

Whether you live in Cell Block 9, the UK, or simply work a high-risk job where sharp objects pose a hazard, this lightweight, water- and stab-proof jacket is designed to keep you warm, dry and alive.Continue ReadingCategory: Outdoors, LifestyleTags: Protection, Knife, Armor

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Sierra Space Corporation have developed a new heat shield based on venerable 1980s Space Shuttle technology to protect the next generation of reusable spacecraft from the deadly heat of reentry.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: Sierra Nevada Corporation, ORNL, Spacecraft