Innovation thrives when we pause to observe, question, and reimagine the world around us, turning challenges into opportunities for progress. Nature, in particular, serves as a rich source of inspiration. By observing it, studying its daily challenges, and contemplating its processes, we can discover valuable insights that inspire innovative solutions.

One of these current challenges is the production of concrete, an ancient and extremely popular material that is now accountable for a significant portion of global CO₂ emissions, due to the energy-intensive process of cement production and the chemical reactions involved. It is estimated to be responsible for approximately 8% of the world’s… More.

Explore the impressive properties of Prometheus Materials’ zero-carbon bio-concrete, a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete.

Researchers at Tokyo Tech have demonstrated that in-cell engineering is an effective method for creating functional protein crystals with promising catalytic properties. By harnessing genetically altered bacteria as a green synthesis platform, the researchers produced hybrid solid catalysts for artificial photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is how plants and some microorganisms use sunlight to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water.

The Economist is hiring. Just a heads up.

An opportunity to join our graphics team.

I really am going to watch this. I love Sci-Fi and AI.

Prepare to meet… The Creator.

Watch the brand-new trailer for #TheCreator and experience the motion picture event only in theaters September 29.

The M5Dial features a 1.28-inch round TFT touchscreen, a rotary encoder, an RFID detection module, an RTC circuit, a buzzer, and under-screen buttons, enabling users to easily implement a wide range of creative projects.

The main controller of M5Dial is M5StampS3, a micro module based on the ESP32-S3 chip known for its high performance and low power consumption. It supports Wi-Fi, as well as various peripheral interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, and more. M5StampS3 also comes with 8MB of built-in Flash, providing sufficient storage space for users.

Intel has been in the semiconductor chip manufacturing game for a while. Recently, it’s been looking to expand its foundries and production to the point where it could make cutting-edge chips for other companies, a territory we normally associate with TSMC and Samsung.

Currently, Intel is building and ramping up manufacturing in North America, Mexico, and Germany — and these foundries will be doing a lot more than simply creating chips for the latest generation of Core processors. Earlier this year, Intel and Arm announced a partnership to build mobile SoCs on Intel’s 18A process node, and we’ve even heard from the likes of NVIDIA stating that it’s open to working with Intel to produce its hardware.

All of this makes the recent statement from Darren Grasby, the executive vice president for strategic partnerships and president of AMD EMEA, a little shocking. His words were harsh when asked if Intel would succeed in its ambitious plans to build global foundries and develop and create chips for multiple companies. To say the least!

Some harsh words from an AMD exec who doesn’t think Intel’s global foundry expansion and semiconductor manufacturing will drum up new customers.

A first-of-its-kind football helmet will allow coaches at Gallaudet University, the school for deaf and hard of hearing students in Washington, D.C., to transmit plays to their quarterback via an augmented reality screen.

Players on Gallaudet’s football team, which competes in NCAA’s Division III, have long faced challenges against teams with hearing athletes, such as an inability to hear referees’ whistles that signal the end of a play.

The helmet, developed by AT&T and Gallaudet University, will debut at the school’s Saturday game. When a coach chooses a play on a tablet, it will then display on a small lens on the player’s helmet.

Lightweight materials with super strength and toughness are highly sought after. Spider silk, a sustainable material, meets these requirements but faces challenges in commercialization due to scientific understanding of its spinning mechanism, technical complexities in the process, and engineering hurdles in low-cost mass production. Here, drawing inspiration from nylon and Kevlar, we propose a theory on the nature of toughness and strength, unveiling the basic structure of silk fibers. Using these theories, we successfully produce the first “localized” full-length spider silk fiber via transgenic silkworms, showcasing high tensile strength (1,299 MPa) and exceptional toughness (319 MJ/m3). This breakthrough overcomes scientific, technical, and engineering obstacles, paving the way for spider silk’s commercialization as a sustainable substitute for synthetic fibers. Moreover, our theories provide essential guidance for developing super materials.

Developing sustainable materials with high strength and ultra-toughness is vital for ecological civilization. Using transgenic silkworms, we have successfully produced the first full-length spider silk, overcoming the scientific challenge of understanding the essence of toughness and strength. The resulting bionic spider silk exhibits high strength (1,299 MPa) and ultra-toughness (319 MJ/m3), offering a potentially sustainable substitute for synthetic commercial fibers. This breakthrough provides valuable insights for the development of super materials, including those for a space elevator, driving the advancement of civilization.

Texas-based Venus Aerospace is working with rotating-detonation propulsion technology to turn the “Stargazer” from sci-concept to Mach-9 business jet that flies at 6,900 mph.

Mitch Lee can tick off the many environmental advantages of electric boats versus ICE counterparts that rule the waves: No exhaust fumes and pollution. No oil slicks trailing in the wake. No guzzling of pricey marine fuel at 2 kilometers-per-liter or less.

But with all respect to the Sierra Club, Arc Boats isn’t in business to save the planet.

“The climate benefits are certainly there. But our goal is to deliver better boats, period,” says Lee, the CEO and former Boeing engineer whose cofounder and CTO, Ryan Cook, is the former lead engineer of Space X.

And its CTO from Space X.