Lifeboat Foundation

Astronomers have discovered an exceedingly old star at the edge of our galaxy that seems to have formed only a few million years after the Big Bang – and what they are learning from it could affect their understanding of the birth of the universe.

In a study published last week, researchers found the star during an astronomical survey of the southern sky with a technique called narrowband photometry, which measures the brightness of distant stars in different wavelengths of light and can reveal stars that have low levels of heavy elements.

They then studied the star – known by its survey number as SPLUS J210428.01−004934.2, or SPLUS J2104−0049 for short – with high-resolution spectroscopy to determine its chemical makeup.

People can understand these “iconic vocalizations” regardless of their spoken language.

“Iconic vocalizations” may have been the missing link that allowed the first human languages to develop, a new study suggests.

Discover the advantages of 3D printed jewelry, the best materials, and get inspired by the most interesting projects!

3D printing helps sculptor Julian Voss-Andreae create monumental sculptures that are later cast in bronze.

In 2018, Cornell researchers built a high-powered detector that, in combination with an algorithm-driven process called ptychography, set a world record by tripling the resolution of a state-of-the-art electron microscope.

As successful as it was, that approach had a weakness. It only worked with ultrathin samples that were a few atoms thick. Anything thicker would cause the electrons to scatter in ways that could not be disentangled.

Now a team, again led by David Muller, the Samuel B. Eckert Professor of Engineering, has bested its own record by a factor of two with an electron microscope pixel array detector (EMPAD) that incorporates even more sophisticated 3D reconstruction algorithms.

Adam Savage, one of the creators and hosts of the beloved show Mythbusters, collaborated with his friend Richard Browning, founder of Gravity, to demonstrate a flying, bulletproof Iron Man suit that was 3D printed from Titanium. This is a feat that has to be seen to be believed.

The creation of the suit will be featured on a new show that Savage is doing with the Science Channel. It all started when Savage visited the Colorado School of Mines and one of the engineers told him they had Titanium 3D printers, adding “if you want to print something weird, let us know.” To which Savage replied, “Really? How about a full suit of Iron Man armor?”

Circa 2020

Learn how a young team of additive manufacturing engineers helped bring 3D printed parts to the design of the GE9X, the world’s largest jet engine.

Stefka Petkova enjoys building things. It’s a passion she’s had since she was a small child when her dad, an electrician who liked to work on cars, kept the door to his workshop open. “I was exposed to that as a very young child and just got a lot of encouragement,” says Petkova, who she spent many afternoons watching him weld and wire automobiles.

Continue reading “3D Printed Engine: Bringing 3D Printing Inside The World’s Largest Jet Engine” »

Circa 2017

What is the best way to preserve music for future generations to enjoy? Store it in DNA, of course.

That is exactly what Twist Biosciences, which pioneers high-quality DNA synthesis, has facilitated in collaboration with the University of Washington and Microsoft. Two iconic performances – from the iconic Montreux Jazz Festival, one Deep Purple’s playing of Smoke on the Water, and Tutu by Miles Davis, have been ‘encoded onto DNA and read back with 100 percent accuracy.

Continue reading “Music stored in DNA” »

As of August 28th, you can now use a 3D printer to produce custom candy gummies in Berlin. The world’s first 3D candy printer, Magic Candy Factory, had been in development for over a year through German company Katjes Fassin’s UK subsidiary, and can print gummies in 3–10 minutes; competing machines take up to an hour.