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Oct 2, 2019

Squid-inspired robots might have environmental, propulsion applications

Posted by in categories: military, physics, robotics/AI

Inspired by the unique and efficient swimming strategy of cephalopods, scientists developed an aquatic robot that mimics their form of propulsion.

These , squidlike robots are made of , which make them hard to detect—an advantage that has potential military reconnaissance and scientific applications—while maintaining a low environmental footprint.

Physicists Xiaobo Bi and Qiang Zhu used to illustrate the physical mechanisms and fluid mechanics of a squid’s swimming method, which uses intermittent bursts through pulsed jet propulsion. By using this form of locomotion, the new can achieve impressive speeds, just like its animal inspiration. Bi and Zhu discuss their work in this week’s Physics of Fluids.

Oct 2, 2019

Mars Is Heaven!

Posted by in categories: solar power, space, sustainability

You probably hear a lot of news from NASA’s many amazing Mars missions: the Curiosity rover, InSight, MRO, and more. NASA is good at promoting their stuff of course, but also the images returned from all these missions are truly wonderful.

You may not hear as much from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express mission. Well, you may have heard about the lander Beagle 2: It set down safely on the surface, but two of the four solar panels didn’t deploy, dooming that part of that mission.

Oct 2, 2019

Chemists synthesize perseanol for the first time

Posted by in categories: food, sustainability

A team of chemists at California Institute of Technology has totally synthesized perseanol using a 16-step process for the first time. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes their process and how well it worked.

In nature, perseanol is a molecule produced by the persea tree. Shortly after its discovery in the , researchers found that the molecule was similar to ryanodine, a once-popular pesticide. They have similar architecture, though perseanol lacks a pyrrole-2-carboxylate ester. Because of the similarities, interest in using perseanol on commercial crops grew. Not much later, a cheaper alternative was found, and the molecule never made it to the farm. But interest in it persists because of its ecofriendly reputation. For that reason, chemists have been working to produce it in the lab—if successful, the results would be both cheaper and more environmentally friendly than products now in use.

The researchers note that ryanodine works as a pesticide by binding to in insects’ muscles, paralyzing them. It can paralyze animals, too, but perseanol is believed to be more specific to insects, making it a potentially safer pesticide. The researchers also note that little research has been performed to determine the means by which perseanol kills bugs. That could change however, if interest in using perseanol as a pesticide is rekindled.

Oct 2, 2019

Elon Musk unveils SpaceX Starship which will bring new age of space tourism in SIX months

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, space travel

ELON Musk and his SpaceX team want to get its new rocket, which will one day ferry humans to the Moon, Mars and “beyond” into orbit within just six months.

Oct 2, 2019

New Drones, Weapons Get Spotlight in China’s Military Parade

Posted by in categories: drones, military

The massive event celebrated 70 years of Communist rule — and an arsenal for its next decade.

China’s newest weapons were on display Tuesday at the massive military parade staged in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of Communist rule. China watchers noticed a new emphasis on airborne and naval drones and the public unveiling of a new hypersonic missile and a new ICBM.

The parade offered the first clear look at the supersonic DR −8 spy drone, which “would be expected to play a key role should there be a conflict with US aircraft carrier strike groups in the South China Sea or Western Pacific,” wrote the South China Morning Post.

Oct 2, 2019

Gut Microbiome ‘Fingerprint’ May Predict Susceptibility To Debilitating Radiotherapy Side Effects

Posted by in category: health

The composition of the gut microbiome has been linked to countless areas of health. But could it really protect the gut against damage from radiotherapy treatment? Photo credit: Getty royalty-free.

Oct 2, 2019

Just three days in hospital can change the bacteria in your gut

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

A study of people in an intensive care unit has found that being in hospital can lead to harmful strains of bacteria taking over your microbiome.

Oct 2, 2019

Designer Dreams up Tesla Motorbike Despite Elon Musk’s Refusal to Create One

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Electric motorcycle and scooter design uses two or three wheel layouts outfitted with an electric motor and battery used for long distance travel, commuting and cruising.

an electric motorcycle concept based on dyson’s bladeless fans.

Oct 2, 2019

Giant Robot on eBay starting at $1

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

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Oct 2, 2019

This flat structure morphs into shape of a human face when temperature changes

Posted by in categories: 3D printing, materials

Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have designed 3D printed mesh-like structures that morph from flat layers into predetermined shapes, in response to changes in ambient temperature. The new structures can transform into configurations that are more complex than what other shape-shifting materials and structures can achieve.

As a demonstration, the researchers printed a flat mesh that, when exposed to a certain temperature difference, deforms into the shape of a . They also designed a mesh embedded with conductive liquid metal, that curves into a dome to form an active antenna, the resonance frequency of which changes as it deforms.

The team’s new design method can be used to determine the specific pattern of flat mesh structures to print, given the material’s properties, in order to make the structure transform into a desired shape.