Circa 2019
Unlocking the physical characteristics of semiconductors in much greater detail.
The triumph of a robot named Curly is the latest example of machines besting humans, but other big wins for the robots have been in digital environments; “with every throw, the ice changes.”
Mushroom-munching bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have introduced scientists to a new species of truffle.
Commonly used by Congolese communities to bait traps for small mammals, Hysterangium bonobo is also savored by bonobos, an endangered species of great ape. Scientists say the truffle hints at vast reserves of undescribed fungal diversity in the region.
“Truffles aren’t just for gourmet chefs—they’re also for our closest relatives,” said Matthew Smith, an associate professor in the University of Florida department of plant pathology and curator of the UF fungal herbarium. “There’s so much to learn about this system, and we’re just scratching the surface.”
You might never have to replace your tires again.
When all-electric vehicles eventually complete their global takeover, they’ll collectively require much less maintenance than their oiled up, transmission-based counterparts. As for the tires? That’s a different story.
To help drivers avoid the misery of waiting around for a tire change, Goodyear has introduced an intriguing new concept: tires that can regenerate new tread on the spot.
Launching soon on Kickstarter.
Wake up and smell the coffee: introducing™ 3-in-1 jacket — an inner & outer jacket which are high-performing, sustainable, and versatile.
We have been manufacturing jackets for the market leaders for years. It is now our turn to use what we have learned to create the highest-quality jacket and cut out the middleman saving you money.
We all want to know how to live longer, but is a prolonged life a healthy, happy one? One Vogue writer looks at the science that says it might be possible.
Quantumlib/Cirq
Posted in quantum physics
A python framework for creating, editing, and invoking Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) circuits. — quantumlib/Cirq.
NASA’S Juno spacecraft snapped this “dramatic image” of an eclipse shadow passing over Jupiter, caused by its volcanic moon Io.
The first 200 people to sign up with Brilliant using my link will get 20% off the annual subscription!
http://brilliant.org/thethoughtemporium
_________________________________________________________________________
What started as a dream more than 10 years ago, has finally become reality. After more than 2 years of work, dozen of failures, hundreds of hours of lab work and design time, we’ve finally done it. We’ve engineered a strain of yeast that produce real spider silk! This video explains how.
Check out our new merch: https://teespring.com/stores/the-thought-emporium
Previous videos:
Project overview — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx8TcGrCOSI
DNA extraction — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knosqmvLWSc
PCR — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kJ2o7P8D00
Journey to the Microcosmos — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBbnbBWJtwsf0jLGUwX5Q3g
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new method of 3D-printing gels and other soft materials. Published in a new paper, it has the potential to create complex structures with nanometer-scale precision. Because many gels are compatible with living cells, the new method could jump-start the production of soft tiny medical devices such as drug delivery systems or flexible electrodes that can be inserted into the human body.
A standard 3D printer makes solid structures by creating sheets of material—typically plastic or rubber—and building them up layer by layer, like a lasagna, until the entire object is created.
Using a 3D printer to fabricate an object made of gel is a “bit more of a delicate cooking process,” said NIST researcher Andrei Kolmakov. In the standard method, the 3D printer chamber is filled with a soup of long-chain polymers—long groups of molecules bonded together—dissolved in water. Then “spices” are added—special molecules that are sensitive to light. When light from the 3D printer activates those special molecules, they stitch together the chains of polymers so that they form a fluffy weblike structure. This scaffolding, still surrounded by liquid water, is the gel.