With free-flying robots and antimatter engines, NASA’s “wish list” doesn’t read like the typical lists of wants and desires you might receive from a loved one. Which is great, because if NASA was jonesing for Pokemon we’d be in trouble.
Flu vaccines in a matter of hours. Bioengineering facilities the size of San Francisco. Cells and DNA, upgraded like living software. This is the future microbiologist Dr. Craig Venter sees as inevitable, and it’s only a few years away.
A new report from MIT is linking aeroplanes to deaths… on the ground. The study suggests that aeroplanes flying at their normal altitude (10,000m) are emitting dangerous pollutants that contribute to 8000 deaths a year.
In order to create a renewable carbon economy, you can use solar power to split carbon dioxide. Combine the resulting carbon monoxide with hydrogen, and you have the beginnings of a solar fuel that could one day replace oil.
First seen at CES years ago, Horizon’s MiniPak has (finally) gone on sale for $US100. It’s the first personal, portable fuel cell—if you don’t count the Japan-only Toshiba one—and is like a mini power plant for charging gadgets.
Potholes, while ruining tyres and causing intense levels of irritation, could be put to good use soon if Levant Power Corporation’s plans to develop a shock absorber that harnesses the energy made from potholes’ jolts actually go ahead.
