Maglev titanium heart now whirs inside the chest of a live patient

For the first time, the fully mechanical heart made by BiVACOR, which uses the same technology as high-speed rail lines, has been implanted inside a human being. The feat marks a major step in keeping people alive as they wait for heart transplants.Con… Continue reading Maglev titanium heart now whirs inside the chest of a live patient

Shards from famed astronomer’s garden show secret alchemy lab details

Tycho Brahe is best known as a Danish Renaissance astronomer. But he was also a bit of an alchemist, and a first-ever analysis on shards found at his former home from the 1500s has shed some light on just what he was up to in his basement lab.Continue … Continue reading Shards from famed astronomer’s garden show secret alchemy lab details

Shards from famed astronomer’s garden show secret alchemy lab details

Tycho Brahe is best known as a Danish Renaissance astronomer. But he was also a bit of an alchemist, and a first-ever analysis on shards found at his former home from the 1500s has shed some light on just what he was up to in his basement lab.Continue … Continue reading Shards from famed astronomer’s garden show secret alchemy lab details

World-first wind turbine tech puts an 8-megawatt charger on an oil rig

In the Belgian North Sea, maintenance vessels are now able to tether to an automatic cable at a wind farm to get their batteries topped up. The innovative system is the first of its kind and a major step in keeping electric vessels as green as possible… Continue reading World-first wind turbine tech puts an 8-megawatt charger on an oil rig

Carbon-capturing concrete alternative driven by photosynthesis

A new material tackles the carbon problem of concrete production and usage by employing a pretty unusual workforce: cyanobacteria. The bio-cement these micro-organisms help to produce harnesses a process that’s existed in nature for 3.5 billion years.C… Continue reading Carbon-capturing concrete alternative driven by photosynthesis

Your emotional contagion might be making your dog a pessimist

In the world of dogs and cats, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that canines seem more optimistic and felines less so. But a dog’s optimism can apparently be dampened by their human’s emotional state, according to new research.Continue ReadingCategory: … Continue reading Your emotional contagion might be making your dog a pessimist

Rogue wave prediction system gives ships a five-minute warning

Unpredictable monster waves at sea can severely damage ships and offshore platforms, putting the lives of those who work on them at risk. A new system out of the University of Maryland uses a neural network to provide valuable early-warning alerts.Cont… Continue reading Rogue wave prediction system gives ships a five-minute warning

World’s first dual-tower solar thermal plant boosts efficiency by 24%

Two 650-foot-tall (200-m) towers have risen in China’s Gansu Province. Combined with an array of 30,000 mirrors arranged in concentric circles, the new facility is expected to generate over 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year.Continue … Continue reading World’s first dual-tower solar thermal plant boosts efficiency by 24%

New ‘superlubricity’ coating is a step toward friction-free machines

Using biowaste from cassava plants, scientists have created a coating that virtually eliminates friction in metal parts. The breakthrough has the potential to deliver better fuel economy, extend the lifespan of moving parts, and deliver enormous saving… Continue reading New ‘superlubricity’ coating is a step toward friction-free machines