Surface sealant uses nanotech to make concrete last longer

Although we’ve been hearing about various stronger forms of concrete, one of the keys to making concrete last longer is to keep water from seeping into it in the first place. A new surface sealant could help, as it reportedly makes existing concrete 75… Continue reading Surface sealant uses nanotech to make concrete last longer

Nano-spotlight used to capture first color photos of carbon nanotubes

Because nanoscale objects are so incredibly small, they don’t reflect enough light for even the best microscopes to discern details such as their color. A new lighting system, however, addresses that problem by acting as a tiny spotlight.Continue Readi… Continue reading Nano-spotlight used to capture first color photos of carbon nanotubes

Compact, portable bad breath detector is in the works

No matter how hard we may try, we can’t really tell if we’ve got bad breath – and asking someone else to sniff our breath for us can be awkward. It’s now possible that before too long, however, a portable “thumb-size” device could let us know.Continue … Continue reading Compact, portable bad breath detector is in the works

Paper-folding art reduced to the nanoscale in engineering breakthrough

There is a lot engineers can learn from Japanese paper folding art forms, from cheap batteries made from paper and water to tiny robots that are activated by heat. While origami gets a lot of the attention, a variation of this called kirigami also has … Continue reading Paper-folding art reduced to the nanoscale in engineering breakthrough

World’s Smallest Benchy Shows off What 3D-Printing Can Do for “Microswimmers”

We’ve said it before, but we cast a wary eye at any superlative claims that come our way. “World’s fastest” or “world’s first” claims always seem to be quickly debunked, but when the claim of “World’s Smallest Benchy” is backed up by a tugboat that two dozen E. coli would …read more

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Injection of nanoparticle-based retina restores vision to blind rats

Impressive new work from an international team of scientists has demonstrated a potential way to restore vision in those suffering from degenerative diseases of the retina. A single injection of nanoparticles was found to create a working artificial re… Continue reading Injection of nanoparticle-based retina restores vision to blind rats

Nano-motor of just 16 atoms runs at the boundary of quantum physics

Researchers at Empa and EPFL have created one of the smallest motors ever made. It’s composed of just 16 atoms, and at that tiny size it seems to function right on the boundary between classical physics and the spooky quantum realm.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Nano-motor of just 16 atoms runs at the boundary of quantum physics