Collaborate Disseminate
Hackers just can’t help but turn their sights on timepieces, and [Armin Bindzus] has designed an electrowetting-based watch. Electrowetting is a way of changing the contact angle of droplets on …read more Continue reading Droplet Watch Keeps Time Via Electrowetting
It was just this August that we heard about a super-slippery 3D-printed toilet bowl, which bacteria slide right off of. Well, if you want that same sort of functionality in your existing toilet, a special coating may do the trick.Continue ReadingCatego… Continue reading Slippery coating keeps bacteria from hanging out in toilet bowls
Scientists have developed what they call the most water-repellent surface ever. By giving it a liquid-like coating that defies usual designs, water will roll off the surface at angles 500 times shallower than other superhydrophobic materials.Continue R… Continue reading World’s most water-repellent surface surprises its own inventors
Inspired by a water-dwelling spider, researchers have created a novel surface material that stays dry for months underwater, and also greatly resists adhesion by bacteria and marine organisms like barnacles. They say the surface is easy to produce, sca… Continue reading Novel spider-inspired surface material stays dry for months underwater
Ice build-up can pose a problem for roads, aircraft, wind turbines and power lines, among many other things. Now scientists at Dalian University of Technology have developed a new structure made of copper nanowires that can passively de-ice surfaces wi… Continue reading Solar-heated nanowires de-ice surfaces with almost 100% efficiency
Researchers have developed a surfactant spray that counters the mosquito’s natural water-resisting properties, offering a safe and effective means of taking down mosquitoes without using insecticides. The spray could be used to protect people from the … Continue reading Surfactants safely take down mosquitoes without using insecticides
Solar panels can’t operate efficiently if they’re caked in dirt, but cleaning them regularly can become a time-consuming process. Engineers in Germany have now developed an ultra-thin coating that can make solar panels and other surfaces self-cleaning…. Continue reading Ultra-thin coating makes for self-cleaning solar panels
Farmers will often place sheets of plastic on the ground along their crop rows, in order to help hold moisture in the soil. According to a new study, however, the use of wax-coated sand may be a cheaper and greener way to go.Continue ReadingCategory: S… Continue reading Could wax-coated sand replace plastic mulch in farmers’ fields?
The old saying “like water off a duck’s back” is well-earned – the water-loving birds have specialized feathers that keep them from getting too wet. Now, engineers at Virginia Tech have investigated the physics behind how they work and developed synthe… Continue reading Synthetic duck feathers could help ships glide through the water
Last year, we heard how scientists had created eco-friendly soft gel particles from hard grains of pollen. Now, they’ve used those particles to create sponges that could soak up oil spills, then biodegrade once used up.Continue ReadingCategory: Environ… Continue reading Biodegradable plant-pollen sponges could soak up oil spills