Water can evaporate with just light, no heat, says surprising study

Contrary to what we all learned in elementary school science class, it turns out that heat may not be necessary to make water evaporate. Scientists at MIT have made the surprising discovery that light alone can evaporate water, and is even more efficie… Continue reading Water can evaporate with just light, no heat, says surprising study

Brainwave-reading tech maintains optimum dosage of general anesthesia

Administering general anesthesia is a tricky business, as you don’t want to under- or overdo it. With that quandary in mind, scientists have now developed an automated system that continuously adjusts the dosage, based on the patient’s brain waves.Cont… Continue reading Brainwave-reading tech maintains optimum dosage of general anesthesia

300 Earths’ worth of heavy metals forged in powerful cosmic explosion

Astronomers have detected one of the most energetic explosions in the history of the universe – a gamma ray burst thrown off by two neutron stars colliding. And for the first time ever, heavy metals were detected being produced in the explosion, totali… Continue reading 300 Earths’ worth of heavy metals forged in powerful cosmic explosion

Magnetic ‘workout mat’ helps muscle cells grow & work together

Researchers have created a magnet-containing gel mat that simulates the mechanical forces exerted on muscle cells during exercise. The novel ‘workout mat’ might assist in testing treatments for people with muscle injuries and neuromuscular diseases or … Continue reading Magnetic ‘workout mat’ helps muscle cells grow & work together

Bizarre new electronic state discovered in five-layer graphene

It seems there’s no end to surprises from everybody’s favorite wonder material, graphene. MIT physicists have now discovered yet another brand new electronic state hiding in this overachieving little material – something they give the bizarre name of “… Continue reading Bizarre new electronic state discovered in five-layer graphene

Thousands of Fanzor DNA cutters that may outperform CRISPR identified

Following on from the discovery of programmable DNA-cutting enzymes known as Fanzors, scientists have found that a diverse range of species possess these genetic ‘scissors’, which presents a massive opportunity in the development of new medicines, gene… Continue reading Thousands of Fanzor DNA cutters that may outperform CRISPR identified

C-Crete hailed as a planet-friendly alternative to cement

According to some estimates, the generation of the heat used to produce traditional portland cement is responsible for 5% to 8% of all human-made CO2 emissions. A new substance known as C-Crete, however, is claimed to be a much greener – yet still prac… Continue reading C-Crete hailed as a planet-friendly alternative to cement

GelSight Svelte tech gives robotic fingers a full-length sense of touch

While there are a number of optical systems that provide robotic hands with a sense of touch, most of those systems are flat, so they’re confined to the fingertips. A new MIT system, however, works along the entire length of each finger.Continue Readin… Continue reading GelSight Svelte tech gives robotic fingers a full-length sense of touch