Low-cost additive turns concrete slabs into super-fast energy storage

MIT researchers have discovered that when you mix cement and carbon black with water, the resulting concrete self-assembles into an energy-storing supercapacitor that can put out enough juice to power a home or fast-charge electric cars.Continue Readin… Continue reading Low-cost additive turns concrete slabs into super-fast energy storage

Potential CRISPR alternative gene-editing tool occurs naturally in animals

CRISPR-Cas9 has been the household name of genetic engineering tools over the past decade, but there might be other, better ways. MIT scientists have now demonstrated an alternative called Fanzor, which is naturally found in animals so could be a bette… Continue reading Potential CRISPR alternative gene-editing tool occurs naturally in animals

Salt-loaded hydrogel pulls water from the air, even in desert conditions

Researchers have created a superabsorbent hydrogel that can pull moisture from the air in greater quantities than previously reported materials, even in desert conditions. The new material opens the door to creating an effective, sustainable method of … Continue reading Salt-loaded hydrogel pulls water from the air, even in desert conditions

High-speed orbital data link drags space communications out of the ’60s

Finally, a promising upgrade to the antique space radio systems that make orbital data transfer so ridiculously slow. Terran Orbit has set a new record for transmitting at high-speed from space to Earth as NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator 3 (P… Continue reading High-speed orbital data link drags space communications out of the ’60s

Dissolving catgut stitches can monitor wounds and deliver drugs

Starting with fibers taken from pig tissue, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed dissolving sutures that can be loaded with molecular sensors or medication. The hope is that the new sutures could speed healing a… Continue reading Dissolving catgut stitches can monitor wounds and deliver drugs

MIT’s ORCa tech uses reflections on glossy objects to see hidden views

It goes without saying that the cameras on self-driving cars can’t see around the corners of buildings. The ORCa computer vision system, however, could one day allow them to do so … with a little help from shiny objects that they can see.Continue Readi… Continue reading MIT’s ORCa tech uses reflections on glossy objects to see hidden views