Flash-heating efficiently recycles precious metals from e-waste

Electronic waste (or e-waste) is not only a major pollutant in landfill, but huge amounts of useful resources are being thrown away. Engineers at Rice University have now shown that precious metals and rare earth minerals can be recovered by flash-heat… Continue reading Flash-heating efficiently recycles precious metals from e-waste

Brain-cleaning sleeping cap gets US Army funding

Everybody knows sleep is important, but there’s still a lot we don’t understand about what it actually does to the brain – and how its benefits could be boosted. To investigate, the US Army has awarded researchers at Rice University and other instituti… Continue reading Brain-cleaning sleeping cap gets US Army funding

Carbon nanotube thread turns regular shirts into heart rate monitors

Over the years, we’ve seen many examples of smart garments packed with technology to monitor different aspects of a wearer’s physical wellbeing, but lately we’re seeing how very fine, conductive fibers could make for a more seamless experience. Rice Un… Continue reading Carbon nanotube thread turns regular shirts into heart rate monitors

ThirdAI raises $6M to democratize AI to any hardware

ThirdAI is building tools to speed up deep learning technology without the need for hardware like graphics processing units. Continue reading ThirdAI raises $6M to democratize AI to any hardware

New method converts carbon into graphene or diamond in a flash

Researchers at Rice University have developed a way to turn carbon from a variety of sources straight into useful forms such as graphene or diamond. The technique uses a “flash” of electricity to heat the carbon, converting it into a final form that’s … Continue reading New method converts carbon into graphene or diamond in a flash

Engineered bacteria glow to help detect inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers from Rice University have engineered bacteria to sense pH levels in intestines and glow green in the presence of inflammation. The bacteria was tested in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), effectively indicating the beginning… Continue reading Engineered bacteria glow to help detect inflammatory bowel disease

Wireless system lets one device sequentially trigger multiple implants

We’ve already seen wirelessly powered implants that stimulate muscles or neurons when activated by an external transmitter. Taking things a step further, scientists are now able to activate multiple implants sequentially, still using just one transmitt… Continue reading Wireless system lets one device sequentially trigger multiple implants

Graphene made from old tires helps strengthen concrete

Researchers at Rice University have developed a new process to convert old tires into graphene, which can then be used to make concrete. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but the team says the resulting concrete is substantially stronger.Co… Continue reading Graphene made from old tires helps strengthen concrete

“Bottled” ultracold plasma to help study the secrets of nuclear fusion

As a soupy mix of electrons and ions that forms under certain conditions in the most extreme of environments, plasma is an inherently difficult thing to observe. Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the way we study this phenomenon, manag… Continue reading “Bottled” ultracold plasma to help study the secrets of nuclear fusion

Copper cube reactor converts carbon monoxide into acetic acid

Engineers at Rice University have developed a new reactor that can convert carbon monoxide (CO) into acetic acid. Using tiny copper cubes as a catalyst, the device is relatively simple and can operate for long periods at a time, allowing the unwanted w… Continue reading Copper cube reactor converts carbon monoxide into acetic acid