China brings world’s first Generation IV nuclear reactor online

China claims to have brought the world’s first Generation IV commercial nuclear reactor online. The Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant HTR-PM high-temperature gas-cooled (HTGR) pebble-bed reactor in Shidao Bay, Shandong Province, reportedly went into servi… Continue reading China brings world’s first Generation IV nuclear reactor online

Twisty device monitors brain activity from inside the ear canal

Serving multiple useful purposes, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) usually incorporate scalp-applied or even brain-implanted electrodes. A new less-invasive BCI, however, can simply be stuck in the patient’s ear canal as needed.Continue ReadingCategory… Continue reading Twisty device monitors brain activity from inside the ear canal

Facial strain sensor could give a voice to the voiceless

While some assistance is available to individuals who lack the power of speech, verbally communicating with other people can still be challenging. A new face-worn strain sensor could help, as it’s able to “read” the wearer’s silently mouthed words.Cont… Continue reading Facial strain sensor could give a voice to the voiceless

Assistive mouthguard lets users control devices by biting down

Ordinarily, we associate mouthguards with sports such as boxing and football. An experimental new one, however, could allow people who lack the use of their hands to control electronic devices – and it would do so by tracking their bite patterns.Contin… Continue reading Assistive mouthguard lets users control devices by biting down

Graphene efficiently recovers gold from waste electronics

Discarded electronics can be a gold mine – literally. Researchers have developed an efficient new way to use graphene to recover gold from electronic waste, without needing any other chemicals or energy.Continue ReadingCategory: TechnologyTags: Waste, … Continue reading Graphene efficiently recovers gold from waste electronics

Drug cocktail makes stem cells that could grow organisms from scratch

Researchers at Tsinghua University in China have developed a new drug cocktail that can convert cells into totipotent stem cells, the very seeds of life. These cells can differentiate into any cell in the body, potentially bypassing the need for sperm … Continue reading Drug cocktail makes stem cells that could grow organisms from scratch

Friction-reducing honeybee hairs may inspire longer-lasting devices

As honeybees collect pollen and nectar from flowers, they repeatedly bend and straighten their abdomens – yet with a minimal amount of friction. Scientists have now discovered what makes this possible, and it could have applications in human technology… Continue reading Friction-reducing honeybee hairs may inspire longer-lasting devices

“Sliding” backpack lightens its wearer’s load, generates electricity

Wearing a big, heavy backpack can get pretty tiring. That’s why scientists have developed a pack that’s not only claimed to lighten the load on the wearer, but that also uses the motion of that load to generate electricity.Continue ReadingCategory: Goo… Continue reading “Sliding” backpack lightens its wearer’s load, generates electricity

Bioprinting robot could treat gastric wounds from within

Open wounds on the stomach wall can be serious if left untreated, sometimes requiring surgery. In the not-too-distant future, though, it’s possible that a small robot could bioprint new cells onto such injuries … from inside the body.Continue ReadingCa… Continue reading Bioprinting robot could treat gastric wounds from within

Stick-on device could let the speechless "speak"

Fans of the Mission Impossible movies may recall the agents’ use of a slim, throat-mounted device that changes the user’s voice. Well, Chinese scientists have now developed something similar, that could one day allow the mute to speak &hellip… Continue reading Stick-on device could let the speechless "speak"