New heat spreading tech delivers 740% increase in circuit power density

A team from the University of Illinois and UC Berkeley has demonstrated a new cooling method that sucks heat out of electronics so efficiently that it allows designers to run 7.4 times more power through a given volume than conventional heat sinks.Cont… Continue reading New heat spreading tech delivers 740% increase in circuit power density

“Drunken monkey” field study confirms primates’ taste for alcoholic fruit

Research into the way humans came to enjoy alcohol in the manner that we do is an interesting area of evolutionary science, with some suggesting its roots can be traced back millions of years. One school of thought is that apes and monkeys were lured t… Continue reading “Drunken monkey” field study confirms primates’ taste for alcoholic fruit

Drone makes itself more useful by passively folding in mid-air

Quadcopters may be versatile drones, but those four spread-out arms do keep them from performing certain tasks. An experimental new drone addresses that shortcoming, with arms that passively fold down as needed.Continue ReadingCategory: Drones, Technol… Continue reading Drone makes itself more useful by passively folding in mid-air

New understanding of gecko landing process may lead to nimbler robots

When leaping geckos crash head-first into vertical surfaces such as tree trunks, they’re able to hang onto that surface instead of bouncing off and falling to the ground. Scientists have discovered what allows them to do so, and copied the capability i… Continue reading New understanding of gecko landing process may lead to nimbler robots

World’s thinnest magnet is just a single atom thick

In a breakthrough that could open up exciting new possibilities in computing and electronics, scientists in the US have developed a two-dimensional magnetic material that is the thinnest in the world. The magnet is just a single atom thick and, unlike … Continue reading World’s thinnest magnet is just a single atom thick

Fleet-footed insect robot can turn on a dime (literally)

Engineers at University of California, Berkeley have created an insect-like robot that can scamper along quickly and turn on a dime – perhaps literally. The bot owes its fancy footwork to… well, its fancy feet, which use varying voltages to alternate s… Continue reading Fleet-footed insect robot can turn on a dime (literally)

Scientists recreate Jupiter’s possible helium rain in the lab

Scientists have recreated in the lab some of the wild weather that might be found on Jupiter and Saturn. Using extremely high pressures and laser shock waves, the researchers produced “helium rain” which has been hypothesized to fall on these planets.C… Continue reading Scientists recreate Jupiter’s possible helium rain in the lab

Embedded enzymes make for compostable plastics that break down in days

Plastic is a major environmental issue, since most of it doesn’t break down easily – and even when it does, it usually forms microplastic pieces that pose their own problems. A new type of compostable plastic is embedded with enzymes that, when trigger… Continue reading Embedded enzymes make for compostable plastics that break down in days

New process upcycles plastic waste into a more valuable adhesive

A team at UC Berkeley has developed a process that turns plastic waste into something more valuable – an adhesive. Based on an engineered catalyst, the inspiration was to find ways to “upcycle” plastics by putting them to new uses while preserving the … Continue reading New process upcycles plastic waste into a more valuable adhesive

High-tech armband detects user’s hand gestures

There are already computer vision systems and sensor-equipped gloves that can detect a person’s hand gestures. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have developed an alternative technology, however, that offers some key advantages.Conti… Continue reading High-tech armband detects user’s hand gestures