A new technique has been used to turn ordinary metals into “metallic wood” with a greatly improved strength-to-weight ratio. By manipulating materials at the atomic scale, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, Middle East Technical University in Turkey, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and the University of Cambridge claim to have created a […]
“Metallic Wood”
Prosthetic Sock Made From Waste
We have a huge plastic waste problem at the moment, but there are efforts to make use of this throw-away resource – including using trash collected from canals to make office furniture, creating portable speakers out of plastic that can’t be recycled and forming temporary shelters for use at music festivals. The latest addition to the list uses waste plastic […]
German Flood Defences With Zaha Hadid Architects Style
Following severe flooding in 1960s Hamburg, Germany, that killed over 300 people, the city upgraded its flood defenses. However, recent simulations revealed that even higher flood barriers were required to protect against extreme high tides and storm surges. An architecture competition was launched to redevelop the site and high-profile firm Zaha Hadid Architects got the nod. Though it doesn’t boast […]
Phillips Seeks Help From Crowd
Though crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have been used by startups and small businesses to bring their ideas to life, established companies have also been using these platforms more and more. The latest to do so is Philips, which has listed its PicoPix Max compact projector on Indiegogo. Philips Projection says that it’s chosen to launch on Indiegogo to […]
Electric Bikes For 3 Year Olds
Harley-Davidson needs to get its bikes in the hands of younger riders, that’s clear. But this young? The company has announced a pair of electric balance bikes to get American iron into the hands of 3-5- and 5-7-year-olds. The IronE12, for the 3-5-year-olds, has 12-inch (30 cm) wheels, a 13-inch (33 cm) seat height and weighs a svelte 17 […]
Headphone Uses Active & Passive Cooling
Music lovers and gamers alike can become rather hot-headed when wearing over-ear headphones for too long. At Gamescom 2019, HP has announced new additions to its gaming portfolio, including a pair of gaming headphones that feature both active and passive cooling. “My ears are burning” generally means that you think someone may have been talking about you, but for headphone-wearing […]
Portable OvenPlus Cooker
Lovinflame, a decorative fireplace company specializing in clean-burning flames, has introduced a portable and versatile grilling machine it says can make for a healthier, tastier mealtime. Its new OvenPlus cooker promises a smoke-free outdoor dining experience, and with a relatively compact form, can be packed up and carted around for grilling on the go. The OvenPlus is claimed to be […]
Food Scientists Looks At Low-Fat Butter Made From Water
Often imitated but rarely matched, butter is one ingredient that it’s important to get right. People are picky about the consistency and creaminess of their butter, and healthier alternatives have trouble getting that right. Now, food scientists from Cornell University have crafted a brand new spread they say mimics butter with only about a quarter of the calories and fat. […]
Blood Tests To Predict Your Mortality?
A provocative new study is suggesting a blood test tracking 14 different biomarkers can predict a person’s risk of dying within the next 10 years better than any conventional models. The research is still a long way off being broadly deployed in clinical environments and the test may be of most use in human drug trials as a surrogate endpoint […]
Multi Purpose Carabiner
When it comes to nifty little bits of outdoor gear, people seem to particularly like multitools and carabiners. San Francisco-based stuff-maker General Purpose California has therefore gone and combined the two, in the form of its aptly-named GPCA Carabiner. Available in the buyer’s choice of titanium, stainless steel or aluminum, the device can indeed serve as a carabiner – that […]