French company Nawa technologies says it’s already in production on a new electrode design that can radically boost the performance of existing and future battery chemistries, delivering up to 3x the energy density, 10x the power, vastly faster charging and battery lifespans up to five times as long. Nawa is already known for its work in the ultracapacitor market, and […]
“World’s Fastest Electrodes”
Pet Owners Coped Better During Lockdowns
A new survey, led by researchers from University of York, has found owning a pet is associated with better mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns. The survey also linked pet ownership to lower levels of loneliness and, interestingly, both positive associations were detected regardless of species. The new research surveyed almost 6,000 subjects in the United Kingdom, 90 percent of whom […]
Prefab Holiday Cabins
Chinese architecture firms Wiki World and Advanced Architecture Lab have designed and built the Mountain & Cloud Cabins, a boutique hotel hidden in the mountains of Yichang in China’s Hubei province. Commissioned by the local cultural and tourism development agency, the nature-focused hospitality project features 18 timber cabins that are prefabricated and strategically sited for reduced site impact and optimized […]
Best Vegan Snacks At Trader Joes
The darker and colder the days, the more it becomes self-evident that we are a nation programmed to crave pumpkin spices come autumn. September ushers in a flurry of pumpkin-themed advertising. Fortunately, vegans need not be left out of the fall flavor craze. Trader Joe’s provides with pumpkin, squash, apple and other cozy autumn treats, all at affordable prices. Here […]
Driverless Taxi Service
Back in 2018, Alphabet’s self-driving arm launched Waymo One, an app-based ride-hailing service where passengers got to ride in an autonomous taxi. But a safety driver was assigned to every vehicle, ready to take over if needed. Now Waymo is ditching the safety driver and opening up the service to the public in Phoenix. After notching up more than 2 […]
Sea Change Uses Plasma Arc Tech
We’ve all heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the continuing flow of oceanbound plastic. But what if something could intercept that plastic before it made it into the oceans? That’s the plan of SeaChange, a new organization that claims to have devised the technology to save our oceans from the plastic pollution crisis. SeaChange founders Carl Borgquist and […]
New Magnetic Tape Tech
Storing data on magnetic tape might sound delightfully retro, but it’s actually still widely in use for archival purposes thanks to its high data density. Now researchers at the University of Tokyo have made magnetic tape using a new material, which allows higher storage density and more protection against interference, as well as a new way to write to the […]
New Study Recommends Drinking Coffee After Breakfast
You’ve had a terrible night of fragmented sleep. You’re feeling groggy and out of sorts. So naturally, the first thing to do is drink the biggest, strongest coffee you can get your hands on. A new study from the University of Bath is suggesting that may not be the best idea. The study found a strong coffee first thing in […]
University of Toronto Learning Hub To Welcome Nature Indoors
Canadian firm ZAS Architects and Denmark-based CEBRA Architecture have unveiled the design for the Instructional Centre Phase 2 (IC-2), a new companion building at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Deigned as a “dynamic learning landscape,” the building eschews the traditional boxy arrangement of rooms for a more fluid layout that prioritizes flexibility and stacks learning spaces on top of each […]
Meet The Phade
Environmentalists say straws are harmful, and the argument makes a lot of sense. But as an iconic beverage accessory, many people don’t know how to live without straws. Thanks to Phade, they don’t have to. This biodegradable plastic straw looks and fees like a standard disposable straw. There’s just one twist: Phade is way better for the environment. If you’ve […]