New anti-counterfeit technique layers two images
Researchers at Fudan University in China have developed a dual-mode film with light-reactive images, offering a new anti-counterfeit technique for documents by combining polarization and structural patterns.
Micro-pyramid sustainable building material passively cools
Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany have developed a novel polymer-based metamaterial that optimises sunlight use, provides passive cooling, and offers self-cleaning properties for buildings.
‘Better than graphene’ material development may improve implantable technology
Researchers at Penn State University in the USA have enhanced borophene by inducing chirality, potentially revolutionising sensors and medical devices.
“Nanostitches” enable lighter and tougher composite materials
MIT engineers in the United States have developed a ‘nanostitching’ technique that significantly enhances the crack resistance of advanced composites used in aerospace.
Sunrise to sunset, new window coating blocks heat — not view
Researchers have developed a pioneering window coating that blocks heat while allowing visible light, promising significant air-conditioning savings, utilising quantum computing for optimisation.
World’s first metamaterial developed to enable real-time shape and property control
A team at UNIST, led by Professor Jiyun Kim, has innovated a groundbreaking metamaterial capable of real-time adjustment of its shape and mechanical properties, heralding a new era for adaptable robotics and soft machines.
Can you feel the carbon in the air tonight? Carbon capture method plucks CO2 straight from the air
From Northwestern University 06/10/23 Even as the world slowly begins to decarbonize industrial processes, achieving lower concentrations of atmospheric carbon requires technologies that remove existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — rather than just prevent the creation of it. Typical carbon capture catches CO2 directly from the source of a carbon-intensive process. Ambient carbon capture, […]
Genetically engineered silkworms produce spider silk: Green alternative to synthetic fibres
From Cell Press 25/09/23 Scientists in China have synthesized spider silk from genetically modified silkworms, producing fibers six times tougher than the Kevlar used in bulletproof vests. The study, published September 20 in the journal Matter, is the first to successfully produce full-length spider silk proteins using silkworms. The findings demonstrate a technique that could […]
Blossoming movement: Dynamic plants inspire artificial actuators
From Tsinghua University Press 20/09/23 Scientists are looking to plant tissues that are capable of motion to inspire the design and fabrication of artificial actuators. These bioinspired actuators hold significant potential in applications, such as soft robotics, prosthetics, and smart biomedical devices. A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has published a perspective […]
Advances in quantum emitters mark progress toward a quantum internet
From DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 23/08/23 New understanding of how light-emitting defects form and behave could lead to their use in a quantum internet and for sensing radiation. The prospect of a quantum internet, connecting quantum computers and capable of highly secure data transmission, is enticing, but making it poses a formidable challenge. Transporting quantum […]