We’re all familiar with “heat signatures” and “infrared images” thanks to the numerous cop shows on television. You’d be surprised to know, though, that in the real (not reel) world, images from a thermal camera are not accepted as evidence in a court of law, because they simply aren’t considered…
The 1997 US film Men In Black followed two secret agents who protected humans from extraterrestrial aliens, and aliens from humans. They had access to several (fictional) gadgets — the most notable of which was the “neuralizer.” The neuralizer allowed an agent to flash a light into the victim’s…
Many marvel at the immense computing power available in modern day wearable devices. However, few appreciate the many sensors that work together in these devices. Wearable electronics contain many sensors that continually collect data. Picture a smartwatch or personal health monitor. It is the collaboration between…
When life gives you lemons, sell them and buy a pineapple. Davin Turney couldn’t have put it any better. The versatile pineapple is a powerhouse of nutrients, and even its rugged skin and leaves have found applications ranging from renewable energy to vegan fabrics. You may want to think twice before consigning the…
Did newspapers in wartime get more discolored due to being accessed more frequently? This long-held belief is exactly what Professor Tim Wess of the Charles Sturt University in Australia set out to test, armed with nothing but a smartphone. In addition to testing the hypothesis, the researcher sought to establish…
According to the results of a study by researchers from the University of Washington, babies can perceive pitch better than adults, despite lacking a fully developed auditory cortex.
What started out as a study of ethical decision making for self-driving cars turned into a study of human psychology. How do we decide, when a collision is inevitable, who or what to hit? No one wants to be confronted with a life and death decision, yet in driving scenarios, it is common. The invention of self driving…
Cars are everywhere. They are essential for our day to day lives, but these vehicles are a double-edged-sword. Cars emit exhaust gases, and those gases contain hydrocarbons. These molecules, as their name suggests, contain both carbon and hydrogen atoms. Hydrocarbons from cars result from gas that has not been…
Choosing the right species of algae is one of the most important first steps, they report, as it ultimately impacts the engine’s performance and amount of exhaust emissions.
