Tag: #103

Unfolding wheels are useful on all terrains. Now, a Utah-based startup has employed the origami principle to develop a handy solar panel for those on the move. Using their experiences with space agency NASA, the founders created a design with a surface area eight times its folded size. Thus, a 19x19 cm packet becomes a hexagonal panel measuring 2500㎠...

Wind turbines warn birds about deadly collisions. Lions, meanwhile, are often shot to protect farm animals, and ensure smallholders have food on their plates. In the last 20 years, however, the lion population in Africa has reduced by half. Now a resourceful Maasai founder and his startup are looking to arrest this decline through a solar electricity-powered light system....

Thanks to tequila, sustainable cutlery is a reality. Beer has already inspired researchers to develop alternatives to animal feed. Lately, a London-based startup has been working with brewers to develop a leather alternative using the spent grain from the brewing process. A combination of plant proteins and fibres and non-toxic chemicals creates a dark, biodegradable material with similar properties...

Sweating can help power smartwatches. Sweat itself contains proteins, which provide information about our general health. Enter a Californian research team, which has developed a wearable sensor aimed at detecting inflammation. Inside the device, a graphene layer and gold nanoparticles are embedded with antibodies which react to the protein CRP, a biochemical marker secreted by the liver. Additional molecules...

Restaurants and travel destinations can be filtered according to holidaymakers’ mobility requirements. Some, meanwhile, look for places where they can meet like-minded people. Now, a new app is helping Black travellers connect with the African diaspora globally. And not just that. App users can create a profile with their current location and travel preferences, arrange to meet people or...

Digital libraries enable greater access to education in Congo. But for women in rural areas of Nepal, the problem persists, particularly at tertiary level. Enter a not-for-profit organisation which is offering local women traineeships in order to develop additional skills and confidence. The education and orientation programme encompasses health, environmental and social issues, as well as physical training. Recent...