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HomeTags#125

Tag: #125

Tactical calculation

Smart buoys are preventing ships from colliding with whales. Normally, container ships and tankers are directed to reach their destinations as quickly as possible. In the harbour, however, they're at anchor for a long time. Enter a British startup aiming to bring all those involved together on its independent platform in order to reduce CO2 emissions promptly. Using pre-specified...

Focussed round

Thanks to a new bank card women can enjoy better credit ratings. As for startups, bank loans don't always go very far, which is why many look for venture capital. For companies whose founders belong to the LGBTIQ+ community, however, the chances of receiving such investment are slim. That a growing number of investors are focusing on this particular...

Economically equipped

Naturally-occurring colour pigments in purple maize have anti-inflammatory properties. Clothes, meanwhile, are rarely manufactured using natural colours. But all that could be about to change thanks to the work of two textile engineers and their New York-based startup. The team is using biotechnology to create colourful yarn without using dye. First, in a fermentation process, special bacteria produce natural...

Accelerating preservation

There are bras available for women who don’t want to have implants post mastectomy. Elsewhere, ultrasound sensors in bras could detect breast cancer early. But what about preventative treatment before the illness takes hold? Until now it’s proved difficult to test the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs in the lab. Partly because tissue taken from the body perishes within a...

Imitated focus

Some glasses automatically adjust focus between near and distant objects. Many birds can see for miles while still recognising their immediate environment. Their retinas have a deep hollow, meaning they are more sensitive to light. With an additional fourth photoreceptor, they can also perceive blue, red, green and UV light. Inspired by this phenomenon, a Korean research team has...

Fruitful impact

Records from sugarcane are good for the environment. Chocolate, meanwhile, is good for our mood - even if too much sugar is unhealthy. But who said sugar was necessary to make chocolate? A Zurich-based research team dried the fibre-rich innermost layer of the cocoa hull - called the endocarp - and ground it to powder. Next the pulp from...

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