Tag: #150

Lions and farm animals can co-exist peacefully. Now, an autonomous system developed in Sweden is protecting wildlife and infrastructure alike. The startup’s battery- or solar-powered device identifies species and creates acoustic noises accordingly in real time. On hearing these unexpected sounds, wild animals move away from airports, railway lines and agricultural areas. The system comprises a night-vision camera, motion...

It’s important to safeguard children against improper content online. Students in Indonesia, meanwhile, have focused on how people with Down’s Syndrome or Fragile X Syndrome can learn about protecting their sphere of privacy. The team developed a simple system using three different colours of soap. Allowing parents or carers to impart crucial information on intimate areas during bathtime using...

Aluminium can be turned into rare metals. Silver is used as an electrode material in solar cells, accounting for 10-15% of manufacturing costs. Yet precious metal resources are limited. Inspired by the increased use of photovoltaics, a British/Swiss startup has developed patented electrodes from graphene. Highly efficient, their chemical stability is also comparable to that of precious metals. And...

Infectious diseases could be contained with locally printed vaccine patches. In Florida, a research team has spent years searching for a universal vaccine against cancer building on a recent successful study involving selected cancer patients. Their new genetic vaccine sample activates the body’s immune system against cancer generally. It stimulates the growth of new T-cells, while at the same...

Film can identify spoiled food by changing colour. A South-Korean based research team is relying on a similar concept to prevent people from consuming spiked drinks. The team developed a gel-film, intended as a temporary tattoo, to detect colourless GHB drugs - sometimes known as ‘liquid ecstasy’. Perpetrators mix them with drinks to induce stupors and make people vulnerable...

Rare components in batteries can be sustainably recovered. Recycling long-life materials such as PTFE still represents a challenge. But a research team in Japan has found a way to convert PTFE into reusable, organic fluorine compounds. The team exposed the material to a 5 Mega Gray dose of electron beams in a heated environment of 370°C. Treatment that caused...