Tag: #29

A lightbulb moment. Transparent wood was first introduced as an alternative to glass or plastic in 2016. To create the see-through material, lignin - the component in wood that absorbs most light - is removed. The resulting pores need to be filled to reinforce the wood again. Until recently that was achieved with synthetic polymers from non-renewable raw materials....

Laughter is good for us. In person, it’s clear enough when someone’s joking. But on social media - with no facial expressions, gestures or intonation to guide us - black humor and sarcasm can all too frequently be lost. Now, an informatics research team from the University of Florida has developed an artificial intelligence for sentiment analysis. It can...

Life is easier when you are physically healthy. Being the right weight helps too. Which is why an Australian research team has been experimenting with a molecule that helps our body regulate its heat production and burn fat. If we don’t get enough nourishment, the molecule neuropeptide Y is released, and our body is instructed to store fat. If,...

Recycling is important for any sustainable society. Something the fashion industry is beginning to recognize. The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles has developed a machine that cleans old fabric without the use of chemicals, shreds it, and spins it back into yarn before knitting it into a new product. The concept is being road-tested at a popular Swedish...

Temperatures are on the rise; the holiday season is around the corner. The beach bag is being packed, the camper van upgraded. And don’t forget the cooler. An American startup has recently developed a model that actually works better in the sun. The 45 liter box has a fridge and freezer compartment, both of which can operate at any...

The recipe for our favorite dish is perfected through trial and error. This is also true for research in the field of molecular studies. A team from the Technical University of Munich employs an artificial intelligence that seeks out usable data on its own. While developing, say, organic semiconductors for solar cells, the team must first calculate the conductivity...