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HomeTags#49

Tag: #49

Effective conversion

Not all electric devices need external power. Take this pacemaker. Or the battery-free hearing aid recently developed at China’s Huazhong University. Key to the device is a microporous membrane relying on piezoelectric and triboelectric effects, meaning it generates current when under pressure and an electrical charge upon frictional contact. Tiny nanoparticles are housed within the cavities of the finished...

Yellow revolution

Peas are popular in stews or as an alternative to milk. Eggs, meanwhile, are eaten 1.4 billion times a year worldwide. While investigating different types of pulses, a Californian startup discovered that the protein found in mung beans could be used to make vegan scrambled eggs. Their creation - free of flavouring enhancers, cholesterol and artificial aromas - is...

Ecological understanding

Knowledge is passed from generation to generation. Now, Shropshire University has launched the UK’s first degree in Sustainable Food and Farming. Undergraduate courses and training modules will showcase the latest thinking and research on livestock and arable farming. Teaching takes place online with additional ‘on-farm learning’. Courses on agricultural farming, veterinary practice and nutrition are delivered by leading field...

Regular support

The moon goes through its cycle quietly and without fuss. Women, too. Now, a startup from Philadelphia is aiming to ensure that local women have adequate access to hygiene products. Their recently launched campaign encourages women to speak about their experiences with period poverty. This occurs when women have no money for tampons or sanitary towels, obliging them to...

Material gains

As winter draws in, bacteria start to grow more quickly. Not much fun unless you happen to be a scientist. We’ve seen wood and designer bags manufactured from fast growing cells. Now, a startup from New York has developed a leather-like material using bacterial nanocellulose and plant-based fibres. The novel material is free of chemicals and plastics, as well...

Extensive discovery

Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. It was the same for a Mexican research team - until they started using a new mapping tool. By sending airborne laser pulses earthwards, the reflected light can be measured and turned into a virtual 3D model of the landscape. In 2020 the team used the technology to discover a...

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