Algae could be the environmentally-friendly superfood we’ve all been waiting for. But will anyone actually eat it? When was the last time you sipped algae? Chances are, you’ve never done that. But while working on a special report about potential climate-saving technologies, IEEE Spectrum decided to try to grow Spirulina, which proponents have pitched as… Continue reading We Grew Algae and Asked Spectrum Editors to Taste It
Category: News Type
Forget Jet Packs—Why Don’t We Have Stair-Climbing Wheelchairs?
Photo: MIT Museum Ernesto Blanco invented his stair-climbing wheelchair in 1962 and entered it in a design challenge from the National Inventors Council, a U.S. agency that sought out technologies of potential military use. Blanco even created a one-quarter scale model [above] to show that the design actually worked. Stairs are of course tricky to… Continue reading Forget Jet Packs—Why Don’t We Have Stair-Climbing Wheelchairs?
Australia’s Digital Transformation Stumbles Badly
Photo: iStockphoto An Australian Senate committee published a 146-page report assessing the government’s progress toward its goal of becoming “one of the top three digital governments in the world…that other nations can look to for guidance and inspiration,” by 2025. Given what is in the report, other nations may want to look elsewhere for their… Continue reading Australia’s Digital Transformation Stumbles Badly
Jolt the Brain, Then Listen Closely
Photo: Dawn Harmer/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory If an electric current passes through the brain, does anyone hear it? Earlier this year, researchers in the United Kingdom showed that stimulating the brain with mild direct currents helped people stop stuttering. Neurostimulation has also shown promise for treating conditions such as migraines, depression, and the physical effects of… Continue reading Jolt the Brain, Then Listen Closely
Low-Cost SBCs are Ideal for Industrial and Medical Applications
Industrial embedded computer system maker WinSystems has introduced a new series of single board computers (SBCs) in a NANO-ITX form factor. While measuring just 4.27 inches (120 mm) square, these ITX-N-3800 industrial SBCs offer robust I/O and expansion options, an extended operating temperature range, and abundant functionality for IIoT applications. The series is ideal for… Continue reading Low-Cost SBCs are Ideal for Industrial and Medical Applications
New Optimization Algorithm Exponentially Speeds Computation
Image: iStockphoto A new algorithm could dramatically slash the time it can take computers to recommend movies or route taxis. The new algorithm, developed by Harvard University researchers, solves optimization problems exponentially faster than previous algorithms by cutting the number of steps required. Surprisingly, this approach works “without sacrificing the quality of the resulting solution,” says… Continue reading New Optimization Algorithm Exponentially Speeds Computation
Microbots Deliver Stem Cells in the Body
Image: University of Hong Kong/Science RoboticsMicrorobots designed to carry stem cells (fluorescent green) throughout the body are shown here on a cell culture plate. The astonishing thing about stem cells is that they can be coaxed, in the laboratory, into becoming nearly any kind of cell—from bone marrow to heart muscle. That remarkable capability has for… Continue reading Microbots Deliver Stem Cells in the Body
Sprawling Wheel Leg Robot Crawls and Climbs
Photo: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev We’re always impressed by the way David Zarrouk (a professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev by way of UC Berkeley’s Biomimetic Millisystems Lab) manages to extract a ton of functionality from the absolute minimum of hardware in his robots. In the past, we’ve seen clever designs like a… Continue reading Sprawling Wheel Leg Robot Crawls and Climbs
A Double First in China for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
Photo: SNPTC Nine years after construction began at China’s Sanmen nuclear power plant, the world’s first AP1000 unit has connected to the grid. Call it the world’s slowest photo finish. After several decades of engineering, construction flaws and delays, and cost overruns—a troubled birth that cost their developers dearly—the most advanced commercial reactor designs from… Continue reading A Double First in China for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
Jim Campbell, Electrical Engineer Turned Artist, Lights Up San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower
Photo: Jim Campbell/Boston Properties Salesforce Tower, the new skyscraper dominating San Francisco’s skyline, lit up for the first time in April. That first show was just a test, but now, every night starting at dusk, silhouettes of dancers and other images move against a bright background across the façade of the top six floors of… Continue reading Jim Campbell, Electrical Engineer Turned Artist, Lights Up San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower