This week we learned about a tiny robotic stingray bioengineered from rat heart muscle that can navigate an obstacle course, 3D-printed “micro-rockets” made from biodegradable silk that could one day target cancer in the body like a missile, and a programmable genetic vaccine against Ebola, malaria and the flu that can be made in just seven days and was 100 percent effective in tests in mice. Read on if you dare!
This week’s haul of news from the frontiers of science and innovation includes a piece about a nimble AI that shot down a seasoned Air Force pilot during a dog fight simulation, an article about a federal approval for the first human trial involving the DNA-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 and a story about Israeli researchers who hacked a PC disconnected from the internet via its cooling fan.
A power pole collapses at 8 p.m. on a hot night in the remote outback of Australia. This is a problem for William and Olivia Munroe, who raise sheep and cattle 100 miles outside an old gold mining town on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert. In the summer, the temperature frequently soars close to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Their children attend school via satellite link, the family’s only means of accessing health services in case of illness or emergency. Although the Munroes have a backup generator, it can’t power the water pumps, communications, and air-conditioning for long. In short, their lives depend entirely upon reliable energy.
This week we learned about a subsea dig into the massive crater left behind by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, mice that took a two-week vacation aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis and returned to Earth with damaged livers, and a cell that broke one of the most basic laws of biology. Take a look.
Blockchain technology is not just useful for creating digital currencies such as bitcoin or developing new financial technologies.
Blockchains can be used for a wide variety of applications, such as tracking ownership or the provenance of documents, digital assets, physical assets or voting rights.
Blockchain technology was popularised by the bitcoin digital currency system. But, essentially, a blockchain is just a special kind of database. The bitcoin blockchain stores cryptographically signed records of financial transfers, but blockchain systems can store any kind of data. Blockchains can also store and run computer code called “smart contracts”.
NASA is looking at bioengineered microbes that could recycle and print new electronics on Mars, researchers in China built solar panels that work in the rain, and an engineer in Belgium made a smart scalpel that can sniff out cancer during brain surgery. Oh, yes, and someone in France finally invented a flying hoverboard. We curated this week’s haul from the Twitter feed of Carlos Haertel, who runs the GE’s Global Research Center in Munich, Germany.
With the Consumer Electronics Show starting next week, we thought it would be useful to determine which of the thousands of exhibitors at the annual extravaganza have the most momentum going into the show.
We scraped the exhibitor page on the event website and created a public list on the CB Insights database that includes funding and performance information for each of the companies we matched. After evaluating the companies on the list with our Mosaic algorithm, which tracks the health of private companies, we determined that these 10 companies below were among the high flyers to go see at the event.
El consorcio formado por Fundación Elhuyar, Vicomtech, Tecnalia y los grupos de investigación IXA y Aholab de UPV/EHU ha presentado los resultados del proyecto Ber2Tek, una investigación enfocada a desarrollar tecnologías innovadoras para la industria de las lenguas, formada por los sectores de traducción, creación de contenidos y enseñanza.
Les êtres humains peuvent reconnaître des visages avec une précision de 97.53%. Cette précision n'avait jusqu'à aujourd'hui jamais été égalée par des ordinateurs.
Poner en marcha una startup a partir de una idea original y triunfar es casi tan difícil como que el colegial que despunta en el patio de su escuela llegue a ser un ídolo del fútbol. Cuestión de buena estrella y estadística. Llega uno entre millones. Pero haber conseguido el estatus de crack del balón y ver cómo en apenas unos años tu carrera, tu fama y tu fortuna se desmoronan se escapa un poco a la lógica.
