Design
A new journal wants to publish your research ideas
Do you have a great idea for a study that you want to share with the world? A new journal will gladly publish it. Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) will also publish papers on your methods, workflows, data, reports, and software—in short, “all outputs of the research cycle." RIO, an Read More...
When robots move more smoothly, they save energy
Smoother machines are greener. Robots have never been particularly graceful, but now researchers have created algorithms that will eliminate the herky-jerky movements of robots, saving as much as 40 percent of the energy they typically use. Robots tend to rush through tasks as quickly as possible Read More...
Swans help create smoother camera drone videos
The next time you see a graceful, dramatic video shot by a camera drone, you may have a swan to thank for the absence of any jittery footage. Stanford University researchers are developing camera suspension technology inspired by whooping swans, whose heads remain remarkably still even when they're Read More...
Think like a tree: Learning from the oaks that survived Katrina
Ten years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, bringing floods and gale-force winds that devastated the region and displaced more than a million people. But New Orleans’ live oaks were surprisingly resilient, as biologist Janine Benyus describes in Read More...
How the circular economy is taking off in the US
Once a Scandinavian speciality, the circular economy has gained momentum in Europe, and now companies across the US are seeing the benefits Wednesday 26 August 2015 07.49 EDT Last modified on Wednesday 26 August 2015 07.51 EDT Laptops made of plastic from old laptops. Aluminium car body Read More...
An "embassy" for undocumented immigrants might encourage connections between citizens and refugees
While European politicians still struggle with the refugees coming by boat from Africa, and try to find ways to keep them out, more and more citizens are standing up to offer help and support. Manon van Hoeckel, a graduate student at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, has created an Read More...
Snake scales protect steel against friction
"Friction and wear are two of the biggest challenges in systems of several individual components," Christian Greiner of the Institute for Applied Materials says. A solution is found in nature: Snakes, such as the ball python, or li ards, such as the sandfish skink, use friction to move forwards, Read More...
Want a bike path? Pay for it yourself
Your friends ask you to fund their marathon training, their home renovations, even their potato salad. Why not crowdfund something you'd actually use, such as a bike path or a public park? That's what a growing number of startups are helping people do, as communities with a goal look for sources Read More...
This is how mussels glue themselves to rocky shorelines, and yes, this is knowledge we can use
A few weeks ago, we reported on a new surgical glue inspired by mussels, which stops bleeding wounds in 60 seconds. Now, there's more mussel-news. Scientists never knew how exactly mussels protect themselves from the crashing waves and strong currents. But they recently discovered that Read More...
How Driverless Cabs Could Reduce Urban Traffic
A huge amount of urban traffic comes from cars circling for available parking. Robot fleets could change all that. Traffic jams aren’t exactly Zen. People are anxious about getting somewhere else instead of being happy about where they are. To make matters more frustrating: In many cases, the Read More...