“New Shock Wave Engines Have the Potential to Triple Fuel Efficiency in Hybrid Vehicles”
Really interesting things going on in vehicular fuel efficiency research. I wonder if our ’96 Corolla will last until these are commonly available?
Archive of posts filed under the Science of the Future category.
“Boffins build JELL-O memory for your brain”
This could be the first real step toward a direct brain/machine interface. Exciting times. 🙂
“Acne Science: What Makes Pimples So Peculiar To People?”
This article suggests that acne is simply an unfortunate byproduct of going hairless. While that’s a good explanation for why it originally developed, it’s not a good reason why we still have it. It’s maladaptive, in that people with visible acne are seen as less desirable mates. But fifteen percent of people rarely if ever …
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“Surgeons carry out first synthetic windpipe transplant”
This is probably the first really tangible benefit of any form of nanotechnology. It won’t be the last. I expect that replacements for most body parts will be able to be fashioned and seeded this way within a decade, and that it will become common practice within twenty years. So much for the SF/horror scenario …
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New Battery Technologies
Wow… three new battery technologies that sound awesome. If they all pan out, rechargeable batteries could charge up to 90% capacity in two minutes, have three times their current battery life (six times for “mobile gadgets”!), and be lighter as well! Imagine a full-powered laptop that’s lighter and would last several work days on a …
“Team IDs, looks to block gene that spreads cancer”
Cancer is now the leading cause of death, but if these guys have their way, that will change in the next decade. There will come a time when suicide is the most common cause of death. You’ll be able to live as long as you wish to. The only good excuse for death right now …
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“If we could talk to the dolphins, just imagine it…”
Nothing I can really add to this. Everything from Scooby Doo to hard science fiction has played with the idea of a way to talk with animals… though I’ve always wondered just what they’d have to say that would be so interesting.
“Japan plans space debris fishing trip”
Trash in low orbit is a real and growing problem. Japan’s idea is one of several solutions being explored; I’ve also heard (didn’t save the link, sorry) that the US is planning to try a ground-based laser. (When will our race learn to pick up after themselves? 😉 )
“‘Thinking cap’ makes you better at art, math”
Remember how your parents/grandparents/schoolteachers used to use the phrase “put on your thinking cap”? Someone has actually come up with one. And it apparently works, too.
3D Printing
3D printing is a really interesting technology that’s quickly gaining steam. With a 3D printer (like the RepRap), you can quickly make everything from shoes to your own parts for long-dead technology to your own action figure souvenirs. Future (and much larger) 3D printers might just build your next house for you. Today’s 3D printers …