universityofhawaii
Latest
Simulated Mars mission ends its year-long experiment
A NASA-backed, year-long simulation of living on Mars has finally come to a close. The six people in the HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) experiment have left their dome on Mauna Loa to rejoin the rest of society. The test shows that a team can maintain performance, resource gathering and social graces while spending long periods in the relative isolation necessary for a Mars mission, whether it's a temporary stay or a full-fledged colony. For example, the crew demonstrated that you can extract water from ground that appears to be dry -- important when astronauts would likely have to ration water carefully.
Scientists use synthetic skin to test box jelly sting remedies
Box Jellyfish kill more people worldwide each year than sharks. That's why a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa are working to develop an effective first aid treatment for the jelly's deadly toxins -- and they're trying just about everything. From the popular myth of urinating on stings to vinegar/hot water immersions and commercial cures like StingNoMore, no remedy out of bounds. But how do you test these treatments without trying them on humans? You make your own synthetic skin, obviously.
Scientists get a shark's eye view using wearable computers
Sure, Sharknado and Sharktopus are fun to watch with friends on a weekend, but they also prove that sharks still get a bad rap. Clearly, what we've learned about the animal's behavior since Jaws came out isn't nearly enough, so a group of researchers are attempting to find out more... by strapping a bunch of gadgets to a bunch of sharks. Think of these things as a combination of a GoPro and a sportsband -- they're equipped with sensors and cameras that monitor and video a shark's adventures.
Researchers power microbots made of bubbles with lasers
They may not be "robots" as most have come to expect, but these so-called microrobots developed by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa do have at least one thing in common with many of their mechanical counterparts: lasers. As IEEE Spectrum reports, the bots themselves are actually nothing more than bubbles of air in a saline solution, but they become "microrobots" when the laser is added to the equation, which serves as an engine of sorts and allows the researchers to control both the speed and direction of the bubbles. That, they say, could allow the bots to be used for a variety of tasks, including assembling microstructures and then disappearing without a trace when the bubble is popped. Head on past the break for a video of what they're already capable of.
Simulated NASA mission to ask 'Are there snacks on Maaaaaaarrrrrs?'
When we've been forced to travel to an alien world, the one thing that makes us more likely to turn feral and murder our crew-mates than anything else is a lack of variety at mealtimes. Fortunately, Cornell University has teamed up with the University of Hawaii to build a simulated Mars mission to determine which foods people don't mind constantly consuming, given that there are no In-N-Out Burger franchises on the red planet. The mock base will be constructed in the midst of a Hawaiian lava flow, with the crews dressed in "spacesuits" and eating a mix of NASA-issue rations and shelf-stable foods like flour, sugar and freeze-dried meat. Applications for the four-month program remain open until the end of the month, so if you fancy all the free (bland) food you can manage, head on down to sign up!
University of Hawaii games stay SD, for now
Warrior football fans will need to watch their next QB to put up incredible college numbers and proceed to a career as practice squad NFL QB in standard def for the next season or two. Local station KFVE/KHNL just doesn't see it being feasible to put its PPV University of Hawaii games in HD yet (although the local cable channel on Oceanic already shows high school games in HD). The good news (we guess) is that HD is on the way, someday, unfortunately the cost of the necessary new facilities -- despite the Hula Bowl managing to go HD -- has put it on the back burner at the moment.
