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ICYMI: Harnessing mother nature's fury for energy
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A Japanese engineer created a wind turbine that can harness energy from both typhoons and hurricanes, watch the video of it here. Meanwhile, researchers at Northwestern University developed a 3D printed bone made of ceramic and polymer materials that can encourage bone to regrow itself once it's implanted. Scripps Institution for Oceanography had bad news for humanity this week after the group said the world's carbon levels went over 400 parts per million. There are three RIP items in the news this week, so get acquainted with the Rosetta Probe's storied history, Blackberry's decision to stop making its own handsets, and camera wearable company Narrative deciding to call it a day. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
New compound destroys chemical weapons faster than ever
In 2013, the Syrian government agreed to destroy its stores of chemical weapons, following reports that it had dropped sarin, a torturous and lethal nerve gas, on a rebel-held town earlier that year. The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, signed by 190 nations (including the US and Syria), bars any country from creating, using or storing chemical weapons. Still, activists report even today attacks of chlorine gas in Syria, and chemical weapons remain a global issue. If the world can't eradicate chemical warfare completely, science will try to neutralize it: Today a team from Illinois' Northwestern University outlined the specifics of a manmade compound that inactivates nerve gas within minutes.
Carbon nanotubes run into magical polymer, become 'tougher than Kevlar'
Much like graphene, carbon nanotubes seem to be hitting on all cylinders in the lab. Of course, we can count on one hand finger how many instances we've seen them making a difference in "the real world," but we aren't giving up hope just yet. Researchers from a cadre of universities have come together to solve one of the most nagging issues when dealing with carbon nanotubes -- in prior studies, the bundling of these tubes resulted in a marked decrease in strength, which in turn led to a profuse outpouring of tears. But thanks to a new approach, which mixes in a nondescript polymer, they've managed to conjure up a "a high performance fiber that is remarkably tough, strong, and resistant to failure." More specifically, the resulting material is said to be "tougher than Kevlar, meaning it has a higher ability to absorb energy without breaking." Notably, this material isn't stronger than Kevlar, as it's resistance to failure isn't quite up to snuff, but you can bet the gurus working on this won't stop until it is. And then, friends, we will have officially arrived in The Future.
Sperm gene same as it was 600 million years ago, miraculously still in fashion
We've had a thing for sperm ever since Look Who's Talking broadened our appreciation for the reproductive arts, and now scientists at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered a wealth of new information about the world's most adored swimmers. Believe it or not, we're now left thinking that they're even more hardcore. Yes, they've been rocking the exact same makeup -- called the Boule gene -- since the dawn of evolution. But as it turns out, that gene is also shared across a huge swath of organisms from humans to fish to fruit flies, and it's only ever used in sperm. This bodes interestingly for the future of reproductive sciences; researchers removed the Boule gene from mice and found that, while otherwise completely normal, they didn't produce sperm. We can almost feel that Gucci case for the male contraceptive pill in our man-purses now. [Photo courtesy of aSIMULAtor]
Graduation cap modded with LED array, steals show (video)
Yomo Gaocho, an enterprising young man about to graduate from Northwestern University, has put together pretty much the coolest grad cap mod we've seen. Not that we're experts on the subject or anything, but the array of 256 LED lights adorning his cap surely makes for one of the geekiest ways to bid adieu to one's undergraduate studies. He's taking it one step further too, by programming animation patterns into the white LED arrangement and offering advertising space -- we're not kidding -- for any unorthodox companies that may wish to have him as a walking billboard. See Yomo's creation on video after the break, or hit the source for a guide on how to make your own light-fantastic grad cap.
Eye-shaped camera is shaped like an eye
Some researchers at Northwestern University and University of Illinois have managed to build an eye-like camera that's actually shaped like an eye. Sure, that sounds a tad unimpressive, but the real contribution of this project is the idea of electronics on a curved, flexible surface. The researchers have developed a mesh-like material that carries the photodetectors and electronic components necessary, and they say the resulting camera has a better field of vision than a traditional camera, in addition to conveniently resembling a human eye. Of course, they're a long ways away from communicating with the brain well enough to make an actual fully bionic eyeball, but the curved electronics could have other medical -- and regular form factor-busting, we hope -- applications as well.
Graphene-polymer hybrid composites look to oust carbon nanotubes
We're pretty certain the world's big enough for the both of 'em, but a graphene-polymer hybrid developed by a brilliant team from Northwestern University could prove to be a suitable -- and much cheaper -- alternative to polymer-infused carbon nanotubes. Put simply, graphite can be purchased for dollars per pound, while single-walled nanotubes are hundreds of dollars per gram. A breakthrough has found that tough, lightweight materials can be created by "spreading a small amount of graphene, a single-layer flat sheet of carbon atoms, throughout polymers," and these composites could eventually be used to make lighter car and airplane parts (among other things). We won't kid you, there's a lot of technobabble in the read link below, but it's well worth the read if your inner nerd is up for it.
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm trailer could save a life
You're probably wondering why we decided to post this particular video for Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm. After all, there's only a few seconds of gameplay at the end of the trailer, following a puzzling interview with Sig Hansen, captain of the crustacean-hunting vessel Northwestern. Have we developed a penchant for haggard seafarers? Are we considering casting off our ties to the soil in search of clawed gold? No -- we've taken the time to post this video as something of a public service.Did you know that being swept into the ocean is the third largest cause of death in the United States, ranking right below laser tag accidents and, of course, cougars? It's sad, but true -- we urge you to watch the video above, then make your loved ones watch it. Before you set out on your next lengthy voyage, go over your procedure to reclaim your overboard man from the unforgiving jaws of Davy Jones' locker. With a bit of preparation, every oceanic excursion can be a safe oceanic excursion. Unless, somehow, a cougar gets on the boat, in which case, God help you.
EQ2 helps teach English in pilot study
You may pick up the odd new word here and there playing MMO's, but a recent university study has used the game EverQuest II to reinforce the entire English language. The article was noticed by one of EQ2's senior producers Scott Hartsman on his personal blog. Hartsman muses that people will always find new ways to use code or software to achieve things that they had not been designed for, but also says that this particular use of EQ2 "wasn't something that was on the radar".There were a number of reasons that EQ2 was chosen by the Northwestern University researchers for their project. They had considered World of Warcraft too, but in the end EQ2's clear descriptions and labeling made it the ideal choice. Everything is explained in detail in the game, and most items and places have extra labels on them. The researchers said that there is simply a lot more text in the game than in WoW.
Robotic submersibles take on fish-like sensing abilities
Controlling your fish remotely is one thing, but utilizing fish sense to dictate the actions of an uncrewed submersible is an entirely different animal. Malcolm MacIver and colleagues at Northwestern University have created an "artificial electric-field sensing system that could ultimately give robotic subs the same additional sensory capabilities" as found in weakly electric fish. These particular sea-dwellers have an uncanny ability to sense electric fields, and can also generate their own to "help navigate, identify objects, and even communicate with other fish." The newfangled "electro-location" system could allow underwater bots big and small to more accurately maneuver and collect data, particularly in situations where precise movements and recognition of surroundings is important. Even the creators admit that it'll be quite some time before man made sensors can come close to mimicking those found in nature, but judging by the videos seen in the read link, they're certainly riding the right wave.[Via NewScientistTech]
Transparent transistors to power next generation of displays
We've been following this trend of making stuff invisible for some time now, and the short of it is that invisibility doesn't really quite work as much as we'd like it to for now. But a new result from Northwestern University may be the closest to true "invisible" electronics that we've seen thus far -- honestly, they're really just transparent. A group of scientists, led by Tobin J. Marks, a professor of chemistry, materials science and engineering at Northwestern, have just published a paper in Nature Materials that says that it's possible to produce "transparent, high-performance transistors" on glass and plastics. Dr. Marks said that it was conceivable to be able to construct "displays of text or images that would seem to be floating in space," -- such as a heads-up display of a map built into your windshield, or a visual aid built into a set of goggles for soldiers -- and that new displays based on this technology could be commercially available via his new startup Polyera within 18 months. Heck, if we could use an upgraded version of our bedroom window as a ginormous display to watch TV or movies on, we'd toss our 30-inch LCDs and/or plasma screens in a second.
Sensor-clad shirt directs wheelchair sans use of arms, hands
If you think playing tennis (or pwning your television) with a Wiimote is revolutionary, how'd you feel about wheeling through downtown sidewalks without ever moving your fingers, hands, or arms? Doctors and researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Pisa have crafted a sensor-laden shirt "that could help seriously paralyzed individuals steer their wheelchairs." The garment is printed with "52 flexible, piezoresistive sensors made of electroactive polymers that change voltage depending on the angle at which they are stretched." By dynamically sensing the direction and intentions of the user, it can channel the signals to motorized chairs in order to perspicaciously propel severely handicapped individuals who have lost the use of their arms. The team has tested the unit on a paralyzed individual (pictured) in a virtual training maze, where the shirt "learned and adapted" to his specific notions to guide him successfully through the course. While the team envisions the shirt becoming even more useful by possibly adding shoulder sensors for other types of disabilities, they haven't ruled out its use in "other applications" -- and hey, we've got no digs with adding even more motion-sensing goodness to our games.[Via MedGadget]
