zika
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: Hyperloop One's public test, and more!
The Hyperloop promises to one day transport passengers at blazing speeds -- and the technology just took a big step forward. This week Hyperloop One launched a cart from 0 to 166 miles per hour in 1.1 seconds in its first public test. In other futuristic transportation news, a European Space Agency incubator just unveiled the world's first flying car capable of vertical takeoff and landing. In Japan, there are now more electric vehicle chargers than gas stations. And researchers in Mexico have developed a new type of glowing cement that could light up dark highways.
IBM developed a 'magic bullet' to combat viral infections
IBM Research and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in Singapore have created a new chemical "macromolecule" that could aid in the fight against a wide range of viral diseases like Ebola, Zika, dengue fever, herpes or even influenza. The new chemical was "designed from the ground up" to combat viruses in three ways: by preventing it from infecting healthy cells, stopping the virus's replication and finally boosting the body's immune system to help it fight the virus on its own.
Harvard researchers trial cheap, efficient paper-based Zika test
Based on the paper-based sensors they made to detect viral-based pathogens like Ebola, a Wyss Institute at Harvard research team created a version that checks for Zika. This prototype method could reveal the presence of the disease in hours instead of the days or weeks it takes for blood tests, but it needs more refining before it's accurate enough to be deployed.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Solar Impulse's trans-Pacific flight, and more!
The Solar Impulse airplane is on a mission to circle the globe using only the power of the sun, and this week it continued its journey by crossing the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, Tesla showed just how fast the Model S is by challenging a Boeing 747 to a drag race. An Italian company is turning vintage moped parts into some of the coolest electric bikes we've ever seen, and a Swedish cyclist created an all-weather bike that looks just like a car. And we've seen buses and vans turned into some pretty incredible things -- but Lee Broom's palatial gallery on wheels takes the cake.
ICYMI: Targeting Zika with tech, flexi-cam and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Brazil is taking on the Zika virus by creating a smart billboard that attracts, then kills mosquitoes. Columbia University researchers built a camera prototype that takes pictures at a curve. And a Chinese company has stepped to Tesla with a self-driving, electric-only vehicle, though it isn't in production yet. Definitely share the latest in the Volkswagen emissions scandal with your friends who could use $5,000 (but might not get it); or just take in this performance from Prince as he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Music Hall of Fame. He was just so talented. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Billboard mimics human sweat to entrap Zika-carrying mosquitoes
A couple of ad agencies in Brazil installed two special billboards in Rio de Janeiro, which don't endorse any kind of good or service. Instead, these billboards were designed to lure and kill Zika-carrying mosquitoes. They attract any Aedes aegypti up to 2.5 miles away by emitting a solution containing lactic acid and carbon dioxide that mimic human sweat and breath, respectively. Once the mosquitoes flock to the billboards, they get sucked inside the glass panel, where they're trapped until they die.
CDC confirms Zika virus causes severe birth defects
Following a previous study around the dangers of the Zika virus to pregnant women, the CDC has just confirmed that the virus causes serious fetal brain defects. "This study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak," said CDC director Tom Frieden in a statement. "It is now clear that the virus causes microcephaly." He added that the agency will launch studies to see if microcephaly, the condition that leads to children having smaller heads than normal, is just the "tip of the iceberg" for potential health issues.
Study shows evidence of Zika virus' risk to pregnant women
Scientists have yet to prove without a doubt that the mosquito-borne Zika virus causes microcephaly. A big study involving 5,000 women being conducted right now will help determine that, but the results won't be out until mid-year. This much smaller study by UCLA researchers, however, strengthens the link between the virus and various birth defects -- not just microcephaly -- as well as fetal death. In addition, the researchers found that Zika can affect pregnancy at any stage and trimester. The study's senior author, Dr. Karin Nielsen, said they saw problems with pregnant women eight weeks, 22 weeks, 25 weeks and even 35 weeks along.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla's most affordable EV, and more!
Tesla just announced plans to launch its most affordable electric car next month. The Model 3 is expected to cost $35,000 and is set to debut on March 31st -- but it already has competition. Chevrolet showcased the Bolt EV at the start of the year, and Volkswagen confirmed that it's working on the world's first mass-market electric car. Meanwhile, Google is developing electric cars that drive themselves, and soon they'll be able to charge wirelessly. In aviation news, Easyjet announced plans to trial the first hybrid hydrogen plane, and Elon Musk is considering building a vertical take-off and landing electric jet.
Zika virus declared an international health emergency
If it wasn't already patently clear that the Zika virus poses a serious threat, it is now. The World Health Organization has declared that Zika is a health emergency "of international concern," and that there needs to be "coordinated" response to both track and limit outbreaks. Effectively, it's a call to action -- countries and organizations are under pressure to devote research and funding toward fighting the mosquito-borne disease.
WHO: Zika virus is a threat of 'alarming proportions'
The head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, wants to make it clear that the Zika virus is something we need to take seriously. In an address yesterday, Chan said that the virus, which has been linked to a slew of birth defects in Brazilian children, has gone from "a mild threat to one of alarming proportions." Making things even worse, there's no known vaccine for the Zika virus. The best we can do right now is figure out ways to control mosquito populations, Chan noted in a later briefing, NPR reports.
