[ad_1] The antenna proved to be the main challenge. They only had to screen-print metallic ink on a rubber sticker to create the antenna, but its signals could weaken as the body moved. The scientists had to develop a novel RFID system that could reliably send signals despite the constant changes. The receiver itself is […]
Category: Science
Supercomputer creates millions of virtual universes
[ad_1] The production of roughly 8 million simulated universes took ‘just’ three weeks. The approach is not only helping to understand how galaxies evolve, but is challenging existing theories. To begin with, galaxies may produce stars for considerably longer than previously thought. Star formation should have ended ages ago under existing models, and dark matter […]
Scientists find the largest observed black hole to date
[ad_1] The team spotted the black hole using data from the Very Large Telescope array. The wealth of extra data from the Chile observatory helped them map the structure of Holm 15A in unprecedented detail, helping them run simulations to explain the galaxy’s formation and its unusually faint center. Simply speaking, the black hole is […]
Faster algorithm could lead to more realistic sounds in VR
[ad_1] The solution ultimately involved ditching the traditional approach to calculating sound propagation, which has its roots in the theories of pioneering scientist Hermann von Helmholtz. Instead, the scientists took their cue from composer Heinrich Klein’s ability to blend many piano notes into a single sound. It splits vibration modes into individual chords, then performs […]
Meteor impact may have started a ‘mega-tsunami’ on early Mars
[ad_1] There appears to be stronger evidence of a possible ocean on ancient Mars. A recent study indicates that the meteor that created the 75-mile Lomonosov crater may have produced a “mega-tsunami” that left its mark on the planet. Its rim is the same height as the estimated depth of the ocean and resembles marine […]
Microfluidic sensor could spot life-threatening sepsis in minutes
[ad_1] Scientists know that levels of the protein interleukin-6 (IL-6), produced in response to inflammation, tend to rise in the hours before other sepsis symptoms reveal themselves. They’re normally too weakly concentrated to spot quickly, but the microfluidic sensor doesn’t have that issue. One of its fluid channels includes antibody-laced microbeads that mix with a […]
Tiny vibration-powered robots could repair your body from the inside
[ad_1] The bots are only 2mm (about 0.08in) long and weigh just 5mg (less than 0.0002oz), but they can move relatively briskly at about 8mm (just over 0.31in) per second. They’re flexible, too. The actuators are made out of lead zirconate titanate that can turn voltage into vibration for movement, or the reverse if they […]
Synthetic fiber ‘muscles’ could lead to brawny robots and prosthetics
[ad_1] The fibers can range from just a few micrometers in thickness to a few millimeters, and they can be hundreds of meters of long. You can weave other elements into the fiber, too, such as nanowires (as researchers did to measure tension), electrodes or optical fibers. A robotic limb wouldn’t need external, bulky heat […]
NASA backs demo that will 3D-print spacecraft parts in orbit
[ad_1] Made In Space has already 3D-printed beams in 2017, when it used a NASA location that simulated some of the conditions of space. This, of course, is another challenge entirely — it’s introducing microgravity along with a lack of human support if things go wrong. This is the start of a second phase of […]
Gravity’s mystery may prove our multiverse exists
[ad_1] The Trouble with Gravity: Solving the Mystery Beneath Our Feetby Richard Panek Even today, right now, in the year 2019, humanity still doesn’t know what gravity is. Sure, we know what it does and how it influences everything from the characteristics of other fundamental forces to the movements of every bit of matter in […]