Inventions
A real apartment complex was built like a LEGO set
Renco, a system combining LEGO-like blocks and color-coded building plans, could be the future of construction.
Zapping plants in “eSoil” makes them grow 50% larger
Using a new “eSoil” to electrically stimulate plants during hydroponic farming could potentially increase crop yields.
Why scientists are making transparent wood
Stronger than plastic and tougher than glass, the transparent wood is being exploited for smartphone screens, insulated windows, and more
Grinding scientists: Mechanochemistry could revolutionize the creation of new materials
Like a kitchen mortar and pestle, mechanochemistry harnesses ball milling to create chemical compounds, simpler, and faster than traditional methods.
A new machine is able to keep the brain alive without a heart
A new device that lets scientists precisely control the brain's blood supply could lead to new neuroscience breakthroughs.
MIT physicists turn pencil lead into “gold”
MIT physicists have metaphorically turned graphite, or pencil lead, into gold by isolating five ultrathin flakes.
How these wooden blocks could stop climate change
Bill Gates-backed startup Graphyte has unveiled Carbon Casting, carbon removal tech it says is cheap, scalable, and durable.
Analog computing is undergoing a resurgence
Combining smart sensors with an older technology — analog computing — could dramatically reduce their power consumption.
Honda unveils hands-free wheelchair you steer like a Segway
Honda Robotics has unveiled a prototype of the UNI-ONE, a hands-free wheelchair that you steer with your body weight.
Ex-NASA engineer Mark Rober created the world’s smallest Nerf gun — from DNA
Mark Rober and Pallav Kosuri created a Nerf gun so tiny they had to build it out of DNA. This DNA "origami" has the potential to revolutionize engineering.