Science

The next few years in the auto industry may bring about some interesting changes in the world of hybrid energy. Rather than worry about making gas-guzzling standard SUVs cheaper to operate, industry powerhouse Honda will seek an edge in the hybrid ... market by focusing exclusively on compact and subcompact hybrid vehicles. While competitors are trying to lure customers by making their desired large sedans and SUV's hybrid, Honda has decided to ignore that part of the hybrid market. The reason: Honda believes hybrid compacts and subcompacts are where the real energy savings are. By comparison, ... (view more)

It has always been assumed that the modern conveniences associated with the tech-revolution are something that everyone can enjoy. However, very rarely are the sacred teachings of some religious groups taken into consideration as technology ... continues to improve itself. Often times, people must alter the ways in which they manipulate certain products or refrain from using these products altogether to abide by their religious standards. Among the most prolific religions to voice their concern over the uses of some modern products is the Jewish faith. Many would be surprised to learn that a ... (view more)

The United States has long been considered an "innovation nation". But last year, John Kao, an accomplished jazz keyboard player, Yale philosopher, Medical School graduate, and an MBA from Harvard Business school sounded the alarm: America was ... losing its innovative touch. In his book, prepared for the 2008 presidential election candidates (inspired by Hillary Clinton), Kao points out that innovation drives geopolitical position and America is losing it. (Source: businessweek.com ) The main justifications for his position come from the globalization phenomena. He cited several observations in ... (view more)

They're the stuff of Disney fantasy and childhood dreams, but invisibility cloaks are something University of California scientists stay they are one step closer to developing. The scientists at the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, lead by ... Xiang Zhang, are creeping closer to perfecting 'metamaterials', artificially engineered structures that have properties not seen in nature, such as negative refractive index. These metamaterials have recently undergone successful tests allowing scientists to cloak 3-D objects. The technology works when the metamaterials scatter the light that ... (view more)

CSI cast members take note, a new technology called DESI (desorption electrospray ionisation) can tell much more from fingerprints than someone's identity. The system, pioneered by chemists at Purdue University in Indiana, "involves spraying a tiny ... (0.15x0.15mm) area of a fingerprint with an electrically charged mixture of methanol and water. When these charged droplets come into contact with the surface of the print they collect any substances deposited on it, creating a thin liquid film. As more drops are sprayed on the same spot, some of this film is scattered and sucked into a mass ... (view more)

Finally, software tools for those that have difficulty remembering things. Both IBM and Microsoft are currently testing software designed to improve individual memory. Let's face it, people today are overwhelmed with information and data -- so much ... so that they can't process it or retrieve it when needed. The new software will help with that by combining pictures, sounds, dates, times, locations, and text that is recorded through some type of everyday mobile electronic device (like a smart cell phone) and indexed for later retrieval. (Source: computerworld.com ) The IBM version of the ... (view more)

British businessman and publicity hog Richard Branson recently revealed the first of two aircraft capable of carrying tourists into space. The new, high-altitude jet will act as a sky-bound home base for spacecraft that take two crew and six ... passengers on sub-orbital flights. Dubbed "Eve", the aircraft was recently unveiled amidst space fans and engineers a Mojave Desert hangar. Branson's Virgin Galactic is behind the project, which contracted aerospace designer Burt Rutan to complete both Eve and the spaceship that will launch from Eve. Although the number of space nuts having already paid $ ... (view more)

When you stop to think about it, the evolution of technology in the modern classroom is truly amazing. Schools have gone from having only a few computers in the entire building to having a few computers in each classroom to using computers as an ... educational tool when teaching everyday material. At Boston's Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, over 650 students are given an Apple laptop each day. The teacher simply tells the students which applications to click on, and the class departs on an electronic learning adventure geared specifically to their own unique levels of understanding. The ... (view more)

Wouldn't it be great if air conditioning didn't suck the life out of your car (and your wallet)? Well, hybrid energy is getting a major face lift, all in the name of finding a separate power source for the air conditioning in hybrid vehicles. Rumors ... in the Japanese media are swirling that the next generation Prius may be the first hybrid car to include solar panels. Although Toyota has not made an official announcement, the media has jumped on the story. (Source: efluxmedia.com ) Thus far, the Prius has sold over 1 million vehicles and is due for its third edition soon. The new solar-panel ... (view more)

Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have introduced a new kind of technology that could dramatically increase the independence of people living with severe disabilities. The technology powers a system that allows individuals with ... limited or no use of their extremities to operate a computer, power a wheelchair, and interact with the world around them without any assistance. How does it work? Individuals with severe disabilities would be equipped with small magnets (each the size of a grain of rice) attached to their tongue. The system, called Tongue Drive, would allow users to ... (view more)