Lifeboat Foundation

Smart homes that repairs themselves. Why not since 4D-Printing enables self-assembly.

DARPA has unveiled the Engineered Living Materials program that combines living systems with traditional building materials for on-demand and self-repairing material that cuts cost and energy.

Continue reading “DARPA’s new program engineers building materials with living systems” »

They might not work, but no one will know for sure unless they’re given a chance.

That’s the general idea behind the recent selection of five aviation-related technologies for vigorous study as part of NASA’s ongoing Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project during the next two years of so, which itself is now in its second year.

Researchers will study a new kind of fuel cell, increasing electric motor output with the help of 3D printing, use of Lithium-Air batteries to store energy, new mechanisms for changing the shape of a wing in flight and basing a new antenna design on the use of lightweight aerogel.

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The rapid growth of the world’s human population raises the issue of more efficient food production; one solution to the problem is “clean meat,” which is produced in the equivalent of meat fermenters, Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director of the Good Food Institute, told Radio Sputnik.

The world’s human population reached 7.4 billion in March 2016, having reached 7 billion in October 2011. In 2050, it is expected to reach 9.7 billion, raising the question of how to produce enough food for everybody.

Continue reading “How to Feed Ten Billion: Lab-Made ‘Clean Meat’ Burgers are Future of Food” »

A team of University of Toronto chemists has created a battery that stores energy in a biologically-derived unit, paving the way for cheaper consumer electronics that are easier on the environment.

The battery is similar to many commercially-available high-energy lithium-ion batteries with one important difference. It uses flavin from vitamin B2 as the cathode: the part that stores the electricity that is released when connected to a device.

“We’ve been looking to nature for a while to find complex molecules for use in a number of consumer electronics applications,” says Dwight Seferos, an associate professor in U of T’s department of chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Polymer Nanotechnology.

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Keep an eye on these especially the paint-on coating for energy-efficient windows; I have seen this amazing paint by a friend at Duke.

From energy efficiency to carbon capture, Berkeley Lab scientists are on it.

Very BIG DEAL for battery life improvements.

A QUEENSLAND company working to improve lithium-ion batteries has secured agreements with two international manufacturing companies to test its technology.

Nano-Nouvelle has a tin-based material with a 3D nanostructure that could replace layered graphite-copper in the anode of Li-ion batteries, with the potential to improve energy storage capacity by 50 per cent.

Continue reading “Battery Innovator Secures International Testing Agreements” »

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a promising and clean alternative energy source. The traditional source of hydrogen (H2) for fuel cell use is water, which is split into H2 and oxygen (O₂). But O₂ is a low-value product.

So, this week in ACS Central Science (“Electrochemical Partial Reforming of Ethanol into Ethyl Acetate Using Ultrathin Co3O4 Nanosheets as a Highly Selective Anode Catalyst”), researchers report a new approach and a new catalyst that can produce not just hydrogen but also valuable chemicals, including the most common ingredient in nail polish.

Continue reading “Making nail polish while powering fuel cells” »

Made in China motto is gaining speed in China.

SHANGHAI Foreign firms say they are struggling to gain access to China’s vast railway market as the country, seeking to transform its domestic industry into an export powerhouse, tightens the bidding criteria on rail tenders.

The complaints echo similar concerns raised in other industries including technology and renewable energy, and highlight what some foreign companies see as an uneven playing field when operating in China.

Continue reading “Foreign rail firms shunted as ‘Made in China’ mantra gathers pace” »

“Gogoro is bringing 200 of its stylish all-electric scooters to Berlin. Starting today, anyone over 21 with a valid driver’s (or motorcycle) license will be able to rent one of the scooters as part of a new scooter-sharing program”

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