In an effort to reduce the amount of ice-related traffic accidents, researchers at French company Eurovia have developed a special paint that can turn itself pink to warn drivers of the hazardous road condition. Made from a polymer containing a thermochromic pigment, the paint is temperature sensitive but this isn’t exactly a new technology; the same polymer has been used in the frozen food industry.
In the image above, the white (colorless) represents temperatures above 2 degree Celsius. It turns pink once the temperature drops below 1 degree. The next step for researchers is to improve visibility during the night.
“We have been proud to test this new coating, whose purpose is to make our roads safer,” Devanne told New Scientist.
“Our first on-site tests have produced some encouraging results – the coating is resistant to harsh weather conditions and is mechanically resistant too,” he says. “However, we have still have some work ahead of us to optimize the final product.”
But, is this really necessary? I don’t need some special paint to tell me how cold it is outside. If I see snow falling, or snow on (or on the side) of the road, it’s pretty obvious that I should probably slow down. I have a better idea. Why don’t they invent special a special gravel mix that isn’t susceptible to ice formations, that way, we don’t have to worry about slippery roads.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed circuits that are 1.5 micrometers thick. Made of silicon and plastic, the new circuits are elastic and flexible, able to bend to any shape or application, making it perfect for embedding in “brittle electronics.” John Rogers, one of the researchers behind the project, says that the circuits are designed for the plastic material, rather than the silicon, to absorb most of the stress when bent. The material can be stretched up to 15% before the circuit fractures.
To make the elastic circuits, the team binds the silicon wiring to a thin sheet of rubbery plastic that has been stretched out to be approximately 15% wider and longer than it was before.
Once the two materials are bound together, the researchers release all tension from the rubber. “It snaps back to its pre-stretched state and buckles with the attached circuit like an accordion bellows,” Rogers says.
Some proposed applications are brain implants and “smart” clothing — think wearable gadgets. Imagine wearing t-shirts with MP3 players embedded in the fabric! Personally, I can’t wait to own a cell phone that I can stretch around my head like a sweat band. Because…that…would…be…awesome!
A degu is a small rodent like creature closely related to the chinchilla and guinea pig. Apparently, Japanese scientists from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research have taught a degu how to use a rake to scoop in food. The video below demonstrates the rodent’s ability to utilize the miniature rake to grab food that has been placed just a few centimeters outside its cage. It took 60 days of training before the degu became a raking pro.
Lee Spievack sliced a half inch off of his right middle finger after he accidentally stuck his finger through the rotating propeller of a hobby R/C airplane. Luckily, Lee had a brother, Alan, who was a medical researcher. Alan was able to give his brother a “magical” powder, which he instructed Lee to sprinkle onto the damaged finger. Miraculously, Lee’s finger grew back: flesh, blood, vessels, and nail.
What exactly was the powder?
[The] powder is a substance made from pig bladders called extracellular matrix. It is a mix of protein and connective tissue surgeons often use to repair tendons and it holds some of the secrets behind the emerging new science of regenerative medicine.
Basically, the extracellular matrix stimulated the regrowth of tissue, signaling the adult stem cells into what to do, where to go, and how they need to differentiate. Theoretically, the same process can be used to grow entire limbs, which is currently being investigated by the military.
The classic flash game, “Defend Your Castle” from XGen Studios is coming over to the Nintendo Wii as a WiiWare title. Unlike the flash version, the Wii version gets 4-player multiplayer, enhanced physics and particle effects, as well as an overhauled look. Of course, control is via the Wiimote, which acts as the mouse. Here’s the trailer:
If you aren’t familiar with the game, the object of Defend Your Castle is to prevent the stick figure enemies from reaching your castle. Failing to do so will cause damage to the castle. The enemies come in “waves” — which start out easy but the difficulty ramps up as you successfully clear each wave. You can upgrade your tower with archers and wizards to help you withstand the onslaught.
Here, just go play the flash version. It’ll all make sense. Just don’t blame me if you lose precious work time.
Update (3/22/08):Gadgetell is reporting that the Motorola Z9 will retail $249.99 with rebates and two-year contract.
Well, well, well, thanks to the Interweb, the Motorola Z9’s sales sheet has been leaked. You can view the two pager below. Rumor has it that the Z9 will be arriving for AT&T customers. Regardless, the MOTO Z9 is a GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 1900/850 slider phone and will come with:
* 2.4″ QVA screen
* 2 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and flash
* 3G HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
* 45MB on-board user memory
* microSD card (8GB max)
* Audio support: MP3, XMF, RealAudio: MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, and Enhanced AAC+
* Video support (playback and record): MPEG 4 and 3GPP
* easy music controls
* A-GPS
* USB 2.0
See the MOTO Z9 sales sheet for more details:
It sort of looks like a slider version of the RAZR 2. AT&T hasn’t officially announced the phone, so no idea on pricing or availability. But it has already passed FCC testing.
Samsung has announced that they have the world’s smallest 8 megapixel camera. So, small in fact, that it is far thinner and more compact than many 5 megapixel cameras available today. About the size of a coin (28 x 15.3 x 8.5mm), the tiny camera boasts 3x optical zoom, a sensor with up to ISO 1600 light sensitivity, anti-blur and noise correction, and both face and smile detection. As far as the optics go, Samsung has equipped it with a 30mm wide-angle equivalent lens capable of close macro shooting of up to 0.4 inches away.
Samsung says the new camera should find its way into cell phones and other portable devices. Products equipped with the new technology should start shipping around mid year.
Nothing is more worse than drinking sour milk with your Cheerios. Luckily, several U.S. and Chinese researchers are aiming to prevent people from buying spoiled milk. Costing about less than penny per milk carton, the idea is to use a plastic “widget” with a thin metallic strip that vibrates when exposed to a magnet scanner inside the store. If the milk has gotten thick, it causes the metal strip to vibrate slowly (or stop vibrating), which causes an alarm to go off. Similarily, if the milk’s consistency has gotten too thin the metal strip will vibrate faster, also causing an alarm. The widget ensures no bacteria-infested milk is ever bought. The system should work for other liquids as well, such as soups and juices.
Of course, the system relies on passing the milk carton through a magnet scanner at the store. What happens after the milk is bought? This doesn’t prevent people from drinking spoiled milk, it only prevents the purchase. I don’t see this working at home, unless the consumer has their own magnet scanner.
How about using some sort of litmus strip that can change colors depending on the quality of the milk. If the milk is still safe to drink, the strip remains colorless. If bacteria is present, the strip turns red.
