Engineers from Rutgers University have developed a 3D-printed smart gel that changes shape when exposed to light and can be utilised as a colour-changing “artificial muscle”. The smart gel is inspired by the ability of cephalopods such as octopuses, squid and cuttlefish to change the colour and texture of their skins for camouflage and communication. … Read more
A film that effectively evaporates sweat from skin while using the moisture to power wearable electronics has been developed by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS). The main components of the thin film are two hygroscopic chemicals – cobalt chloride and ethanolamine. Besides being extremely moisture-absorbent, the film can rapidly release water when … Read more
Microplastics have been found to be so light they can be carried on the wind and transported to far-flung parts of the ocean, including those that appear to be clear of the pollutant. Microplastics – which are defined as particles smaller than 5mm in diameter – can stay airborne for hours or days. This … Read more
A team of engineers based at the University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering are exploring a new sub-area of mobile technology based on sophisticated and connected earphones. “The leap from today’s earphones to ‘earables’ would mimic the transformation that we had seen from basic phones to smartphones,” explained Professor Romit Roy Choudhury, an expert … Read more
Artificial intelligence is appearing everywhere, but normal CPUs are not efficient platforms for the technology. Efficiency will only come with a new breed of microprocessors that are engineered specifically for the AI workload of the 2020s. The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) is upscaling many standard types of IT workload as well as powering … Read more
China has opened an investigation into e-commerce giant Alibaba over alleged anti-competitive behaviour, regulators announced this week. Despite keeping a relatively low profile in Western countries, Alibaba Group is one of the world’s largest corporations, with offerings span e-commerce, AI, cloud computing, gaming, and financial services. Its success has made founder Jack Ma – a … Read more
The UK government has confirmed that work will soon begin on a state-of-the-art spacecraft that, for the first time, will track down and map comets in 3D. Thales Alenia Space, the French-Italian aerospace manufacturer with three sites in the UK, has won a contract to design the mothership for the ‘Comet Interceptor’ mission, which will … Read more
The UK-built Solar Orbiter spacecraft is making a flyby of Venus, using the planet’s gravitational field to slingshot itself closer to the Sun. The spacecraft, which launched in February, will make its closest approach to the planet just after midday on 27 December. It will fly some 7,500 km from the Venus cloud tops while … Read more
It’s not been an easy year for anyone, so to brighten things up a bit we’ve collected together our favourite jokes with a technology twist. In terms of quality control, don’t worry, they’re all as clean as a whistle and definitely safe for work. One or two might even raise a smile. Three statisticians go … Read more
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have demonstrated that small quantum computers can be used to solve problems with real applications. Quantum computers hold the potential to exponentially expand computing power, transforming certain sectors such as cyber security and research. In 2019, Google researchers announced that they had reached “quantum supremacy”: a quantum computer … Read more