Inventions
Elon Musk’s Hyperloop is possible. How badly do we want it?
The Hyperloop is physically possible, but engineering challenges will make its construction difficult. Also, accidents would be catastrophic.
Ultrathin fuel cell uses the body’s own sugar to generate electricity
Batteries have a limit to how small they can be made, and they need to be charged. What if you could power your own medical device?
Algae-powered computer runs for a year on light and water
An algae-powered computer demonstrates a sustainable, reliable way we could power small IoT devices in the future.
Discovery of “impossible” superconductor promises 100x faster electronics
A device that gets electricity to flow through a superconductor in one direction without the use of magnets could revolutionize electronics.
Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth
Solar panels and battery storage can generate renewable power when solar energy is at its peak during the day and then release it as needed.
Could a former NASA scientist’s “sunlight glasses” protect your vision?
A former NASA scientist has co-developed a pair of glasses designed to prevent myopia by glowing in a precise wavelength of visible light.
Invisibility cloaks are not just possible, but are becoming reality
Two types of nanotechnology, metalenses and metamaterials, could soon make Harry Potter's invisibility cloak a reality.
Researchers develop a paper-thin loudspeaker
The flexible, thin-film device has the potential to make any surface into a low-power, high-quality audio source.
Graphene typically costs $200,000 per ton. Now, scientists can make it from trash.
Graphene is a lattice of carbon atoms arranged in a chicken-wire formation, a structure that makes it very useful for a range of uses.
A new kind of diamond will hold a billion Blu-Ray’s worth of data
Ultra-pure diamond wafers could be used for quantum memory in tomorrow’s ultra-powerful quantum computers.