Technology
-
Focus
Interactive screens from simple principles
Lee Constable looks at how smartphones became smart.
This is an excerpt from a feature article in the latest edition of Cosmos magazine. The most commonly used touchsc...
-
Shoes that stick and clothes that reveal
That may sound bad, but it actually isn’t.
What we wear isn’t just about comfort and style when scientists get involved. Function rules fashion. Two recent i...
-
Chemistry, concrete and ceramic cement
Two new ideas about materials old and new.
Whatever you’re building, strength tends to be a prerequisite, so anything that makes things stronger and more reliab...
-
Do you see how I see?
New artificial eye design mimics the real thing.
Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a proof-of-concept artificial eye with a similar structure to a human one. An...
-
Mosquitoes are really on the radar
New approach may help curb malaria.
The quest to curb the spread of malaria rightly knows no bounds, and now we’re even turning to radar technology – wit...
-
To climb, maybe robots need toes
Researchers watch a gecko in action.
At right is a close-up of the toepads of a Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), and it has links to a few branches of science. ...
-
New research to make better batteries
We want them doing more, for longer.
The quest for a better battery is engaging a lot of scientific minds, but it’s not often three advances are reported ...
-
What’s human and what’s not online?
Behavioural differences study could help with bot detection.
Bots tends to elicit mixed feelings from people – aside, presumably, from those creating them. These social media ...
-
The ultimate in power windows
Researchers incorporate solar cells in glass.
Australian researchers say they’ve developed new perovskite solar cells that could effectively and efficiently transf...
-
Robot, fly like a ladybug
Fast wings inspire some soft and compliant origami.
If you’re worried about machines following you, you may want to ignore the video above. Scientists in South Korea ...
-
Marine robot multitasking
Study looks at potential to serve industry and science.
Underwater robots are regularly used by the oil and gas industry to inspect and maintain offshore structures. But...
-
The potential of ‘hot qubits’
Addressing a constraint to quantum computing.
Can we create warmer, cheaper and more robust quantum computing just using conventional silicon chip foundries? Ye...