Banana Peels - The New Water Purifier?

While the banana peel has a reputation of just being a slippery hazard, it is actually useful for many things - Ranging from use as a fertilizer to curing warts and even, polishing shoes and silver. Now it turns out, that it can even help remove heavy metals from water....

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PhD Student Invents Robotic 'Slave' For Eye Surgeries

Operating on the eye, especially for things like retina repairs is one of the riskiest surgeries doctors perform - One where even a slight tremble of the hand could cost the patient his/her eyesight. Even experienced ophthalmologists who perform the surgery do it for only a limited number of years stopping, when they start to age. Now, a researcher has come up with a smart solution - A robotic assistant that does all the delicate work without ever flinching!...

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Liquid Robotics Plans To Network Our Oceans

The beautiful oceans that cover three-quarters of our planet are home to some of our most valuable natural resources. However, while our knowledge of outer space is quite extensive, the same cannot be said about the deep waters, thanks to the fact that any attempts to monitor them has either been too cumbersome or too expensive. Now, California-based Liquid Robotics has come up with an innovative invention that is both economical and easily deployable across the waters....

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Gecko-Inspired Adhesive Tape Can Hold Up An Adult And Be Re-Used!

The unassuming gecko - That tiny lizard that seems to scamper around any surface in gravity-defying positions, has intrigued scientists for many years. In the past, this amazing ability has been duplicated by researchers to create wall-scaling robots and now, a team of scientists from Germany have come up with a gecko inspired adhesive tape, that can be re-used thousands of times....

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Mock Mission To Mars Is A Success

On June 3rd 2010, six brave astronauts bid adieu to their family and friends and launched off to Mars - This of course was not an actual mission to the Red Planet, but a simulated journey that entailed confining them inside a sealed five-capsule 1000sq.ft. unit, for 520 days....

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Hi-Tech Fabric Improves Athletic Prowess And Heals Too!

While we have integrated technology in almost every aspect of our lives, the clothes we don have so far, been spared - Now, a Southern California company is trying to change that with a new hi-tech fabric that will not only help athletes improve their performance, but also, help heal wounds and chronic ailments like arthritis....

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Why Ants Never Lose Their Way

Ants are industrious little insects that always seem to know where they are heading - Now, a team of curious researchers from the Technical University of Munich and Brazilian Center for Physics Research believe they may have the answer - It's all to do with their in-built GPS systems....

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Octopus Use Coconut Shells As Mobile Home And Armor

Most of us think of the Octopus as an eight-legged mollusk that spends its days wriggling around with its snake-like arms. However, not only does this intelligent animal have a razor-sharp memory, it has also, been known to maneuver through mazes and even try escape from tanks....

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Phew! We Dodged Another Falling Satellite!

The threat of dead satellites freefalling from Space seems to have become a regular event these days. A month ago, it was American satellite UARS. Last weekend, we were all waiting to see where German satellite ROSAT would end up - Turns out that it too landed, without causing any casualties....

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One Man's Quest To Restore Florida's Coral Reef

Ken Nedimyer first dived into the pristine waters off the Florida Keys at the tender age of 13, whilst on vacation with his parents. He enjoyed it so much, that he returned in 1969 to obtain a degree in Zoology from the Florida Atlantic University and never left....

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More Satellite Debris Freefalling To Earth This Weekend

About three weeks ago, we all awaited with abated breath as American satellite UARS hurtled back to earth - Fortunately, it crashed in such a remote area that it took the scientists three days to locate the debris. Now, another satellite is making its way back and once again, scientists have no clue where the debris will end up!...

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The Search For Aliens Is About To Get More Intense

The question of whether there is any form of life on other planets in our Universe has been plaguing humans for centuries - Now, the search is about to get even more intense, thanks to an ultra-large, uber-sophisticated telescope, innovatively dubbed - European Extremely Large Telescope or E-ELT!...

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San Diego's Ocean Glows In The Dark!

The oceans surrounding the coastal city of San Diego, California are known to be warm, crystal clear and . . . . . . . Bioluminescent? At least that's what they have been for the last few weeks and the residents seem to be enjoying every moment of it....

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Turning Wastewater Into Hydrogen Fuel

Finding a green fuel that is cheap and plentiful enough to replace fossil fuels is one of the biggest challenges that humans face - Not only because of the global warming issues, but also, because fossil fuels are a finite source. While hydrogen is a viable replacement, it does not occur naturally and to produce it, takes energy from 'dirty' fossil fuels - Now, there may be a solution....

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Queen Bees Are Born To Rule!

The hierarchical structure that exists within bee colonies has always been a source of fascination for researchers. The biggest mystery? With tens of thousands of identical members in each colony, how do just a handful get selected to be Queen bee(s), while the rest get relegated to being workers?...

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Who Knew Crows Were This Smart?

The reason humans are considered to be at the top of the food chain is to do with inteligence, which is measured by their ability to build and use complex tools to solve day-to-day issues. However, recent research has revealed that a number of animals also display similarly intelligent behavior....

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Philippine Residents Finally See The (Day)Light!

Access to cheap and plentiful electricity is something most of us take for granted. However, such is not the case in many parts of the world, especially in third world countries, where the poor live in shanty homes that are often constructed from cardboard or other flimsy materials....

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Will A Better Adhesive Be The Key To Faster Computers?

The quest to develop faster microprocessors - the tiny silicon chips that allow your computers do all the magical things they do - is never ending, with chip manufactures spending millions of dollars in research each year. In the past, they have succeeded in doubling the processing speed roughly every two years, by simply shrinking the size of the transistors, so that more could be fitted onto each microchip....

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