Scientists at Stanford University have developed a new type of textile that reportedly cools your body, thus reducing the need for energy-intensive air conditioning. Recently published in the Science journal, the research could pave the way for a new family of smart fabrics that can handle body heat more efficiently than currently-available natural and synthetic…
In a world where as many as 1.2 billion people live without proper access to clean water, scientists are striving to develop new technologies of water purification that are not only efficient but also inexpensive. Researchers at Stanford University, for instance, have come up with an innovative device that can disinfect water in a matter of…
Solar energy is the one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels. We receive plenty of it every day, we have the technology to harness it, we have used it to heat water, drive cars, even fly airplanes and it produces no green house gases. Except that, for about 12 hours every day, it is…
For the very first time, scientists at Stanford University have successfully managed to send messages, using photons, between two electrons present almost 2 km (or 1.2 miles) apart. According to the team, being able to send a pair of “entangled” particles over long distances is indeed a major feat, especially since it could lead to…
Those who have had their fair share of watching actions flicks in the 90's, would surely remember Face/Off - the one where John Travolta and Nick Cage get their faces switched, leading to adrenaline-pumping mayhem. In the movie, this 'face swapping' scope was derived from some kind of plastic surgery wizardry. However, this time around,…
In the US, over 2.5 billion plastic foam cups are discarded every year, most of which will take anywhere between 50 to 80 years to decompose. Considering that Americans dispose of nearly 33 million tons of plastic each year, and only 10-percent of this is actually recycled, the environmental implications of this type of pollution is…
Previously, we have talked about color-changing materials inspired by organic forms like squid and cuttlefish. Well, this time around, the scientists are inspired by the 'king of camouflage' - the chameleon. Researchers at the Stanford University have devised a new stretchable electronic skin (e-skin) that can automatically change its color depending on the varying degrees…
According to a startling statistical scope put forth by Spectrum IEEE, crystalline silicon-based solar cells account for a whopping 90 percent of the total global market for photovoltaics. In spite of the near monopoly, the efficiency of such solar cells is still stuck around 26 percent for almost the last fifteen years. So, as a…