DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist
DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF
By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane
NEW SCIENCE: NON-STOP TRANSATLATIC FLIGHT BY BUTTERFLIES
Source: Stock
- This is being called the 1st documented case of insects flying non-stop across an entire ocean. Experts say it's an extraordinary achievement in biological discovery. Here are some key facts:
- A flock of nearly 3,000 Painted Lady butterflies flew nearly 4,350 miles non-stop across the Atlantic from Europe to South America
- The creatures were spotted on a beach in French Guiana in South America in 2013 by entomologist Gerard Talavera
- They aren't native to South America and to get there, Talavera knew they had to fly across the ocean, making it the world's 1st non-stop transoceanic flight by insects ever discovered
- To prove it has taken years of scientific due diligence including the use of DNA analysis to prove where the butterflies came from
- Talavera's work is being hailed as breakthrough scientific discovery - it was just published
- He's fundamentally changed the understanding of insect migration
- Documented the extraordinary, long-distance journey of small insects, flying about 4,350 miles, non-stop, in 7 to 8 days
- It's a world first - thousands of butterflies making a non-stop, transatlantic flight...who would have thought?
NEW LENS LETS YOU SEE IN THE DARK
Source: TMOS - Australia
- The new night vision filter, innovated by researchers at TMOS in Australia, gives you the power to see in the dark using everyday glasses. Here are some key facts:
- The scientists have developed a new, ultra-thin material that can enable you to see in the dark
- It's a filter that's lighter than cling wrap
- The material can be integrated into a regular pair of glasses
- This enables night vision without needing a large, head mounted device
- The new material can capture infrared and visible light at the same time
- They use what they call "metasurface-based up-conversion technology"
- It's a breakthrough that eliminates the need for bulky light processing and cryogenic components
- Has big potential to make night driving easier for all of us
- Also makes running, walking and working in the dark of night more possible
- Also important for autonomous navigation, surveillance and biomedical imaging industries.
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