Important Innovations

Universal, Cheaper, Stable Vaccines Source:  University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston DNA Vaccines that Could Impact World Health Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston have developed a universal vaccine platform.  It cuts production and storage costs by 80%.  It can be stockpiled at room temperature for years.  And the new vaccines are as effective and safe as current vaccines. DNA Based Immunizations The breakthrough is that the scientists engineered the vaccines in DNA form.   According to the scientists, testing proved a resounding success with the desired immunizations resulting. Global Health Impact The scientists' findings and their new vaccine methodology was published in EBioMedicine.  This is of particular importance to hot, 3rd world countries where 80% of the vaccine cost comes from refrigeration.

New Semiconductor with Organic & Inorganic Materials Enables Bendability Source:  ANU -  Innovators Asso. Prof. Larry Lu and PhD researcher Ankur Sharma Bendable Phones, Displays, Electronics Australian National University engineers have invented a breakthrough semiconductor.  The innovation is composed of organic and inorganic material.  It converts electricity into light very efficiently.  And it's so thin and flexible it can help to make cellphones and display screens bendable. Biodegradable Electronics Potentially Cutting E-Waste  This breakthrough could also enable a new generation of electronic devices made from organic material that's biodegradable or easily recycled.  This could greatly reduce E-Waste which is a huge and growing threat to the global environment. Scientific Specifics The organic component of the semiconductor is made of hydrogen and oxygen and has the thickness of just 1 atom.  The inorganic component has the thickness of 2 atoms. 

Deep Angel Part Art, Tech & Philosophy MIT's Media Lab has created artificial intelligence that deletes.  It's called Deep Angel.  It erases objects from photographs.  MIT says it's part art, part technology and part Philosophy. Disappearing Act With this new artificial intelligence, you can explore the future of automated media manipulation by uploading your own photo or submitting a public Instagram account to the AI. As you can see in the photo, Deep Angel disappears things from  images.  It also detects fakes. Aesthetics of Absence To quote MIT:  "Beyond manipulation Deep Angel enables you to uncover the aesthetics of absence.  What happens when we can remove things from the world around us?"  Intriguing AI and a unique vision of the future.

Burgers from the Lab, Not the Farm Source:  Stock Photo of Cultured, Lab Grown Beef Pattie More Sustainable, Energy & Environmentally Friendly Meat It's the future of food.  Experts believe a big change in food production is cooking.  Your burger of the future will be an eco-burger.  It will come from the lab, not from the farm. Food Innovation Eco-burgers are being developed in vats by using animal stem cells, feeding them nutrients and growing them into meat.  The process may not sound tasty but the potential is. Sustainable Meat Sources for a Growing Global Population The world needs to increase food production by 50% to feed the global population by 2050.  Lab grown meat could be part of the solution as animal production currently uses 80% of the world's agricultural land. Benefits, Opportunities & Costs Lab grown meat, also known as cultured or clean meat, doesn't use slaughtered animals.  It also requires 200 times less land, 30 times less

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks Coming to a Highway Near You Hyundai's Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Zero Emissions and Sustainable Hyundai and Toyota are launching hydrogen fuel cell trucks.  The trucks are green, no greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable and quiet. Hyundai Plan The South Korean automaker plans on deploying 1000 hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Switzerland between 2019 and 2020.  Hyundai says the commercial trucks have an estimated range of 248 miles fueled by 8 onboard hydrogen storage tanks. Refueling takes 7 minutes. Toyota Trucks on the Road Toyota just deployed a big freight truck powered by hydrogen fuel cells.  The truck has a range of 300 miles. Toyota has 3 partners in the project:  the Port of Los Angeles, Shell and Kenworth. They're developing 10 zero emissions trucks.  Toyota is providing fuel cell stacks and tanks, batteries and electric motors that will be put into Kenworth's Class 8 trucks.  Toyota is also providing powertrains and o

DARPA's EXACTO for US Military DARPA's EXACTO Bullet US Government Bulls-Eye Project with Classified Technology The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA is developing a smart bullet for the US Military.  The project EXACTO ammunition is a matter of public record.  But the guidance system, that's apparently so successful, is top secret.  It's a bullet that changes and corrects its direction after being fired and in flight to accurately hit the target. No More Misfires  This is a real-life project that could soon end misfiring problems caused by shooter errors, bad weather conditions and wind.  The goal is to save the lives of US troops by arming them with smart bullets with bulls-eye guidance systems. EXACTO Ammunition EXACTO uses a built-in guidance system to keep the bullet on target and be bulls-eye.  The specifics on how the guidance system works are classified.  This is a DARPA government project to provide the US mil

Harvard's Soft Exosuit Harvard & DARPA's Exosuit Enhancing Strength, Speed and Endurance Every individual has their distinct physical limits.  For instance, the maximum weight you can lift and the time and distance you can run.  But, thanks to researchers at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, physical limits are being overcome. Lightweight Exoskeleton Working in conjunction with the Pentagon's advanced research projects agency DARPA, Wyss has developed a soft Exosuit  for soldiers.  It's a lightweight skeleton frame that enhances the person's abilities, including faster speeds, greater strength and endurance. Very Smart Suit This is state of the art innovation.  It's a smart suit, loaded with built-in sensors and a microcomputer to intelligently calibrate and match exactly what the user needs.  DARPA and Wyss researchers continue to build on the Exosuit's capabilities.

New Revealing Research - Rockefeller University Source:  Rockefeller University - C elegans roundworm's Brain Activity In Tiny Worms, Spiking Neurons and Clues to Brain Function The brain isn't a computer but it does compute.  To process data the human brain uses a digital code.  The cells produce bursts of electric current known as  "action potentials".  They are the 0's & 1's of the nervous system.  The code is assumed to be vital also to animals. Breakthrough Research on a Tiny Creature Researchers at Rockefeller University have made an amazing discovery.  They have had their 1st chance to observe "action potentials" in the brain cells of a tiny worm, the C elegans roundworm.  It wasn't expected to be there.  It's a first and experts say it's disrupting decades of dogma about the brain.  And, it could help scientists understand fundamentals of brain computation. Advancing Scientific Understanding of the Brain The res

The Fountain of Youth in Fruits and Vegies Natural Substance Fisetin University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have discovered a natural substance that intervenes and halts the aging process.  The substance is called Fisetin and is found in many fruits and vegetables.  It gives you all the more reason to eat lots of them. Their Research Findings The scientists treated aging mice with Fisetin.  It has significant positive effects on health and lifespan.  They published their study in EBioMedicine. Healthspan Expansion Their results suggest that the natural substance can extend the period of health called healthspan even late into life.  But they do have a lot of questions to address such as proper dosage for individuals. Science of Aging As people age, they accumulate damaged cells.  A younger person's immune system clears the cells.  As people age, the cells aren't cleared as effectively.  The accumulation results in deteriorating tissue and aging.  The

US Navy's Huge Drone Sea Hunter Source:  Office of Naval Research - The Sea Hunter The Drone Sea Hunter Ship The US Navy's Office of Naval Research is developing a huge drone ship.  It's called the Sea Hunter.  The prototype ship is undergoing sea trials.  It's a fully autonomous behemoth built to roam and surveil the 7 seas. No Humans Onboard The 140 ton drone ship has been built for the US Navy to autonomously track enemy submarines.  It also is being used to detect mines in the open ocean.  It can operate with no human intervention for up to 90 days.  Following more successful sea trials, it will be fully operational.

The Walrus Project - US Pentagon Source:  DARPA Walrus Concept Can It Take Off? This is a high flying and heavy load research project being spearheaded by the US Government.  The Walrus, pictured above, is probably the world's largest airship.  It's designed to fly millions of pounds of troops, gear and equipment quickly to breaking incidents thousands of miles away for the US Military. DARPA's Walrus The US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA is leading this program.  The purpose is to design a giant air vehicle that can haul a payload of 500 to 1000 tons in under a week to a destination up to 12,000 nautical miles away.  You can understand the importance of this technology to the US Military.  It would provide the ability to quickly deploy huge numbers of troops with all their gear and equipment to breaking military and other incidents globally. HULU Walrus is still waiting to take-off. It's a huge and heavy load aviat

Ambitious US Government Robotic Program Source:  DARPA HI-MENS Robotic Program Spying Insec ts You might call them Cyborg Insect Spies.  The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA has a novel, science fiction like robotic research program underway.  It's called the HI-MEMS program. Insect Controlled in Flight by Implants Scientists have explored using a variety of insects as part of the program.  They have put implants on flying moths and beetles.  Using the implants, researchers are able to stimulate insect brains and actually control them in flight. End Game The potential use of these robotic insects is fascinating.  The goal is to deploy them on missions in the field to gain access to areas not reachable by traditional robots and humans.  This is an important scientific research program that DARPA is actively pursuing.

DARPA's Subterranean Robotic Olympics Robotic Race to Win DARPA, the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, gathered leading roboticists in a Kentucky cave recently and issued its most daring challenge yet.  Design robots to navigate some of the most unforgiving environments - a grueling course of tunnels and caves. Triathlon DARPA has split the competition into 3 fields.  Tunnel environments with a lot of passageways.  Caves with crags, slopes and tight squeezes.  And, an urban, bunker like environment with lots of stairs.  The winning robot will be the fastest at overcoming all 3 environments. Prestigious Competing Teams NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, Caltech and Carnegie Mellon are among the competitors.  The race starts in August 2019.  The key to winning is developing a robot flexible enough to overcome cave, tunnel and urban environments.  Some uses of this emerging robotic tech:  search and rescue and urban warfare.