Sony has demonstrated a walking robot that can smoothly simulate running. The breakthrough required sophisticated features in the robot’s joints and CPU to keep its balance and manage delicate maneuvers.
Advanced Cell Technology is working to clone human embryos and perfect other techniques in pursuit of stem cells. ACT’s ultimate goal: hundreds of stem cell lines to treat everything from Alzheimer’s to diabetes to Parkinson’s.
Researchers from Purdue University have made a discovery that may hold promise for tissue regeneration: carbon nanofibers are surprisingly compatible with human tissue.
Their experiments showed that increasing the amount of carbon nanofibers in a polycarbonate urethane composite implant increased the functions of nerve and bone-forming cells and decreased the function of scar-tissue formation.
Carbon nanotubes also have strong electrical properties. “These carbon nanofibers also interact with neurons,… read more
Researchers have put together a two-way speech-to-speech system that translates medical information from Arabic to English and English to Arabic and runs on an iPaq handheld computer.
New super-thin optical fibers confine light signals much more securely than their thicker counterparts. The new low-loss design will combat the leaks that can severely weaken a telecommunications signal when conveyed over many kilometers.
The new fibers are 50 nanometers across — around 10,000 times thinner than current optical fibers. They are also highly flexible, so they can guide light signals around tight bends, which will help the production… read more
Injecting human stem cells into sheep fetuses produces animals with partially human organs — a possible source of matched transplants.
It would also allow doctors to obtain immune-compatible cells without having to create human embryos by therapeutic cloning.
The idea of using part-human, part-animal chimeras as living factories for producing cells or organs raises a host of ethical and safety issues.
Google has launched Google Print Beta, which lets Web surfers access brief excerpts from books, critic reviews, and bibliographic and author’s notes.
The experiment is similar to Amazon’s “Search Inside the Book,” a searchable index of millions of pages of books.
The Google Print feature works by typing “print.google.com” and any desired term or phrase into the Google search bar.
India’s technological success is challenging the definitions of globalization and Corporate America is becoming concerned. “There’s just no place left to squeeze” costs in the U.S., says Chris Disher, a Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. outsourcing specialist.
“That’s why every CEO is looking at India, and every board is asking about it.” neoIT, a consultant advising U.S. clients on how to set up shop in India, says it has been… read more
A near-infrared light can detect lies as they form in the brain of volunteers. It may replace the often-inaccurate polygraph to detect lies told by spies, saboteurs and terrorists.
E-textiles are being developed that can sense tank movements, monitor homes for noxious chemicals, help firefighters maneuver in smoky buildings, and perhaps help stroke victims recover their function.
The red sea urchin can last for more than 200 years with few signs of age-related disease, researchers have found. This could help scientists uncover the secret of longevity and aging.
Nanotechnology could strengthen the nation’s shield against terrorist bombs, biological weapons or attacks on power plants and reservoirs, participants at the Nanotechnology and Homeland Security Forum said Monday.
But homeland security may not benefit from nanotechnology’s potential unless government funding lays the groundwork for the private businesses that could produce new defense products, most experts agreed.
Possible nanotech uses could include self-copying nanoparticles that could be spread in… read more
Ferroelectric materials, used in modern electronics devices, have been discovered to retain their properties when present in extraordinarily tiny amounts. This discovery implies that this and other materials with similar properties may be valuable at nanoscale in the production of small, smart communications devices, tiny diagnostic instruments and nano-robots.
A silicon nanowire sensor has the potential to detect diseases never before possible with conventional tests, according to researcher Charles M. Lieber, a professor of chemistry at Harvard.
An array of sensors could ultimately be configured to a handheld PDA-type device or small computer, allowing almost instant test results during a doctor’s visit or possibly even at home by a patient. It could potentially be used to screen for… read more