NASA’s research on ‘arabidopsis’ genetically modified seed with a green-fluorescing protein marker to understand how plant responds to microgravity

Posted on June 28, 2016 by

When we go to Mars, will astronauts be able to grow enough food there to maintain a healthy diet? Will they be able to produce food in NASA's Orion spacecraft on the year-long trip to Mars? How about growing food on Earth under extreme conditions? These are questions scientists are trying to answer by observing plant growth in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS). Plant biology investigations called Petri Plants explore the fundamental genetic mechanisms plants use to adapt t...

Japanese firm developing robot farmers

Posted on May 28, 2016 by

Kubota, Japan's largest maker of agricultural machinery, has already developed its first prototype autonomous tractor for use in rice paddies. Equipped with a global positioning system, the vehicle cultivates fields and fertilises after checking soil conditions. Iseki & Co and Yanmar are also developing autonomous tractors and harvesters with Hitachi developing systems for farm machinery. Kubota is also developing and marketing a suit-like device to help farmers harvest and carry fruit an...

NASA’S SMAP Mission Kickstarts Global Soil Moisture Analyzing Operations

Posted on May 27, 2016May 27, 2016 by

With the launch of Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, NASA has laid foundations for mapping global soil moisture and accurate weather predictions that can help us cope with the drastic weather irregularities. Now after completion of observatory, science operations have been commenced. The team involved in the mission is ready to compare the collected data with the ground measurements regarding discrepancies of the nature of soil. This very activity will last for more than a year and...

Commercial products that produce water from Air

Posted on May 27, 2016 by

Atmospheric water solutions manufacture machines that produce purified water from air. These Innovative machines extract humidity from the air which is filtered, condensed, and then processed through an additional multi-step filtration system; producing “purified great tasting water™”, with no chlorine, fluoride, or heavy metals present. Their AquaBoy® Pro II machine makes hot and cold water from air , filters it and stores up to 2 to 5 gallons every day. It’s easy to operate, environm...

Biodegradable plastics

Posted on May 26, 2016May 26, 2016 by

Biodegradable bags are bags that are capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms. There are two very different types of biodegradable plastic. they are as follows: Oxo-biodegradable plastic - made from polymers such as PE (polyethylene) PP (polypropylene) and PS (polystyrene) containing extra ingredients (NOT heavy metals) and tested according to ASTM D6954 or BS8472 or AFNOR Accord T51-808 to degrade and biodegrade in the open environment and Vegetable based plastic...

SOCCKET is a soccer ball that harnesses and stores energy

Posted on May 6, 2016May 6, 2016 by

SOCCKET is a soccer ball that harnesses and stores energy from play for later use as portable power source in resource-poor areas. The sOccket is a soccer ball that captures the energy during game play to charge LEDs and small batteries. After playing with the ball, the child can return home and use the ball to connect a LED lamp to read, study, or illuminate the home. The sOccket is a soccer ball that captures the energy during game play to charge LEDs and small batteries. After playing with...

Innovative Solar Powered products

Posted on April 19, 2016 by

SolPower 9000 Patio Umbrella Now you can lounge under the cover of the SolPower 9-Feet Patio Umbrella with your cell phone, tablet, digital camera or other USB charging device-and never worry about battery life. Running low? No need to get up, just plug your device into one of the USB ports on the umbrella pole and get an instant charge. Features 2 built in USB ports and UV resistant fabric. Solar-Powered Beach Mat Powered by a five-watt solar panel and a built-in thermal fridge, the Bea...

Cranfield’s Nano Membrane Toilet that generate energy to power homes in villages

Posted on March 12, 2016March 12, 2016 by

Cranfield University is developing the Nano Membrane Toilet which will be able to treat human waste on-site without external energy or water. The toilet is designed for single-household use (equivalent to 10 people) and will accept urine and faeces as a mixture. The toilet flush uses a unique rotating mechanism to transport the mixture into the toilet without demanding water whilst simultaneously blocking odour and the user’s view of the waste. Solids separation (faeces) is principally acc...

NASA’s carbon nanotube filtration device to eliminate contaminants in water

Posted on February 21, 2016February 21, 2016 by

Innovators at NASA’s Johnson Space Center have developed a filtration device to eliminate contaminants from water supplies. Originally developed to purify wastewater for reuse aboard the International Space Station, the innovation is applicable to numerous situations on Earth where there is a need to collect potable, medical-grade water from a contaminated water supply. The unique aspect of the technology is its use of acoustics rather than pressure to drive water through small-diameter carbon n...

WAVE ENERGY GENERATOR

Posted on January 18, 2016 by

KymoGen Mechanical Engineer David Hartmann and Craftsman Jason Ballash have designed a new wave power technology called the KymoGen, which has the potential to produce clean, low-cost energy using the constant power of waves. Key to the design is its simplicity. A portable 8’x8′ platform is tethered to a mooring on the sea floor. Inside the floating platform, the tether is connected to a drive system which spins a flywheel as the waves rise and fall, providing constant power between waves....

Oxygen green table as natural air purifier for your home

Posted on January 18, 2016 by

As natural air outside becomes more polluted, many are turning towards indoor air purifiers for clean oxygen. The Oxygen of Green concept is a coffee table that grows Air Plants (which do not need soil) and produces oxygen at night so you can wake up every morning to clean and fresh air. Designed by Devon Mingling Wang, the “Oxygen of Green” low table, essentially uses a soil-less plant called Tillandsias to purify air. The Tillandsias plant produces a decent amount of oxygen, particularly...

Innovation in rural India making peoples lives better

Posted on January 10, 2016January 10, 2016 by 41629066

The Solar Mosquito Destroyer Inventor: Mathews K Mathew Developed in Kerala, this one-of-its-kind device could be a roaring success in the cities as well as far as we’re concerned. Using the septic tank smell as an attracting device for the mosquitoes, heat builds up inside it due to direct exposure to sunlight. Once the mosquitoes are trapped inside, they eventually die due to the accumulated heat. This device is a one-time investment, as it requires nothing but the sun’s rays for its wor...

Smart City -India’s plan for Sustainable growth & Quality of life

Posted on January 6, 2016January 6, 2016 by 41629066

The government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision of developing 100 smart cities as satellite towns of larger cities and by modernizing the existing mid-sized cities. The government plans to identify 20 smart cities in 2015, 40 in 2016 and another 40 in 2017. Currently, 31% of India’s population live in cities, and generate 63% of the nation’s economic activity. Urban population numbers are increasing rapidly, with almost half of India’s population p...

HIPPO ROLLER -simple way to bring large quantity of water home from river in rural villages

Posted on January 6, 2016January 6, 2016 by 41629066

Carrying water is a time-consuming and tiring chore for millions of women and children in rural Africa. Typically, a woman can manage no more than a 20-litre bucket carried on her head, often walking long distance to bring it home. The Hippo water roller allows up to 90 litres of water to be carried in a single trip, and with much less effort. Hippo Water Roller was created in 1991 by two South Africans, Mr. Pettie Petzer and Johan Jonker. They both grew up on farms and had seen the eff...

Bottle Bulb for underprivileged

Posted on January 6, 2016 by 41629066

Liter of Light is a global open source movement aiming to provide ecologically sustainable and cost-free lighting for simple dwellings with thin roofs. The device is simple: a transparent 1.5–2 L plastic bottle, as typically used for carbonated drinks, is filled with water plus a little bleach to inhibit algal growth and fitted into a hole in a roof. The device functions like a deck prism: during daytime the water inside the bottle refracts sunlight, delivering about as much light as a 40–60 wat...

Eliodomestico – Converts saltwater into freshwater for rural areas

Posted on January 5, 2016 by 41629066

Diamanti’s solar powered water filter is designed to provide drinking water for families in developing countries. Eliodomestico is a solar still that operates a bit like an upside-down coffee maker. At the beginning of the day, water is poured into the terracotta chamber. As the day begins the still heats up and eventually gets hot enough to boil the water, creating steam. The steam forced into the expansion nozzle at the top and then condenses against the lid, where it then drips down into the ...

Illness & Climate Change

Posted on December 25, 2015 by

A new NOAA study, published in the journal Ecological Modeling, forecasts an increase in ciguatera fish poisoning in the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. Southeast Atlantic coast with predicted rising global ocean temperatures due to climate change. People can be affected by ciguatera, the most common form of algal-induced seafood poisoning, by eating contaminated tropical marine reef fish such as grouper, snapper and barracuda. Scientists are now predicting that global climate change will ciguatera,...

Penguin Anti-Ice.

Posted on December 23, 2015 by

Scientists studying penguins’ feathers have revealed how the birds stay ice free when hopping in and out of below zero waters in the Antarctic. Penguins living in the Antarctic are highly evolved to cope with harsh conditions, their short outer feathers overlap to make a thick protective layer over fluffier feathers which keep them warm. Under their skin, a thick layer of fat keeps them insulated. The flightless birds spend a lot of time in the sea and are extremely agile and graceful swimmers, ...

Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes can no longer spread Malaria

Posted on December 14, 2015December 15, 2015 by

US scientists have bred a genetically modified mosquito that is incapable of spreading malaria to humans, according to reports. A gene editing technique called Crispr was used to alter the genetic makeup of the insect, making it resistant to Plasmodium falciparum, one of the parasites that causes malaria in humans. Crucially, the GM mosquitoes passed on their anti-malarial DNA strain to 99.5% of their offspring, raising the prospect of the altered species being released in the wild one day to co...

This Saltwater-Powered Lamp can also charge your cell phone!

Posted on December 11, 2015 by

Lighting is something that we take for granted in the developed world, but there are still many areas around the globe where people lack reliable access to light at night. Around one-fifth of the world’s population has no access to electricity. They often use kerosene lamps, which contribute to indoor pollution and have to be refilled with oil regularly. Also they are bad for the environment and human health. To solve this problem, an engineering start-up called SALt(Sustainable Alternative Ligh...

Earth not due for a geomagnetic flip in the near future.

Posted on December 9, 2015 by

Over the past couple of hundred years, the strength of the Earth’s geomagnetic field has been waning, leading scientists to wonder if our planet’s polarity is on the verge of flipping. A new study suggests this won’t happen in the near future and that the intensity of today’s field is uncharacteristically strong. Predicting a geomagnetic flip is important for two primary reasons, one biological, one technological. The Earth’s magnetic field deflects solar wind and cosmic rays, so with a weakened...

Global warming will be faster than expected.

Posted on December 8, 2015 by

Scientists suggest that global warming could progress faster than was previously believed because increased temperatures influence natural greenhouse gas emissions. Numerous studies from the Swedish research team over the past two years have determined that natural greenhouse gas emissions will increase when the climate gets warmer, Linköping University reported. Now, their most recent study has backed up these findings. "Everything indicates that global warming caused by humans leads to increa...

New, inexpensive way to clean water from oil sands production

Posted on December 4, 2015 by

Researchers have developed a process to remove contaminants from oil sands wastewater using only sunlight and nanoparticles that is more effective and inexpensive than conventional treatment methods. Frank Gu, a professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Nanotechnology Engineering, is the senior researcher on the team that was the first to find that photocatalysis , a chemical reaction that involves the absorption of light by nanoparticles ...

Smartphone app helps predict famine.

Posted on December 2, 2015 by

A new mobile phone app designed to help aid workers predict where hunger may strike and provide help in good time was launched by Austrian scientists on Thursday. The app, which is free to use, combines and analyses satellite data and information collected through crowdsourcing using mobile phones, and creates a map highlighting areas at risk of food shortages and malnutrition. Useful information includes how often people in an area eat or whether there is civil unrest that might prevent people ...

Old laptop batteries could power slums.

Posted on December 2, 2015 by

Old laptop batteries still have enough life in them to power homes in slums, researchers have said. An IBM study analyzed a sample of discarded batteries and found 70% had enough power to keep an LED light on more than four hours a day for a year. Researchers said using discarded batteries is cheaper than existing power options, and also helps deal with the mounting e-waste problem. The IBM team created what they called an UrJar, a device that uses lithium-ion cells from the old batteries to ...

Thousands of tree species in shrinking Amazon threatened by deforestation.

Posted on December 2, 2015 by

An international team of 158 scientists found that depending on the degree to which deforestation comes under control in the next 35 years, between 36 and 57 percent of the 16,000 tree species in the tropical rainforest area would be considered threatened. A first-of-its-kind examination of the Amazon's trees found that as many as half the species may be threatened with extinction or heading that way because of massive deforestation. Among the more than 5,000 tree species in deep trouble, the on...

SlingShot: Quest to solve the world’s safe water crisis.

Posted on November 20, 2015 by

Kamen's SlingShot (so-named after the Biblical David & Goliath story) device is an energy-efficient "vapor compression distiller," and one possible answer to the safe water crisis. The SlingShot is designed to take virtually any unfit source of water, such as contaminated well water or seawater, and turn it into clean water, without requiring a filter (which regularly need to be replaced) or using any chemical additives (which have to be purchased). The device does use combustible fuel to po...

New flu tracker uses Google search data better than Google.

Posted on November 18, 2015 by

A team of Harvard statisticians has come up with a new way to track the flu virus using Internet search data. The system uses a method that has been used before, tracking searchers for key words and phrases, but has coupled it with additional data to improve its accuracy. The new model, ARGO (AutoRegression with Google search data), was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and was built on Google Flu Trends, which was Google’s flu tracking model that emerged in 200...

Smart design learning from nature

Posted on October 31, 2015 by 41629066

You've probably seen ads for IBM's SmarterCity initiative, a program that uses the company's information technology to help municipal governments create healthier, more intelligent urban environments for their residents. Using their ability to collect and analyze data, IBM is able to provide information about elements of daily city life ranging from weather and traffic to water usage and air quality. But what they've done with that data has largely been used to make policy and economic decisions...

Drones Could Plant 1 Billion Trees a Year

Posted on October 17, 2015 by

A UK-based startup called BioCarbon Engineering with CEO Lauren Fletcher and his team have a plan for using fixed-wing and multiple-rotor drones to plant 1 billion trees per year. The startup run by a former NASA engineer, is on a mission to fight industrial-scale deforestation, which robs our planet of 26 billion trees each year. The process begins by deploying fixed wing drones to assess areas in need of replanting and create 3-D maps. The drones conduct aerial surveys and produce detailed ...