A beautiful new video from "The Sagan Series" — an open-source project dedicated to spreading scientific literacy — has brought the words of the late astronomer, Carl Sagan, to life. The video combines audio from Sagan's audiobook with footage of the world's most significant leaders, cultural events and natural beauty, stitching them together to create a complete picture of life on Earth. In its closing moments, Sagan makes a compelling plea for humans to take better care of one another and … [Read more...]
Solar Cell Efficiency Reaches New World Record
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin jointly announced today having achieved a new world record for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using a new solar cell structure with four solar subcells. Surpassing competition after only over three years of research, and entering the roadmap at world class level, a new record efficiency of 44.7% was measured at a concentration of 297 suns. This indicates that 44.7% of the solar … [Read more...]
Oral-B Digitizes Tooth Brushing
There really is an app for everything -- including brushing your teeth. Procter & Gamble has launched a new app under its Oral-B brand designed to help consumers have more understanding about their oral health care. “At P&G Oral Care, the ultimate vision is perfect oral health,” Kris Parlett, senior communications manager for Oral-B Power, tells Marketing Daily. “If you look at the trends in oral care, health care and consumer behavior, they’re all converging on health care … [Read more...]
New “Smart Tooth” Can Improve Health, Scientists Say
Artificial teeth that detect when people chew, drink, speak and cough could help people track exactly how much they eat, along with other aspects of their health, researchers say. In a study, the scientists used dental cement to glue sensors onto the teeth of eight volunteers. The devices were accelerometers that recognized movement in all three dimensions, and were coated with dental resin to keep them safe from saliva. Thin wires connected to the sensors helped collect their data. The … [Read more...]
Tesla Founder Plans For Several Billion Dollar Hyperloop Mass Transportation System
Earlier this year we detailed the lack of investment into a high speed rail system by the U.S. (compared to other nations), but Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk just might have unveiled an alternative with his superfast transportation system, Hyperloop.Musk has proposed a system of tubes built either above or below ground that will move people between cities that are less than 900 miles apart.Musk said that the main cost of building such a system would be the tubes, which would cost "several … [Read more...]