Covid-19 Severity Detector Posted July 10, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Researchers are working on a way to predict when symptoms from the novel coronavirus might turn dangerous.
Wildfire Preventer Posted June 26, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. As wildfire season starts, engineers are developing a new tool to stop them in their tracks.
Boosting Vaccine Efficiency Posted June 19, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Making enough COVID-19 vaccine to immunize the world will be a challenge, but a new vaccination method, without the typical needles, may help.
Covid-19 at Home Test Posted June 12, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Re-opening during the pandemic would be easier to safely manage if we had a quick at-home test, like a pregnancy test, for COVID-19 infection. Engineers may be close.
Art Framing Climate Issues Posted June 5, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. A growing number of artists are creating works that pull people into thinking more about climate change…and the pros and cons of possible solutions.
Public Carbon Capture Posted May 28, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. The National Science Foundation recently announced finalists of a public competition for bold ideas to guide their long-term planning. One of the Grand Prize winners wants to get us all involved in tackling climate change.
Small Modular Reactors Posted May 22, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Since nuclear power plants don’t emit greenhouse gases, many think they are a solution to climate change. So a push is now on to boost worldwide nuclear energy production by deploying more – but much smaller – reactors.
Clean Hand Check Posted May 14, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. As restaurants re-open, now you’ll want their employees’ hands to really be clean. A new device could help. While it doesn’t yet check specifically for coronavirus, it can spot other dangerous pathogens.
Fake News Filter Posted May 8, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. While political views differ, democracy depends upon a basic agreement about facts. Can technology help people sort truth from trash in social media?
Nose for Infection Posted May 1, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Researchers are now exploring whether dogs can detect a person infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) by smell. Trace odors have already been connected to other infections.
Heart Cap Posted April 24, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Engineers are working on a removable heart pump that might one day let patients with end stage heart failure not only survive longer, but recover.
Spotting Methane Leaks Posted April 17, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. We mostly talk about carbon dioxide as the culprit of climate change. But methane is actually about a hundred times more powerful as a greenhouse gas.
Rebuilding Antarctica Posted April 9, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Antarctica is melting faster than expected…and a recent U-N report says, unless something is done, sea levels will likely rise higher by the end of this century than previous estimates. Some scientists say it may be time to think of radical solutions.
Smart Stethoscope Posted April 3, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Diagnosing lung diseases ideally uses tools like chest X-rays and blood tests, but in times when the healthcare system is stressed the stethoscope may be the only tool.
Smartphone Drug Delivery Posted March 26, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Brain implants can treat diseases ranging from Parkinson’s to depression, but patients must generally be tethered to machines. The key to a new solution might be in your pocket.
Mars Life Support Posted March 19, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Mars has a harsh environment. So, in anticipation of human travel there, engineers are working on ways to make parts of the planet more hospitable for life.
Computer Game Attacks Coronavirus Posted March 13, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. If you want to help researchers fighting the coronavirus, even while you’re hunkering down at home, we’ve got a video game for you!
Potomac Treasure Part 2 Posted March 6, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. Thirty years ago, a bacteria from the Potomac River was found to produce its own tiny wires that conduct electricity. Just last month, an even more surprising discovery was announced.
Potomac Treasure Part 1 Posted February 28, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. More than thirty years ago, a new type of bacteria was discovered in the mud of the Potomac River. Now it could provide a key to producing clean energy.
Replacing Batteries Posted February 21, 2020 Please upgrade to a newer browser. A new technique might soon allow you to stream High Definition video from a camera so small it could be attached to your glasses.