Purdue University

BIG crowds, strong surf and powerful rip currents are only a few of the obstacles that lifeguards must overcome to keep swimmers safe. Strong winds can pull many bathers out to sea simultaneously, overwhelming the guards if there are only a few of them. And, since average swimming speed is about 3kph (2mph) even a

Life saving medicine doesn’t like hot temperatures, which makes it hard to get it to the remote villages where it’s often most needed. The amazing new Passive Vaccine Storage Device keeps health workers informed about its movements and its cargo, and keeps that cargo totally cool for 30 days. Every year, over 1 million children

New systems could improve the vision of micro aerial vehicles Aerial robotics research has brought us flapping hummingbirds, seagulls,bumblebees, and dragonflies. But if these robots are to do anything more than bear a passing resemblance to their animal models, there is one thing they’ll definitely need: better vision. In February, at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco, two

BYU’s 3D virtual reality system much cheaper, just as effective as others It’s like a scene from a gamer’s wildest dreams: 12 high-definition, 55-inch 3D televisions all connected to a computer capable of supporting high-end, graphics-intensive gaming. On the massive screen, images are controlled by a Wii remote that interacts with a Kinnect-like Bluetooth device

Image via Wikipedia STEGANOGRAPHY, the art of hiding things in plain sight, is a trick as old as espionage. Unlike its cousin, cryptography, which makes no attempt to disguise the existence of a message, but rather hides its meaning, a steganographic message need not be encyphered. What it does need to be is invisible—at least

Pyrethroid pesticides are effective. Sometimes too effective. Researchers at Michigan State University’s entomology department have unlocked a key to maintain the insecticide’s effectiveness in eliminating pests without killing beneficial bugs, such as bees. The study, featured in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that molecular tweaks can make the

Changing the Internet’s focus from data location to the nature of the information itself should improve network efficiency and security In 2009 singer Susan Boyle‘s extremely popular YouTube video of the Les Miserables song “I Dreamed a Dream” racked up 140 million hits in just four days, the equivalent of a digital tsunami that blasted

In a new Yale-led study, investigators have revealed previously unknown factors that contribute to the hardening of arteries and plaque growth, which cause heart disease. Their insight is the basis for a promising therapeutic approach to halt and potentially reverse plaque buildup and the progression of disease, the researchers said. The study was published online

Researchers have unlocked the genetic code behind some of the brightest and most vibrant colours in nature. The paper, published in the journal PNAS, is the first study of the genetics of structural colour – as seen in butterfly wings and peacock feathers – and paves the way for genetic research in a variety of structurally coloured