Royal College of Art (RCA)

                    Could allow eavesdropping in real-time   Researchers in Germany claim to have for the first time cracked two encryption systems of satellite phones, a breakthrough in call deciphering, which may threaten the security of such devices worldwide. A team at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany

Could lead to an uncomplicated and low-cost method with high production volume   The advantages of printed electronics and semiconducting carbon nanotubes have been combined for display electronics for the first time. Researchers at Aneeve Nanotechnologies, a startup company at UCLA, have used inkjet printing to fabricate the first fully printed carbon nanotube–based circuit for

Rice, Ben-Gurion universities show laser-induced graphene kills bacteria, resists biofouling Scientists at Rice University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have discovered that laser-induced graphene (LIG) is a highly effective anti-fouling material and, when electrified, bacteria zapper. LIG is a spongy version of graphene, the single-atom layer of carbon atoms. The Rice lab of chemist

The butterfly-wing compound catalyst produced hydrogen gas at more than twice the rate Butterfly wings may rank among the most delicate structures in nature, but they have given researchers powerful inspiration for new technology that doubles production of hydrogen gas — a green fuel of the future — from water and sunlight. The researchers presented

Stratospheric ozone depletion The stratospheric ozone layer in the atmosphere filters out ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. If this layer decreases, increasing amounts of UV radiation will reach ground level. This can cause a higher incidence of skin cancer in humans as well as damage to terrestrial and marine biological systems. The appearance of the Antarctic ozone

Two-dimensional (2D) materials—as thin as a single layer of atoms—have intrigued scientists with their flexibility, elasticity, and unique electronic properties since first being discovered in materials such as graphene in 2004. Some of these materials can be especially susceptible to changes in their material properties as they are stretched and pulled. Under applied strain, they

Superconductivity could have implications for creating technologies like ultra-efficient power grids and magnetically levitating vehicles Physicists at the University of Waterloo have led an international team that has come closer to understanding the mystery of how superconductivity, an exotic state that allows electricity to be conducted with practically zero resistance, occurs in certain materials. Physicists all

The new patch can quicken drug delivery time while cutting waste An assistant professor with the Virginia Tech – Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering has developed a flexible microneedle patch that allows drugs to be delivered directly and fully through the skin. The new patch can quicken drug delivery time while cutting waste, and

First walkable solar-paneled pathway in the world The George Washington University completed the first walkable solar-paneled pathway in the world this month on the Virginia Science and Technology Campus as a part of the sustainable Solar Walk project. The landscaped pedestrian sidewalk boasts a solar-powered trellis and 27 slip-resistant semi-transparent walkable panels with photovoltaic technology

Gardening can be physically-demanding work. Whether you’re weeding, planting or harvesting, almost every garden-related task seems to involve kneeling down and/or bending forward – definitely not so easy on the knees or the back. For commercial garden workers, however, help could be on the way. Two Australian inventors have come up with a product they