Zhejiang University (ZJU)

Energy storage is crucial for taking full advantage of solar power, which otherwise suffers interruptions from cloudy skies and nightfall. In the past few years, concentrating solar power plants have begun producing additional electricity at night and during peak demand periods by using stored heat energy to propel a steam turbine. Current thermal energy storage

Has the potential to revolutionise diverse applications from smartphones and ultrafast broadband to anticancer drugs and computer chips Wonder material graphene could not only dominate the electronic market in the near future, it could also lead to a huge range of new markets and novel applications, a landmark University of Manchester paper claims. Writing in

Discovery could be key to treating brain and spinal cord injury A foray into plant biology led one researcher to discover that a natural molecule can repair axons, the thread-like projections that carry electrical signals between cells. Axonal damage is the major culprit underlying disability in conditions such as spinal cord injury and stroke. Andrew

MAPS technology may generate vaccines conferring strong immunity at reduced cost and risk A new method of vaccine design, called the Multiple Antigen Presentation System (MAPS), may result in vaccines that bring together the benefits of whole-cell and acellular or defined subunit vaccination. The method, pioneered by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, permits rapid construction

Image via Wikipedia When three Chinese scientists plunged to the bottom of the South China Sea in a tiny submarine early this summer, they did more than simply plant their nation’s flag on the dark seabed. The men, who descended more than two miles in a craft the size of a small truck, also signaled

The ubiquitous computer From HAL 9000 in Arthur C Clarke’s Space Odyssey science fiction saga to Eddie and Deep Thought from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, or even Dr. Theopolis from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, voice interaction with computers was very much the stuff of science fiction when I was growing up. These days,

ETH researchers led by Professor Martin Fussenegger have developed the first gene network to be operated via brainwaves. Depending on the user’s thoughts, it can produce various amounts of a desired molecule. The inspiration behind the project was a game that picks up brainwaves in order to guide a ball through an obstacle course. It

Image via Wikipedia Physicists Usher In Energy-Saving LED Lighting Thanks to advances in physics, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will soon move from traffic lights and electronics panels to home lighting, bringing dramatic energy savings, adjustable colors for ambiance, and light-shining furnishings. TROY, N.Y. — Do you know what your home will look like in the future?

A drug originally used to boost the immune system is showing promise as a potential new treatment for lupus, joint Monash University and Peking University research published today shows. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks the body’s own organs and tissues. An international team of scientists from Australia and China have,

Works with any make or model of smartphone One thing you can say about smartphones: their limitations have opened the door for all sorts of new inventions. Among those limitations are the facts that many phones lack a tripod mount, and require a model-specific cover/kickstand if you wish to prop them up. That’s where Adewale