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Biomimicry News And Research - September 2010 Archives
 | A team led by a North Carolina State University researcher has shown that water-gel-based solar devices -- "artificial leaves" -- can act like solar cells to produce electricity. The findings prove the concept for making solar cells that more closely mimic nature. They also have the potential to be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than the current standard-bearer: silicon-based solar cells. ...> Full Article |
 | Geckos are masters at sticking to surfaces of all kinds and easily unsticking themselves. Inspired by these lizards, a team of engineers has developed a reversible adhesion method for printing electronics on a variety of tricky surfaces such as clothes, plastic and leather. Designed by researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the stamp easily can pick up electronic devices from a silicon surface and print them on a curved surface. ...> Full Article |
 | A research team has uncovered the chemical components of the adhesive produced by oysters, providing information that could be useful for fisheries, boating and medicine.A better understanding of oysters' ability to stick together to form complex reefs would help those trying to boost the dwindling oyster population, aid in the creation of materials to keep boat hulls clean without harming the environment, and bring researchers one step closer to creating wet-setting adhesives. ...> Full Article |
 | How well do flying fish fly? This is the question that puzzled Haecheon Choi from Seoul National University, Korea. Measuring aerodynamic forces on dried darkedged-wing flying fish in a wind tunnel, Choi and Hyungmin Park discovered that flying fish glide better than insects and as well as birds. The fish also derive an aerodynamic advantage from gliding close to the water's surface to cover distances as great as 400 meters. ...> Full Article |
Civil Engineering Professor Bill Yu has built a pair of sensors to provide real-time risk assessments of bridges during flooding -- the largest cause by far of bridge failure.
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Cloud computing user privacy in serious need of reform, scholars say
US forest management policy must evolve to meet bioenergy targets
Helmet crash tests: Don't hit the road without one
Building more sustainable aircraft
Never forget a face? Researchers find women have better memory recall than men
New quantum dot technique combines best of optical and electron microscopy
Magpies take decisions faster when humans look at them
Sibling aggression, often dismissed, linked to poor mental health
A robot that runs like a cat
Key protein is linked to circadian clocks, helps regulate metabolism
Whispering light hears liquids talk
Spanish researchers sequence the genome of global deep ocean
Research paints new picture of 'dinobird' feathers
A 20-minute bout of yoga stimulates brain function immediately after
A new approach for managing investment funds
Nanoparticle opens the door to clean-energy alternatives
Astronomers gear up to discover Earth-like planets
Scientists create novel silicon electrodes that improve lithium-ion batteries
Researchers discover 2-step mechanism of inner ear tip link regrowth
New archaeogenetic research refutes earlier findings
Research shows copper destroys norovirus
Borneo stalagmites provide new view of abrupt climate events over 100,000 years
Doctors should screen for frailty to prevent deaths
Peer pressure tests grade schoolers -- not just adolescents
New mathematical model links space-time theories
Do palm trees hold the key to immortality?
New strategy for fingerprint visualization developed at Hebrew University
Moth-inspired nanostructures take the color out of thin films
Robotic insects make first controlled flight
Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs
Insect-inspired camera captures wide field of view with no distortion, according to CU-Boulder study
Bed of needles
Not slippery when wet: Geckos adhere to surfaces submerged underwater
Cry me a river of possibility: Scientists design new adaptive material inspired by tears
Robot ants successfully mimic real colony behavior
Researchers unveil large robotic jellyfish that one day could patrol oceans