The fin whale is the second-largest animal ever to live on Earth. It is also, paradoxically, one of the least understood. The animal’s huge size and global range make its movements and behavior hard to study. A carcass that washed up on a Seattle-area beach this spring provided a reminder that sleek fin whales, nicknamed […]
Automotive/Transportation
Printing Guns
Somebody was going to do it sooner or later. And we have Cody Wilson, a law student at the University of Texas at Austin, to thank for the fact that, when it was finally done for the first time, the news media learned about it right away. All the same, now that somebody has used […]
Cadillac Recalling SUVs to Fix Wheel Nuts
China’s product safety agency says General Motors Co.’s main Chinese joint venture is recalling Cadillac SUVs to correct a problem with nuts that hold their wheels in place. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said Friday that Shanghai GM will recall 2,653 imported Cadillac SRXs. The agency said torque might cause nuts […]
Cambridge Nanotherm Establishes First Step Towards Mass Manufacturing
Electronics thermal management innovator Cambridge Nanotherm is to build its first prototype manufacturing plant in Haverhill, UK following the award of £250,000 in matched funding from the UK Innovation Agency – Technology Strategy Board (TSB). Cambridge Nanotherm, the winner of the 2011 UK Clean Tech Open Competition, has developed and patented a unique nanoceramic-aluminum substrate […]
Solutions for Energy-Efficient Repairs in Moscow
There are many old and decrepit residential buildings in Moscow in need of refurbishment. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed three repair concepts for improv-ing the energy efficiency of both buildings and entire residential districts while also reducing their environmental impact. Calculations show that it would be possible to reduce heat-ing demand in […]
Friction in the Nano-World
Whether in vehicle transmissions, hip replacements, or tiny sensors for triggering airbags: The respective components must slide against each other with minimum friction to prevent loss of energy and material wear. Investigating the friction behavior of nanosystems, scientists from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have discovered a previously unknown type of friction that sheds new […]
Ultraresponsive Magnetic Nanoscavengers Could Usher In Next Generation Water Purification
New synthetic nanoparticle could disinfect, depollute, and desalinate contaminated water and then get removed magnetically. Among its many talents, silver is an antibiotic. Titanium dioxide is known to glom on to certain heavy metals and pollutants. Yet other materials do the same for salt. In recent years, environmental engineers have sought to disinfect, depollute, and […]
Ex-BP Engineer Claims Feds Withheld Evidence
A former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company’s response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico claims that Justice Department prosecutors withheld evidence and should be sanctioned. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. didn’t immediately rule Tuesday on whether sanctions are warranted after one of Kurt Mix’s lawyers […]
High-Tech Pushes for More in Immigration Bill
High-tech companies looking to bring more skilled workers to the U.S. pushed Monday for more concessions in an immigration bill pending in the Senate. Labor unions said the Silicon Valley had already gotten enough in the legislation and further changes risked chipping away at protections for U.S. workers. The clash is set to play out […]
Environmentalists Praise Fed Ruling on Nuclear Plant Restart
A federal panel Monday sided with environmentalists who have called for lengthy hearings on a plan to restart the ailing San Onofre nuclear power plant — a decision that further clouds the future of the twin reactors. The plant between San Diego and Los Angeles hasn’t produced electricity since January 2012, after a small radiation […]