Every 15 seconds, one child in the world dies due to contaminated water. This is because approximately 2.6 billion people lack sanitation.
To combat this issue, the revolutionary Peepoo bag was designed to provide people in developing countries with their own portable toilet. The Peepoo bag can be used sitting, squatting, or standing, and can be placed in a small bucket or simply held in your hand (a thin gauze prevents contamination). The bag is clean to handle and remains odor-free for at least 24 hours, making it possible to store in the immediate environment, as well as bury underground.
You’ve no doubt often used printers for school papers and reports. But can you imagine printing a three-dimensional object – something as complex as an action figure or a human heart? Soon such creation might be (almost) as simple as hitting Ctrl + P.
3D technology – from the new immersive animated movies to breakthrough medical imaging software – has been in the news a lot lately. So what about 3D printers? These remarkable devices, which possess the ability to print a three-dimensional object, have actually been around since the 1980s, aiding countless engineers and designers. But only recently have they become much faster, smaller, and more affordable.
Turns out pirates might have had it right all along – a new wood-based synthetic bone could be the modern day answer to the peg leg. This extraordinary material was made when Italian scientists heated rattan wood and mixed it with calcium and phosphate, and is so realistic that, when implanted, human bones will actually fuse with it over time.
Forget about rubber duckies – showers will be way more entertaining if you can get your hands on these color-changing tiles from Inventables. Similar to mood rings (remember those?), this temperature-sensitive glass shifts colors depending on the ambient temperature and when it comes into contact with warm or cold water (or body heat).
How would you like to turn your notebook paper into an instant battery? Now, thanks to researchers at Stanford, with a little carbon nanotube ink such a thing might be possible. Not only does the specially coated paper last longer and conduct electricity more efficiently than traditional lithium batteries, but it even works after being crumpled into a ball and soaked in acidic solutions.
Watch above as Yi Cui, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, explains his creation. [Stanford News]
