Enlarge / Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a soft and stretchable device that converts movement into electricity. The device works in wet or dry environments and has a host of potential applications. (credit: Veenasri Vallem) Scientists at North Carolina State University have developed a flexible, stretchy energy-harvesting device solely out of biocompatible […]
Enlarge / Researchers tested medieval gunpowder recipes in this replica of an early 15th-century stone-throwing cannon. (credit: T.S. Ritchie et al., ACS Omega 2021) Gunpowder—as opposed to modern smokeless powder—isn’t used much these days in current weaponry, although it’s still useful for historical weapons and remains popular for fireworks and other pyrotechnics. An interdisciplinary team […]
A new wearable device turns the touch of a finger into a source of power for small electronics and sensors. (video link) Wearables are so hot right now, with consumers scooping up more than 100 million units of smartwatches, fitness trackers, augmented reality glasses, and similar tech in the first quarter of 2021 alone. Sales […]
Enlarge / In a new version of the classic 19th century thought experiment, Maxwell’s demon plays the role of a gambler who knows when to quit while it’s ahead. (credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty Images) Entropy (aka the second law of thermodynamics) is a harsh mistress. If you think of the universe as a cosmic casino, the […]