Tech

Tech

Protein Power: Solar cell produces electricity from spinach and bacterial proteins

Researchers have fabricated a solar cell that uses photosynthetic proteins to convert light into electricity.

Tech

Groovy Pictures: Extracting sound from images of old audio recordings

To preserve songs and words on antique vinyl records and wax cylinders, a new scanning technique maps their grooves, then simulates a stylus moving along those contours to extract high-quality sound.

Tech

Diagnostic gadget mixes and matches all in one

Researchers have fabricated a miniature diagnostic lab that can detect disease-linked genes in a small sample of whole blood.

Tech

Injectable Medibots: Programmable DNA could diagnose and treat cancer

Researchers have created a miniature DNA computer that can detect cancer genes in a test tube and respond by releasing a drug.

Tech

Super-repellent surface switches on and off

Nanotechnologists have created a remarkably effective liquid-repelling surface that can also become, at the flick of a switch, liquid-attracting.

Tech

Aircraft trick may give big rigs a gentle lift

Using sheet-like jets of air to control aerodynamic drag and lift—a technology first developed for aircraft—may boost gas mileage and improve braking and handling of tractor-trailer trucks.

Tech

Bacteria churn out new type of electronic paper

Researchers have developed a new way of making flexible electronic paper displays using cellulose derived from bacteria.

Tech

Reinventing the Yo-Yo

No longer simple toys, today's pricey yo-yos sport high-tech features—such as ball bearing transaxles and precision string-snagging mechanisms—that permit dazzling new styles and complex tricks.

Tech

Fluid lens flows into focus

By controlling a boundary between oil and water, researchers have created a liquid lens that can quickly alter its shape in response to electric signals.

Tech

Soaring at Hyperspeed: Long-sought technology finally propels a plane

For the first time, an airplane flew at hypersonic speed under power of a scramjet, an engine that operates at high velocities using oxygen from the atmosphere.

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Miniaturized 3-D Printing: New polymer ink writes tiny structures

A new 3-D printer can build up complex polymer microstructures with features small enough for creating photonic crystals or scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Tech

Golden waves make stretchy microcircuits

Microscale wires with stretchy, wiggly shapes may prove useful for sensors and other electronic gadgets embedded in pliable or elastic items such as clothing or living tissue.