Lifeboat Foundation

Ever left the house and immediately regretted your choice of pastel shirt? Well, a new colour-changing thread developed by researchers in the US could soon make that feeling a thing of the past — and could also open up the possibility of using our garments as tactile displays we wear on our bodies.

Not only could you switch from a black t-shirt to a green one, you could also change the logo on your top. We’re still a long way from that, but this new technology, called Ebb, is showing plenty of promise, and could eventually lead to brand new types of smart clothing.

The colour-shifting threads change their hues in response to electrical charges. It’s being developed as part of Google’s Project Jacquard — one of the company’s spin-off endeavours that’s looking into the potential of making our clothing touch-sensitive and interactive.

Continue reading “New ‘smart threads’ can change the colour of your clothes instantly” »

The Future of Elevators

More Videos by Alex Klokus.

Interesting approach.

Stump up for science.

Ido Bachelet, Shawn Douglas and George Church filed a patent in 2011 for DNA origami devices useful in the targeted delivery of biologically active entities to specific cell populations.

This is the patent for the DNA nanorobot for molecular precise delivery of treatments to cells. This has been covered several times by Nextbigfuture

Their DNA origami device comprises a scaffold strand and a plurality of staple strands, wherein:

Continue reading “Original Patent details on DNA Origami Molecular buckets which enables nanomedicine” »

Want to be IronMan, Captain America, Super Woman, X-Men Mutant, etc. Well, you maybe able to.

If watching “Captain America: Civil War” this weekend revives your childhood dreams of becoming a superhero, technology may be on your side to make it happen — but science is a little more discouraging.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a progressive thinning of heart muscle that commonly results in heart failure. DCM is a known secondary complication of conditions such as alcohol abuse and infection and is also an inherited disorder. However, the.

Science proving that Alpha males still capture their mates — glad to see how science has gone backwards.

Males who evolve in male-dominated populations become far better at securing females than those who grow up in monogamous populations, according to new research into the behaviour of fruit flies at the University of Sheffield.

The study, led by Dr Allan Debelle and Dr Rhonda Snook in the University’s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, looked at the mating patterns of fruit flies after they evolved for 100 generations in either polyandrous populations (where several males have to compete for a single female) and monogamous populations (where each male has access to only one female).

Continue reading “‘Super males’ emerge from male-dominated populations, study finds” »

New tech from Carnegie Mellon makes it much easier to play ‘Angry Birds’ on your wrist.

Smartwatches walk a fine line between functionality and fashion, but new SkinTrack technology from Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group makes the size of the screen a moot point. The SkinTrack system consists of a ring that emits a continuous high-frequency AC signal and a sensing wristband that goes under the watch. The wristband tracks the finger wearing the ring and senses whether the digit is hovering or actually making contact with your arm or hand, turning your skin into an extension of the touchscreen.

Continue reading “Navigate your smartwatch” »