Important Innovations Collection

Is It an Extremely Powerful Black Hole or a New Planet? Celestial Mystery on Edge of Solar System The space phenomena on the outer edges of the solar system is known as Planet X, Planet 9 and Planet Next.  And, global astronomers are baffled by it.  They are not even sure that it's a planet.  Some scientists speculate it's a grapefruit-sized extremely condensed and powerful Black hole.  It's gravitational pull is so strong that it's also called the Big Perturber.  Among the global astronomy community, opinion is divided.  Some believe it is the new Planet X that is 5 to 10 times more massive than the Earth.  Others think it is a powerful, extremely packed Black Hole with all of its explosive energy and mass inside a ball the size of a grapefruit.  Quite a difference of scientific space speculation! Audible Gift Memberships Tech to Determine by Late 2023 A powerful new piece of technology. the highly anticipated Vera C. Rubin Observatory ...

Microrobots with Controlled Flight Source:  Harvard University Search & Rescue Missions Harvard's RoboBees are the first microbots powered by soft actuators to achieve controlled flight. They have soft artificial muscles that enable them to survive crashes and collisions making them perfect for search and rescue missions in dangerous, cluttered environments. The robobees are so sturdy, dexterous and resilient they can even crash into a wall or collide with another robobee without any damage. Hoverbots The tiny robots are equipped with actuators made from dielectric elastomers that deform when hit with an electrical current.  The actuators are soft and the Harvard team says they're easily assembled and scaled up.  Unlike other drones made with soft actuators, the robobees have enough power density to hover in place. Going for Commercialization The Harvard team has created a number of models including one with 8 wings and 4 actuators that can do contr...

Tunabot - Fast as Tuna, Next G Underwater Vehicle Propulsion Source:  University of Virginia Prototype for Next G Underwater Vehicle Propulsion The tuna is one of the fastest fish in the sea.  A mechanical engineering team from University of Virginia in collaboration with biologists from Harvard University have invented a robofish that can swim as fast as a yellowfin tuna.  The team says it's not about the robot.  It's about inventing a new, faster and more efficient underwater propulsion system for manned and unmanned underwater vehicles. Physics of Fish Propulsion At Harvard and UVA, Tunabot is tethered in a large flow tank with a green laser to measure fluid motion as it swims.  Yellowfin tuna grow to 7 feet.  The Tunabot is 10 inches long.  The purpose of this research is to better understand the physics of fish propulsion to develop the next generation of underwater vehicles with fish like propulsion system.  The team s...

Breakthrough Harvard University Research Source: Stock image of DNA Salamanders, Geicos, Worms DNA Harvard scientists started with a simple question:  if some animals can regenerate parts of their bodies and even whole-body regeneration, why can't I?  The findings from their innovative research are astounding.  They've uncovered a number of DNA switches that appear to control genes used in whole body regeneration.  Their research is documented in the journal Science. 3 Banded Panther Worms Examples of body regeneration,  such as restoration of a severed leg or tail, in the animal kingdom include salamanders, geicos and worms.  The team used 3 banded panther worms that can regenerate.  Their findings:  a section of non-coding DNA controls the activation of a "master control gene" called early growth response or EGR.  The EGR controls a number of other processes by switching genes on and off. Tip of the Iceberg The team says the...

Pill Microneedle Source:  MIT Radically New Technology Delivers Insulin Harvard, MIT and insulin manufacturer Novo Nordisk have invented a pill that attaches to the stomach to deliver insulin.  For many with Type One diabetes, this could become an attractive alternative to daily injections of insulin by needles. The new capsule is being hailed by global experts as a "radically new technology". The capsule is the size of a blueberry. Innovative Treatment The  capsule contains a microneedle made of freeze dried insulin.  It also contains a tiny stainless steel spring that's held in place by a disc of sugar.  The sugar dissolves in the stomach, releasing the spring.  The spring pushes the microneedle into the stomach lining.  The insulin dissolves into the stomach at a consistent rate.  The research team's tests in pigs have proved the capsule to be as effective as daily insulin injections. More Therapies The researchers believe the cap...

Adding Calcium Carbonate to the Skies to Fight Global Warming Source:  1991 US Govt. Photo of Mt. Pinatubo Erupting Harvard University Research Harvard researchers have a unique& innovative remedy to stall Global Warming.  Add calcium carbonate to the atmosphere. Calcium carbonate is used in antacids. They believe it could cool the planet and help to slow Climate Change.  The concept is based on the impact of volcanic eruptions on the atmosphere. Modeled on Volcanos Erupting The idea is to block sunlight or deflect it from the earth's surface.  It's based on what happens from volcanic eruptions.  The volcanos spew sulfur particles into the atmosphere and the particles cause sudden, though temporary, changes to the global climate.  An example cited by the Harvard researchers is the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines.  That event caused temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere to drop 0.6 degrees Celsius. In-Atmosphere Test...