Month: August 2014

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Pooja Kashyap

Epigraph on the book claims Jane Eyre to be the romantic novel of the times but I’d like to add, its more than that, it is a web of complex emotions and thoughts being felt and expressed by the protagonist right from the age of nine till the age of twenty. All the ideas and the corresponding events are presented in rhetorical manner, which keeps the reader hooked on with the scenes throughout the novel. The beautiful and though provoking maxims here and there leaves a profound impact into the…

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Photonic Circuits to replace Electronic Circuits: New Quantum Technology

Pooja Kashyap

Photonic circuits would soon be replacing electronic circuits in the near future of quantum circuits. Since a decade, researchers across the globe were working towards developing quantum circuits but circuits based on light had its limitations however, researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen have been successful in bringing about the probability.

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Waste Tire Rubber to replace Graphite Anodes: Battery Technology

Pooja Kashyap

Shredded scrap car tires have already find their way by means of recycling into the field of construction, floor mats, shoe soles and rubberized asphalt road material. Now, they would be morphing into another innovative role by becoming an integral part of hybrid and electric cars. Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are trying to resurrect life from the discarded used tires in form of carbon material that would be used for lithium-ion battery anodes. Conventionally graphite, a natural carbon material, is the basic building block for lithium anodes.

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Supersonic Submarine glides from Shanghai to San Francisco in 100 minutes: Supercavitation Technology

Pooja Kashyap

Researchers at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China are attempting to create a supersonic submarine, which they envision would cruise through transatlantic underwater in not more than two hours. Li Fengchen one of the lead researchers claimed that they are developing an air bubble that would assist in gliding at very high speeds underwater. One of the main problems with conventional submarines is the friction produced by water, which is far more than flying through air, and so the force renders the machine incapable of peddling at high speed. Supercavitation…

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Microfluidic Device for self-monitoring of Intraocular Pressure: New Eye Sensor

Pooja Kashyap

In order to measure the intraocular pressure, eye surgeons use puff test, however, the non-contact tonometer does not always give accurate results, and this has always remain a major huddle in solving the real problem. Now, the time is not far when the eye doctors would be able to gauge the problem in real time and giving effective treatment for blindness-causing glaucoma. Researchers from the Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel and from Stanford University, US have developed an innovative lens- mounted microfluidic sensor.

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10 Autotech Bane or Boon Innovations: Living Next to Supertech Cars

Pooja Kashyap

Owning and driving a super tech car is what all autotech aficionados aspire for. Keeping in mind the tremendous development in the automobile technology, the driving experience has transformed significantly. But the question is that whether this development is towards a betterment or is there something else hidden beneath the thrill. In an attempt to answer this, we have compiled a list of ten such tech developments that we need to think whether they are bane or boon, so here we go,

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Microscopic Organism controls Human Mind: Manipulative Microbes

Neha Shukla

Lack of strong willpower in us is to be blamed for not able to follow a strict diet and an exercise regime regularly. Along with this, a bacterium that resides in our gut too is responsible for not performing the action on regular basis. According to a new research, bacteria residing in our gut also play a significant role in altering our appetite and mood, making us succumb to consume as per their requirement and slowly leading us towards obesity and other diseases. 

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Surely you’re joking, Mr Feynman by Richard Feynman

Pooja Kashyap

Ninety percent of the book talks about mathematics and physics but that is what Mr. Feynman, the top-notch scientist was famous for. The li’l tit-bits of his life are beautifully crafted along with his sense of humor. His love and attitude towards life was quite contagious especially to those who crossed the paths all through his life. The book will make anybody laugh and would have wished, like me, to meet such persona once a lifetime. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman acknowledges the fact that Richard Feynman was known to…

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Book Review: Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr Brian Weiss

Pooja Kashyap

The book is quite a fascinating read, it got me hooked from the beginning till the end. It talks about reincarnation, the theme was depicted in Cloud Atlas as well but the concept of ‘debt’ is quite an innovation. The Bhagavad Gita, a 700-verse Hindu scripture is also known for the same concept. The book, Many Lives, Many Masters talks about 12 past lives of the 86 total lives. It is interesting to see how a skeptic research scholar is drawn towards spirituality and instead of focusing on giving more…

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SaviOne the Butler Bot: Service Robot for Hospitality Industry

Neha Shukla

Last year we talked about James, the new Barman and now we would be witnessing a robot butler developed by Savioke (pronounced “savvy oak”) entering the hospitality industry to maximize customers’ experience. As of August 20, Savioke’s first delivery robot (Botlr) nicknamed as A.L.O by the hotel, will be seen operating in hotel Aloft in Cupertino, California. In its pilot program, ROS powered autonomous robot, Botlr will be assisting hotel staff in delivering amenities such as mobile charger, towels, brush or even snacks, to the guest’s room and thus saving…

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Bacteria-powered Sensor to detect Water Contamination: On-site Analysis

Neha Shukla

Impurity free water is of utmost importance for human survival. Unfortunately, millions of people still lack access to safe drinking water. Every year, people in huge numbers die suffering from water borne diseases. Recently, a low cost device has been developed by scientists that can be used in developing nations for monitoring water quality in real time, thus, skipping the requirement of any expensive lab equipments. The traditional processes of monitoring pollutants in drinking water were time taking, costly and involved specialist technical expertise.

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Exerting Control on Floating Object: Water Tractor Beam

Pooja Kashyap

With the use of simple wave generators, experts at the Australian National University, Canberra have demonstrated the idea of manipulating floating object in water. The same approach has also helped them in moving the object against the course of the waves. In order to display the phenomenon, the team placed a ping-pong ball in a tank containing water. Then three-dimensional waves were produced which in turn created patterns on the water surface and consequently, the ball stayed in one position or move towards or receded away from the wave generator…

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Carbon Dioxide ‘Sponge’ to reduce Greenhouse Gases: Zero-emission Technology

Neha Shukla

To control global warming and its severe effects, not just environmentalists around the globe, but President Obama too plans to achieve a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. The American Chemical Society (ACS) during its 248th National Meeting & Exposition came up with a solution for this worldwide problem. Employing relative of plastic used in manufacturing food containers, they have achieved to create a sponge like plastic, which has a higher efficiency of absorbing carbon dioxide. Researchers now hope that the new material might help in transitioning…

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Efficient LCD Designs with Super-Fast Pixels: Sequential Display

Pooja Kashyap

Generally, display is the only feature that eats up nearly 45 to 70 percent of the total energy in portable electronics. In order to combat this issue, Light Polymers, South San Francisco based startup have come up with a new type of liquid crystal display (LCD) called the sequential display, it has an ability to switch quickly relatively hence giving brighter screens to smartphones and lasting them longer on charge.

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Book Review: The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

Pooja Kashyap

Selfish Gene is quite a fascinating book and I liked the way Richard Dawkins introduced the metaphors and analogies. Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist and author. Most importantly he is a science educator. And one of the finest science writers so far. The book, Selfish Gene happens to be my first read from Dawkins works. In this he advocates gene as the principal unit of selection in evolution. Right from the starting, this book got me hooked. All his logics seem to fall at the right places. The…

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