Climate Change Slowing The Deep Ocean Currents

Neha Shukla

We recently covered an article explaining the vital role of the oceans in the global carbon cycle and the process in which oceans accumulate, transport and convert carbon molecules. But according to a recent research carried by Irina Marinov and Raffaele Bernardello from University of Pennsylvania and colleagues from McGill University, says that climate change is slowing down the deep ocean currents and can adversely influence the climate in the future. 

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Active Cancellation of Tremor to Combat Essential Tremor

Wa'd Abuzurayk

In another health technology breakthrough, scientists have successfully managed to design and manufacture a shake cancelling device. As essential tremor causing uncontrollable hand-shakes is a common disorder in older ages, scientists from the University of Michigan Health System conducted a study that evaluated a new device which cancels the effect of hand-shakes resulting from essential tremor. The device was developed by a team from the startup company Lift Labs. 15 adults living with essential tremor participated in a clinical trial to test the use of this spoon. Participants were better…

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New Computer Vision System: Emotion Recognition

Neha Shukla

Everyone, in some point or the other in life, must have faked of being in pain or being ill, to escape from going school, college, office or so on. We humans are not always correct to distinguish a fake emotion from the genuine one. Lately, researchers have developed a computer system that can easily distinguish when an individual is genuinely in pain or is just faking it away more accurately than the humans. 

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Scrabble-Playing Robot: Excited When Wins While Sulks on Losing

Neha Shukla

In the computer science lounge at Carnegie Mellon University, sits Victor, a scrabble playing robot. Unlike other robots who are designed to be the masters of the game, Victor is a below average player and just like humans, the bot is excited when it wins and sulk on losing. But be careful, the bot can be really nastier at times and can talk a lot of trash. 

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Protean Electric’s Gearless, Direct-Drive System: An In-Wheel Motor Concept

Pooja Kashyap

Protean Electric, an automotive start-up is paving way towards revolutionizing electric cars with its in-wheel motor design. Beijing roads will first experience this radical technology. Like the EcoMotors, Protean Electric’s preferred the East Asia since the government is very supportive towards technology that evangelizes fuel efficiency and air quality. In-Wheel Motor Concept Generally, central motor in an electric vehicle is under bonnet that transmits power down to the rotating shaft, which further sends torque to the axels. But in the Protean system, small motors, which is responsible for creating power, is…

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Microplasma Transistors for Smartphones and Nuclear Environment

Pooja Kashyap

Researchers at the University of Utah have created one of the most minuscule plasma transistors that can resist soaring temperatures and ionizing radiation that could be seen in a nuclear reactor. The engineers envision that such transistors would: 1) Facilitate taking and collecting X-rays in war zones by high-end cellular phones 2) Integrated within equipments to gauge air quality in the actual time 3) Plasma based bot could be sent into the nuclear reactor for certain assignments Like beavers, the transistors perform the most important work in the field of…

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Fidelity Can Be Seen In Owl Monkeys: Genetic Monogamy

Neha Shukla

Infidelity is very general trait to be observed in the animal kingdom. Maternal and paternal genetic tests have revealed that even the species that were considered to be faithful in their relationship, were often not loyal to each other. Merely about 10 percent of the species follow monogamy and are truly faithful to each other. However, according to a latest research led by University of Pennsylvania revealed that Azara’s owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are remarkably devoted and faithful to their mating partners. 

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Sea Serpents Can Remain Dehydrated for Months: Combating Climatic Changes

Neha Shukla

Sea snakes as the name suggest, spend their entire life in the ocean. Researchers have always been curious to know how do these snakes survive in seawater and what method did they employ to satisfy the quench for fresh water. According to a latest research, the sea snakes though surrounded by water, unfortunately, remains thirsty and dehydrated for months. 

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Space Based Solar Power: Photovoltaic Satellite System

Neha Shukla

Researchers are continually trying to improve the ways to capture solar energy more efficiently for powering industries, towns, remote villages and even for military purposes. Military needs lots of fuel for its operations. In fact, Pentagon oil consumption is one of the largest in the world and with the fuel price rise, the military is searching for other energy options. Therefore, in the United States Naval Research Laboratory, researchers are trying to tap solar energy directly from the space and send it to military base operating in far-flung remote villages. 

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Gamification is More Than Just Points & Badges: Lord of the Rings

Pooja Kashyap

Recently, I watched Lord of the Rings, second time of course but consciously with a different angle. This time, I translated Frodo Baggins journey in terms Gamification strategy. By introducing the gaming element in the movie, I discovered that the trilogy became all the more interesting and innovative so I thought of penning down my insights and if I’m wrong anywhere please free to rebut my point(s), I’d be of great help, thanks. Introduction to the world of Gamification: Task assigned Frodo Baggins is having a good time at his…

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Graphene Photodetectors Will Now Offer Thermal Vision

Pooja Kashyap

By harvesting the optical capabilities of graphene, researchers at the University of Michigan were able to create infrared contact lens morphed out of the carbon material. Graphene is merely 1-atom thick that makes its absorb nearly 2.3% of light that strikes it, which of course is extremely less especially for generating an electric potential and hence makes it far away from operating as an infrared sensor. Therefore, the researchers devised an innovative technique to resolve this issue. In place of gauging lost electrons by incoming light, they augmented the current…

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Humans Might Welcome The New Robot Overlords: An Obedience Study

Pooja Kashyap

How would it feel working under a ‘robo boss’, constantly pecking on top of the head, reminding the amount of work that is still left. Many would feel frustrated and might leave but there would be some, who might like to finish the task without questioning. In an interesting experiment, performed by the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, revealed the responses that were received by working under a robotic supervisor. Task that was assigned to humans was extremely monotonous which of course became boring…

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Planet X and Nemesis Myth Debunked: WISE Survey

Pooja Kashyap

In an attempt to find the reasons, which led to the wobbly effect of Uranus’s orbit, researchers discovered other planets like Neptune and Pluto but there was no Planet X anywhere. Similarly, the hunt for Sun like star, Nemesis, which they claim might have wiped out the age of dinosaurs completely, is still a far-fetched dream. It’s been an effort of more than two centuries and now the researchers want to draw line to reach a conclusion.  Kevin Luhman an astronomer at the University of Pennsylvania asserted that there are no such…

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10 Reasons Why I love Working at a Startup

Pooja Kashyap

I had been a part of a startup for almost seven years and in these seven years I never thought of joining any other venture neither did the work culture of any MNC attracted me. After taking a gap of 1 year, which also happens to be a sabbatical, I still have the same fresh feeling for startups as it was before, taking the leave that is. I guess being in the startup crew is something like being into a serious relationship and this is one of the main factor,…

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Nothing Dies in Ocean: The Biological Pump

Neha Shukla

Carbon-based molecules are the prime element of biological compounds and play a crucial part in supporting different life forms on earth. The carbon molecules are continuously exchanged among the different reservoirs of carbon present on the Earth. Recently, researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara, used images received from the satellite, to analyze the importance of oceans in the carbon exchange also known as the global carbon cycle. 

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