Cameras will be placed at three different heights on six different sides of the building to capture real-time images of the surroundings; three other sections, each filled with 500 rows of LED screens, will project the individual digital images.

Through digital processing, images will be scaled, rotated and merged to create a seamless panoramic image that appears on the LED rows to create the illusion of invisibility.

In essence, whatever … Read More → "South Korea building world’s first ‘invisible’ skyscraper"

Gears are a potent symbol of human industry, a sign of mechanical wonder or a cold assembly line. If you had to pick something to stand against the natural world, they’d be a pretty likely pick — except that as it turns out, insects discovered them first. In a paper published today in Science, Malcolm Burrows and Gregory Sutton … Read More → "The first-ever naturally occurring gears are found on an insect’s legs"

This is incredible. Scientists have found an underground water reserve in Kenya so large that it could meet the entire country’s water needs for the next 70 years. Using satellite, radar and geological technology, scientists found an aquifer—an underground layer of water-bearing material—that contains 200 billion cubic meters of fresh water.
via Gizmodo

Read More → "Scientists have found a huge underground water reserve in Kenya"

Can pairing man with machine help prevent common industrial workplace injuries? A number of research institutions across Europe seem to think so. They’ve banded together to help further development of Robo-mate, an exoskeleton that some experts claim could be a viable aid to factory employees within just three years. According to BBC News, the project — which … Read More → "Robo-mate exoskeleton could eliminate threat of injury for industrial workers"

Martin an his team have created the Nymi, a plastic wristband that is aiming to be the common thread that connects your identity to the smart devices of the future. Born out of research done at the University of Toronto, the device uses a biometric sensor to authenticate identity through a person’s unique electrocardiogram. Which is a fancy way of saying, the pattern of your heartbeat could be your new set of … Read More → "This little wristband will replace your passwords with your heartbeat"

A new form of carbon, dubbed carbyne, is stronger and stiffer than any known material. In fact, carbyne is about two times stronger than graphene and carbon nanotubes, which until now were the strongest materials by some margin. Carbyne has a long list of unusual and highly desirable properties that make it an interesting material for a wide range of applications, from nanoelectronic/spintronic devices to hydrogen storage to higher-density batteries.
via < … Read More → "Carbyne: A new form of carbon that’s stronger than graphene"

Setting up house is always a pain and when that house is on Mars, it’s a logistical nightmare. To make things a bit easier, Dmitry Zhuikov, Arina Ageeva, and Krassimir Krastev of ZA Architects in Germany have come up with a concept architecture for future Mars colonies, built underground by robots before the colonists arrive.
via Gizmag

</ … Read More → "ZA architects designs buildings for Mars"

Researchers at UC Irvine have created a new camouflage coating inspired by the pencil squid that is invisible to infrared cameras. The university developed the coating with military applications in mind — a tool to hide from enemies. Alon Gorodetsky, an assistant professor at Irvine who led the effort to project, says in a statement that since what his team has made is a … Read More → "New camouflage coating uses squid protein to become invisible to infrared, night vision"

… Read More → "Nerdy 30-minute documentary on the Apollo guidance computer used for moon landings"

Look out MakerBot, there’s a new 3D scanner on the block and it’s about 10% of the cost of the Digitizer. Enter the Rubicon 3D Scanner which just hit Indiegogo, a device much closer to being worth its price $199.

Just like the pricey Makerbot Digitizer it’s a very simple design made up of a webcam, two laser lines, and a stepper motor controlled turn table. Still very easy … Read More → "Rubicon gives the Makerbot Digitizer a run for its money"