Electrically

While hydroponic farms do allow a lot of crop plants to be grown in a relatively small space, they would certainly be a better alternative to traditional farms if those plants grew faster. That could soon be the case, thanks to the development of electrically conductive "eSoil."Although hydroponic farms don't use actual soil, they do utilize a cultivation substrate for the plants' roots to grow into. Mineral wool is frequently used for this purpose, although its production requires a great deal of energy, plus it doesn't…

The sill consisting of crash absorbers in the form of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) tubes and a buffer element with an auxetic polyurethane structure provides protection both for the passengers and for the energy source, namely the battery or hydrogen tank. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Manufacturing automobiles requires energy and resources on a large scale. Higher vehicle mileage could result in a significant…

Unlike the tissue in other parts of the body, such as the skin, the neuronal tissue in the brain doesn't regenerate after being damaged. It may one day be able to do so, however, with a little help from a new type of hydrogel.Developed by a team of scientists at Japan's Hokkaido University, the biocompatible polymer gel is made up of equal parts positively and negatively charged monomers. This combination was found to offer the best adhesion for cells.The scientists adjusted the ratio of crosslinker molecules in the…