Energy storage membrane set to revolutionize rechargeable batteries

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This simple looking membrane could change the industry.

If you want a rechargeable battery in a power-hungry device today, the only real choice is a lithium-ion battery. They are heavy, quite large depending on how much charge you need, and volatile. They also have a high cost and limited life span.

A replacement for lithium-ion has long been sought after, and recently there have been some breakthroughs such as the jelly-like polymer battery. However, researchers at the National University of Singapore may have come up with the best solution yet in the form of an new energy storage membrane…

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12 Books that have (ironically) been banned in the U.S.

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September 24th through October 1st is Banned Books Week.

Talk about an easy subject to research! It might have been easier to write up a “books that have never been banned anywhere” list. The banning of books seems so ridiculous, simplistic, and stupid to most of us. But man, in all his Jeckyll and Hyde glory, will all-too-often, when trying to solve a problem, come up with a solution much worse. This is “the 29th annual Banned Books Week” The week is used to condemn censorship and “thought police.”

O.K., let’s take a look at a brief (in the scheme of these things) list of books that have been (ironically) banned here in the U.S….

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Two-faced baby born in Pakistan

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Two faces are not better than one.

Doctors at Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi have been trying to save a baby born with two faces, as he has been having breathing problems. They have been unable to feed the baby through the mouth, sources have said. The baby is the third child of a couple from Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Paediatric Ward Senior Registrar Dr Qaisar Aziz said that the new born baby has been shifted to the intensive care unit of the children’s ward and was being take good care of…

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The Visible Barbie Project

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Did you ever wonder?

The Visible Barbie Project is part of the Foundation for Unnatural Research’s long-range plan for advancing the state of human knowlege of things that no normal person would ever think to wonder about.

The project began with the acquisition of a suitable marked-down subject at a nearby toy store and ended approximately six hours later, not including the time required to pick out the bits of hair that got stuck in the bandsaw.

The cause of the subject’s markdown was unknown, but we didn’t care; all that mattered was that the gross physical anatomy of the body was intact…

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How to stop Facebook from tracking you across the Internet

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Get a hold on your privacy with Facebook Disconnect.

If you want to use Facebook, but don’t want Facebook’s tendrils extending all over the internet and following your account, you’ll want this. A product called Facebook Disconnect completely blocks the social network’s ability to track your account around the web…

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The purpose of bird-egg coloration

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Look at all the colors.

Want to see an enduring source of scientific dispute and perplexity? Go to your refrigerator, open a carton of eggs, and look at their speckles. Bird-egg coloration has been studied for more than a century. In a review in the Journal of Avian Biology, biologists Golo Maurer and Phillip Cassey present no fewer than seven possible explanations for eggshell color. Each focuses on how colors might shape an embryo’s fate by modulating sunlight hitting its shell…

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This fluid fly-by video shows astonishing view of Earth

This weekend NASA published an awesome time-lapse flyby of planet Earth taken from the International Space Station. Awesome, but jerky—until now. Someone interpolated the original frames to achieve this smooth as silk motion film. It’ll leave you stupefied…

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Shanghai Park’s Pavilions are wind-powered urban leisure spots

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Creative and functional artwork.

Wind-powered karaoke? Only in Shanghai would such a thing exist. These colourful pavilions were initially built as an art installation — one of many themed pavilions in a new waterfront park created for Shanghai’s 2010 World Expo — but now they have been torn down, except these Skittle-like structures. Currently, these neon-bright pavilions are utilized by city residents for leisure activities such as karaoke, games, picnics and music — all powered by the wind turbines spinning above each pavilion…

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Parkbud for iPhone: The beautifulest way to remember where you parked

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Parkbud for iPhone: The Beautifulest Way to Remember Where You Parked

Agh, where did I park my car again? Oh noes! Did I fill up the meter enough? Maaan, where can I even park? I know my forgetful self is always asking those questions over and over again but with Parkbud, I won’t ever have to again.

What’s it do?
Parkbud bills itself as a Car Locator and Parking app, which means it’ll help you remember where you parked your car. Just fire up the app and Parkbud will remember where your car is located through GPS with one click…

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Internet Archive adds its three millionth scanned book

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The Internet Archive’s Book Scanning project just added its three millionth text. Unlike Google Book Search, the Archive only scans public domain works, and, more significantly, places no restrictions on the scans’ usage. Another significant difference is the Archive’s privacy policy, which, unlike Google, promises not to release your personal information without a court order.

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Study: Energy efficiency of computers doubling every 18 months

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Computers are getting more efficient every day.

Those of us fighting the battle with computer batteries will appreciate this. Batteries have come a long way since the 1990s. For instance, if a MacBook Air were as efficient today as a 1991 computer, the battery would last for 2.5 seconds. In other words, it would be dead by the time you got to the end of this sentence. The Atlantic has the story. And it’s bound to fan the flames of the PC v. Mac wars.

Flames also would refer to how quickly some PC batteries seem to burn out, compared to their Mac counterparts. I know, PCs are getting better. Don’t get me wrong. But Macs have lead the battery longevity pack for some time…

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.