Cyborg Beetles powered by a wing and a piezoelectric prayer

beetle-generatorrrr

Remember this day, friends. Remember when the cyborg beetles early first took flight in our labs and flew right into their world domination destiny. Look! Even now one of the brood is stealing a quarter, no doubt for financing purposes.

But total world domination won’t happen just yet. First, their human scientist handlers must perfect the way that the tiny piezolectric generators implanted on their backs create energy using nothing but the insect’s own wing flaps.

How’s it going so far? Pretty good for the beetles, reports Discover…

Continue reading… “Cyborg Beetles powered by a wing and a piezoelectric prayer”

Artificial skin spun from spider silk

golden-spider-on-web

Spider silk could be an ideal answer for helping heal wounds.

Researchers may have found a better alternative for providing skin grafts to wounds.  It turns out that spider silk is legendary for its strength, as well as its possible healing properties. Tissue engineer Hanna Wendt at Medical School Hannover in Germany honed in on this and found that by creating an artificial skin spun from spider silk, we could have an ideal answer for helping heal wounds.

U.S. military developing miniature drones that resemble birds and insects

drones 1

Researcher Dr Gregory Parker holds a small, winged drone that resembles an insect.

The U.S. military is developing these. innocent-looking devices that are actually some of the most sophisticated drones on the planet.   They resemble children’s toys that are left disgarded in closets around the world.  (Pics and video)

 

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World’s Loudest Animal is a tiny insect, says study

tiny-water-boatman

Loud things can come in small packages.

While normally a species measuring in at only around 2 millimeters in length might be easily overlooked, one tiny freshwater-dwelling critter has found a way to turn peoples’ heads. Researchers studying ‘water boatman’ (Micronecta scholtzi), an aquatic insect native to Europe, say that the minuscule species takes the mantle as the world’s loudest animal relative to its body size. The hard-to-see insect is capable of producing a song that reaches a whopping 99.2 decibles — roughly the equivalent to the sound of a motorcycle. What may be more surprising, however, is just how water boatman make their ‘song’.

Continue reading… “World’s Loudest Animal is a tiny insect, says study”

‘Laughing’ cicadas among 75 new species discovered

laughing insect

Experts say a new species of ‘laughing’ cicada abounds in the mountains of Batangas.

Laughing cicadas and small “cat sharks” are among scores of species believed new to science discovered by US and Filipino researchers in waters and islands of the Philippines, the team said Wednesday.

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Explosives and Pesticides Can be Detected by Using Bee Venom

bee-on-cloth

MIT scientists discover that bee venom can detect explosives and some pesticides.

Scientists from MIT have discovered that by coating carbon nanotubes in bee venom, they can create ultra-sensitive detectors for explosives such as TNT, as well as at least two different types of pesticides. This means that bees and their stingers could become important to making better environmental sensors.

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.