Products powered by lithium-ion batteries (like electric vehicles) are in high-demand, but sourcing and mining the element requires unsustainable amounts of water and energy. On top of that, it’s a scarce resource and acquiring it can be dangerous. To find an alternative, engineers from the University of Maryland created a battery using crabs whose exoskeletons are rich in useful chemicals like chitin, a natural polymer …
A live performance—especially when it’s an arena-scale show—can over-deliver on audience enthusiasm but fall short on sound design. In fact, most people who frequent concerts have experienced disappointing audio delivery regardless of venue size. This doesn’t have much to do with the performer or even the engineers; a lot of the time, it’s simply the system. To deliver album-quality sound at live events, both intimate …
In a remarkable development for space exploration, NASA’s MOXIE—aka Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment—has successfully converted Martian air (which is predominately carbon dioxide) into oxygen. For now, it generates enough gas to sustain a small dog but the hope is to provide enough for humans and aid in the creation of rocket fuel. The machine is situated within the Perseverance rover and shaped like …
