Creating Computers Out of Mushrooms Researchers at the Unconventional Computing Laboratory are exploring the potential to build computers out of living systems in order to create more complex machines. Current technology operates in binaries despite the fact that much of the world is more multidimensional. In comparison, computers potentially made from fungi—with its intricate, branching structure—could offer a new way of processing information. To create …
Scientists from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have discovered an enzyme called Huc converts air into electrical energy. With the potential to create limitless clean energy, the enzyme (which is found in common soil bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis) consumes hydrogen in the air and turns it into electrical currents. The process is efficient and stable, and Huc can be grown in large quantities, making it a …
Transforming Renewable Grass Into Building Materials To innovate in the fight against climate change, the startup Plantd devised a method of turning a fast-growing perennial grass into a building material that is stronger, lighter and more moisture-resistant than traditional panels—while maintaining the same price. The company works with local farmers near Durham, North Carolina to grow the renewable grass which is adept at capturing carbon. …
