Design, Science and Technology

Researchers at the Dutch Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography (ARCNL) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), developed an advanced microscope capable of super-resolution microscopy trough an ultra-thin fiber. 

 

Up until now, it was generally the case that the higher the resolution of a microscope, the larger the device needed to be, making it virtually impossible to look inside the human body in real-time. Although some methods that enable researchers to look inside living animals already exist, their resolution is very limited, and it takes a long time to generate an acceptable image. 

 

With the use of smart signal processing, the researchers are able to beat the theoretical limits of resolution and speed. With this newly developed compact setup, scientists are finally able to, for example, look inside the brain in real-time and high resolution, using an ultra-thin fiber. Because the method does not require any unique fluorescent labeling, it is promising for both medical uses and characterization of 3D structures in nano-lithography! 

Via Dr. Stefan Gruenwald

If you aren't already reading this on your smartphone, take it out now. Imagine you and thousands of other people flinging your beloved gadgets into the depths of the nearest ocean. But rather than sinking to some watery demise, they swim off together like a school of electronic fish.

 

 

Via Dr. Stefan Gruenwald

Scientists have developed a human-friendly, ultra-flexible organic sensor powered by sunlight, which acts as a self-powered heart monitor. Previously, they developed a flexible photovoltaic cell that could be incorporated into textiles. In this study, they directly integrated a sensory device, called an organic electrochemical transistor -- a type of electronic device that can be used to measure a variety of biological functions -- into a flexible organic solar cell. Using it, they were then able to measure the heartbeats of rats and humans under bright light conditions.

 

Via Dr. Stefan Gruenwald

 

Magnetic reconnection is one of the prime drivers of space radiation and a key factor in the quest to learn more about our space environment and protect our spacecraft and astronauts. The effects of this sudden release of particles and energy - such as giant eruptions on the sun or radiation storms in near-Earth space - have been observed throughout the solar system and beyond.

 

Via Dr. Stefan Gruenwald