It’s called a ‘Moon Parka’, [downloaded from https://sp.spiber.jp/en/tnfsp/mp/] Adele Peters in her October 31, 2019 article for Fast Company describes the technology used to make this jacket, A typical waterproof winter jacket is made with nylon—a material that, like other plastics, is made from petroleum. But a new limited-edition jacket from The North Face Japan uses something called “brewed protein” instead. It’s a material inspired by spider silk that is fermented in giant vats, the…

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I long ago stumbled across the fascination that Jackson Pollock’s art work exerts over physicists but this work from Brown University adds some colours to the picture (wordplay intended). One: Number 31, 1950. Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956). 1950. Oil and enamel paint on canvas, 8′ 10″ x 17′ 5 5/8″ (269.5 x 530.8 cm) Courtesy: Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) [downloaded from: https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/jackson-pollock-one-number-31-1950-1950/] From an October 30, 2019 Brown University news release (also on EurekAlert),…

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Last week (specifically, Tuesday, March 3, 2020), someone moved away from me during a class. I’d sneezed. The irony of the situation is that of the two of us, with my lung issues I’d be the one most at risk of getting very ill and/or dying from COVID-19. ([1] Yes, I confirmed that was the reason she’d moved. [2] The therapeutic nanoparticles news item is coming later) Here are the risk factors to take into…

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This supremacy, refers to an engineering milestone and a October 23, 2019 news item on ScienceDaily announces the milestone has been reached, Researchers in UC [University of California] Santa Barbara/Google scientist John Martinis’ group have made good on their claim to quantum supremacy. Using 53 entangled quantum bits (“qubits”), their Sycamore computer has taken on — and solved — a problem considered intractable for classical computers.… An October 23, 2019 UC Santa Barbara news release…

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An October 9, 2019 news item on ScienceDaily provides some insight into the latest US Army research into robots, In an effort to make robots more effective and versatile teammates for Soldiers in combat, Army researchers are on a mission to understand the value of the molecular living functionality of muscle, and the fundamental mechanics that would need to be replicated in order to artificially achieve the capabilities arising from the proteins responsible for muscle…

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The FACTT 2020: FESTIVAL ART AND SCIENCE EXHIBITION is the third time (I believe) that the ArtSci Salon in Toronto has hosted this event. Marta de Menezes and a FACTT festival were mentioned for the first time here in a January 10, 2018 posting titled: CRISPR/Cas9 as a tool for artists (Art/sci Salon January 2018 events in Toronto, Canada) and an event in Winnipeg, Canada. Here’s more from the March 3, 2020 ArtSci Salon announcements…

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Should you be in London (UK) in mid May 2020, you might want to check out a special event, Sea Shambles, at the Royal Albert Hall. Here’s a bit of a preview, Here’s more about Sea Shambles on May 17, 2020 from the Cosmic Shambles Network event page, Due to popular demand we are BACK at the Royal Albert Hall with a brand new event. Our biggest and most spectacular show EVER!Following the success of…

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I was going to include event poster but I cannot figure out how to embed it here. For some reason the folks of the Vancouver Branch of Engineers and Geoscientists BC have made it difficult to do for someone as nontechnical as I am. So, here’s the plain version (from the Vancouver Public Library Event page for the Engineering & Geoscience Festival on March 7, 2020), EG-Fest: Engineering & Geoscience Festival Saturday, March 7, 2020…

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Caption: illustrative image for the University of Warwick research on ‘Flamenco dancing’ molecule could lead to better-protecting sunscreen created by Dr. Michael Horbury. Credit:: created by Dr Michael Horbury There are high hopes (more about why later) for a plant-based ‘flamenco dancing molecule’ and its inclusion in sunscreens as described in an October 18, 2019 University of Warwick press release (also on EurekAlert), A molecule that protects plants from overexposure to harmful sunlight thanks to…

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Caption: The virtual lab connecting Southampton, Zurich and Padova. Credit: University of Southampton A February 26, 2020 University of Southampton press release (also on EurekAlert) describes this work, Research on novel nanoelectronics devices led by the University of Southampton enabled brain neurons and artificial neurons to communicate with each other. This study has for the first time shown how three key emerging technologies can work together: brain-computer interfaces, artificial neural networks and advanced memory technologies…

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