The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held their annual meeting this week, and naturally a lot of very interesting stories and research results were unveiled:
- Turning paper and clothing into batteries – By coating fabric and paper with ink “laced” with carbon nanotubes, researchers were able to coax these ordinary materials into storing energy that may one day be used to charge gadgets or lead to new, flexible displays.
- Exploring dolphins’ diabetes “off switch” – Dolphins have the ability to “switch off” insulin resistance, and researchers hope to probe the human genome to determine if humans might have the same ability.
- Scientists discuss geoengineering possibilities as solution for climate change – “If we can heat the planet, can we also cool it?”
- Advancements in cryonics – Chief Operating Officer of American Cryonics Society says, “For a little over $28,000, we can give you age suspension.”
- How nanotechnology could help the Middle East – A strong commitment to Arab scientists could mean nanotechnology advances in areas such as water treatment and solar energy.
- Software could understand what humans write – Emerging technologies being developed at Stanford could help computers better comprehend information online, leading to better indexing of information and effectiveness of search engines.