Research News
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The environmental trade-offs of autonomous vehicles
Optimistic predictions expect reliable autonomous vehicles to be commercially available by 2030, at a time when mobility is undergoing a profound shift away from traditional modes of transportation and towards door-to-door services. Previous analysis suggested that public transport will lose market share to autonomous vehicles, but the environmental impact of changing transport use has hardly […]
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1º of global warming causes a ~50% increase in population displacement risk
A new study shows that if the population were fixed at current levels, the risk of population displacement due to river floods would rise by ~50% for each degree of global warming. However, if population increases are taken into account, the relative global flood displacement risk is significantly higher. The research, by an international team […]
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Flat brain organoids grown on 3D-printed scaffolds show intrinsic gyrification
Gyrification has been observed for the first time in brain organoids grown in vitro using 3D-printed scaffolds. The research, by an international team from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Technical University of Denmark, used 3D printing to create scaffolds for engineered flat brain organoids. The scaffolds allowed the brain organoid size to be […]
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Groundwater recharge rates mapped for Africa
Effective governance and investment decisions need to be informed by reliable data, not only about where groundwater exists, but also the rate at which groundwater is replenished. For the first time using ground measurements, a recent study has quantified groundwater recharge rates across the whole of Africa – averaged over a fifty-year period – which […]
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Are two phases of quarantine better than one?
New research into this question shows that the second wave of an epidemic is very different if a population has a homogenous distribution of contacts, compared to the scenario of subpopulations with diverse number of contacts. The research, by American authors from Oakland University, Novi High School, and California Polytechnic State University, used a simulation […]
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Study identifies first step to beating water scarcity
New research has revealed the locations and industries in the USA where efforts to improve water consumption would have the greatest benefit for economic activity and the environment. The study, led by researchers from Virginia Tech, used a spatially detailed database of water productivity to set realistic benchmarks for more than 400 industries and products. […]
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Ocean hitchhiker’s sucker mechanism offers potential for underwater adhesion
A new study has revealed how remora suckerfish detach themselves from the surfaces they’ve clung to – and how the mechanism could provide inspiration for future reversible underwater adhesion devices. The research, by an international, multidisciplinary team working across robotics, comparative biology, and electrical engineering, investigated the detachment mechanism of the remora’s suction disc, and […]
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New microrobot with in situ, in vivo bioprinting offers promise for gastric wound treatment
Researchers in China have taken the first step towards a new way of treating gastric wounds by using a microrobot combined with the new concept of “in situ in vivo bioprinting” to carry out tissue repair inside the body. Their study, published today in the IOP Publishing journal Biofabrication, establishes proof-of-concept for this new method […]
