When folks zip down icy, snow-covered mountains at warp speed, it’s only natural that some (OK, most) of those people are going to take a fall. That’s why skiing and snowboarding, while fun, can also be pretty dangerous. Students at Northeastern University aim to make winter sports safer through a new helmet that protects wearers’ heads and monitors injuries.

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Post tags: Design for Health, Head Impact Detection and Alert System, helmet detects head injuries, LCD, Northeastern, Sinan Muftu, ski helmet, skiing, snowboarding

Humans are pretty temperature-sensitive creatures, which means we use a ton of power every year through heating and air-conditioning systems. But imagine if there were a way to save the summer’s hot air and use it to heat buildings throughout the winter. Sounds like science fiction, right? Well one Swiss University has a plan to make that dream a reality with their campus, Science City.

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Post tags: anergy, cooling systems, eco design, Gehrard Schmitt, green design, heat exchanger, heating systems, Honggerberg Campus, Science City, sustainable design

For some people, staying healthy could require getting some ink. Researchers at MIT recently created a new type of tattoo designed for folks living with diabetes. Once injected, the nanoparticle ink can consistently measure glucose levels in the bloodstream, alerting patients if their blood sugar levels fall outside the normal range.

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Post tags: diabetes, glucose, MIT, nano-ink, popular science, tattoo, tattoo monitors glucose

Photo courtesy of Physorg

A new electric concept vehicle puts race cars to shame. Spain’s Tecnalia Technological Corporation recently unveiled the Dynacar, an electric car than can go from zero to 87 miles per hour in a mere 10 seconds. The car made its first appearance last week at Madrid’s International Eco Friendly Vehicle & Sustainable Mobility Show.

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Post tags: concept car, Dynacar, Eco Friendly Vehicle and Sustainable Mobility Show, electric vehicle, EVs, fast electric vehicles, Tecnalia Technological Corporation

It’s amazing how far cell phones have come in just the last couple years – and the tech is about to get a lot more innovative. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego are creating tiny, silicon chips that can detect toxins. Scientists hope to eventually embed the sensors in cell phones so they can map chemicals’ locations, alert emergency responders and, most importantly, save lives.

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Post tags: carbon monoxide detector, cell phone sensors, chemical detectors, chemical detectors in cell phones, chemical sensors, Michael Sailor, Rhevision Technology, silicon chip, UC San Diego

After its containment cap filled with ice-like crystals and failed to stop the flow of oil, BP has been scrambling to come up with new solutions to the Deepwater Horizon leak. And we hope they find a remedy soon–the damaged oil rig spews more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day! On the table now are strategies involving a “top hat” and a tube.

Read the rest of BP Considers Tube, Top Hat to Stop Deepwater Horizon Leak

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Post tags: blowout preventer, BP, containment cap, deepwater horizon, fix Deepwater Horizon, gulf of mexico, oil spill, top hat, tube to fix oil spill leak

Right now, most semiconductor chips (those tiny pieces that are crucial to computers and electrical circuits) are crafted from silicon, a relatively expensive material. But what if we told you that these teensy, crucial cogs could be made from a material that lives within the human body? Researchers at Duke University are designing logic chips from self-assembling DNA. The team hopes the process will provide a cheap, easy method of making chips, eventually eliminating the need for silicon semiconductor chips altogether.

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Post tags: Chris Dwyer, computer chips, DNA, DNA logic chip, DNA logic circuit, DNA-based chips, Duke University, logic chips, silicon chips, silicon semiconductor

Just think about all the plastic people use every single day–bottles, Tupperware, packaging–the list goes on and on. Now imagine if all that plastic were diverted from the recycling plant or landfill and used to create clean, renewable energy. That’s exactly the vision that prompted Yiannis Levendis and his team of Northeastern University students to create their new, double-tank waste combustor. The combustor prototype converts plastic waste into energy without creating harmful emissions.

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Post tags: converting plastic to fuel, making energy from plastic, Northeastern University, plastic to energy, plastic waste combustor, pyrolysis, renewable energy, waste combustor, Yiannis Levendis

It’s one failure after the next for oil giant BP. The corporation’s latest attempt to stop oil from spilling out of the Deepwater Horizon well fell short. This weekend, BP attempted to place a four-story containment box over the well, which would then siphon up to 85 percent of the oil. However, icelike hydrates common at such ocean depths clogged the box’s opening, preventing oil siphoning. Now, BP is scrambling to find another option to control the damage.

Read the rest of BP Considers Other Options After Oil Containment Cap Fails

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Post tags: BP, deepwater horizon, deepwater horizon oil spill, Gulf oil spill, how to stop oil spill, icelike hydrates and oil containment cap, oil containment cap, oil containment dome, oil spill, stop oil spill

Turns out good things really do come in small packages. Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently unveiled a three-inch device that can detect up to 3,000 different types of viruses and bacteria in just 24 hours. The bio-detector, dubbed the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA), could have huge implications for biological and chemical attacks, food and pharmaceutical safety and diagnosing medical problems.

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Post tags: antiterrorism, bacteria detectors, bio-detectors, Design for Health, device detects viruses and bacteria, food safety detectors, Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array, lawrence livermore national laboratory, LLMDA, pharmaceutical safety detectors, virus detectors

If you want city planners to learn how to handle the serious problems metropolises face, let them play games. IBM’s CityOne is kind of like a SimCity for urban planners and city officials. The “serious game” sets up scenarios where players  deal with situations like water waste, rising energy costs and a growing population. Through the virtual scenarios, developers hope urban officials will learn how to tackle issues as they relate to energy, water, banking and retail sectors.

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Post tags: city planners, CityOne, energy use in cities, environmental problems in cities, game for urban planners, ibm, IMPACT 2010, population growth in cities, SimCity, urban planners, virtual reality games, water use in cities

As more and more folks adopt cell phones, public phone booths across the globe are quickly becoming obsolete. And while mobile phones may be considerably more convenient than their public counterparts, what do you do with all those abandoned booths? Luckily, an Austrian telecommunications company came up with an innovative solution–turn those old-fashioned booths into battery recharging stations for electric cars, scooters and motorbikes.

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Post tags: electric bicycle, electric car, electric motorbike, electric scooter, electric vehicles, electric vehicles in Austria, hybrid car, phone booths turned into recharging stations, recharging stations, Telekom Austria, VOeC

Recycling used electronics is great, but in some cases, there’s an even greener option out there — several charities accept used and even broken electronic equipment. These non-profits ensure that previously owned products get sent to the less fortunate or are properly recycled. Read on for a list of socially-conscious charities that will make sure your outdated technology goes to a good cause.

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Post tags: Call to Protect, charities and electronics, charities that take electronics, Close the Gap, donate cell phones, donate computers, donate electronics, electronics recycling, Hope Phones, National Cristina Foundation, recellular, Reconnect, the Wireless Foundation

Google has long been a champion of clean energy. The search-engine giant established the Google Energy subsidiary, created energy monitoring tech like Google PowerMeter and regularly invests in clean tech start-ups like eSolar and AltaRock. And while these achievements are great, the company recently took its commitment to clean energy one step further. Google recently gave $38.8 million to two North Dakota wind farms, marking the first time the company invested in a utility-scale renewable energy project.

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Post tags: AltaRock, eSolar, Google and wind farms, Google Energy, Google invests in wind farms, google powermeter, Google.org, NextEra Energy Resources, North Dakota wind farms, renewable energy, wind turbines

Researchers at Switzerland’s University of Geneva have come up with an interesting way of making it rain–shooting lasers high up into the sky. Though the strategy seems like science fiction, the team hopes that the lasers will be able to increase rainfall in areas that need it.

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Post tags: cloud-seeding, Jerome Kasparian, lasers, lasers and rain, lasers form rain clouds, LIDAR, making rain clouds, university of geneva

Civil War soldiers used the dye from purple pokeberries to write letters home. Now, the bright-colored weeds are being used for a far more modern purpose. Researchers at Wake Forest University’s Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials created low-cost, fiber-based solar cells that work more efficiently when coated with a layer of pokeberry dye. Scientists hope the cheap solar cells combined with a common plant will help provide inexpensive electricity to developing nations.

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Post tags: Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials, cheap solar, fiber-based solar cells, FiberCell, flexible solar cells, inexpensive solar, pokeberries and solar, purple pokeberries, renewable power in developing nations, wake forest

Traditional vending machines require cash before providing folks with a tasty beverage. The Dream Machine, a new type of vending kiosk, embraces a much cooler concept: It gives you points and prizes in exchange for an empty bottle or can. Organizers hope the reverse vending machine will encourage recycling when people are away from home and without access to a convenient recycling bin.

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Post tags: Dream Machine, Greenopolis, Keep America Beautiful, Pepsi, recycling, recycling kiosk, rewards for recycling, waste management

Most folks think that when electronics break or become outdated, the only option is to toss them in the trash or recycle them. But on the contrary, there are a number of ways to transform dysfunctional technology into new, usable products. Read on for ways to repurpose old or broken electronic equipment — after all, reusing is even more earth-friendly than recycling!

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Post tags: 62 projects to make with a dead computer, e-recycling, e-waste, e-waste recycling, ebay, external hard drive, Freecycle, how to make an external hard drive, laptops, recycle computers, recycle iPods, recycle televisions, repurpose electronics, repurposing old electronics

Photo courtesy of JAXA

Solar backpacks and sun-fueled vehicles are impressive, but a solar-powered spacecraft just blows our minds.  Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, plans to launch a spacecraft powered by solar sails. The craft, appropriately dubbed Ikaros (Interplanetary Kite-Craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun), will make its journey into deep space on May 18th.

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Post tags: Ikaros, Interplanetary Kite-Craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Solar Backpack, solar car, Solar Power, solar sail spacecraft, solar sails, solar-powered spacecraft, space exploration, Venus satellite

America’s love affair with consumer electronics will likely rage on for years to come. With a constant stream of iPads, e-readers and smart phones hitting the market, it’s hard not to get sucked into purchasing products. But embracing new technologies brings up a huge question: What do you do with the old stuff?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans generated about 3 million tons of electronic waste in 2007. Out of all that waste, only 13.6 percent of it was recycled — the rest wound up in landfills or was shipped to developing nations. The country’s growing mounds of e-waste are cause for concern both from a health and environmental perspective, so it’s important for consumers to properly dispose of unwanted electronics. Read on to learn how improperly discarded e-waste poses health, social and environmental problems.

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Post tags: Basel Action Network, e-Stewards, e-waste, electronic recycling certification, electronic take-back programs, electronics recycling, electronics recycling programs, environment and e-waste, epa, exporting e-waste, Government Accountability Office, Kate Sinding, Natural Resources Defense Council, nrdc, problems with e-waste, toxins in e-waste