Foldscope: a microscope made by folding paper
Foldscope 1.0 uses a folded structure to position a small lens and specimen. Its simple body makes a portable tool for looking closely at the world.
Tech
DART changed an asteroid’s orbit by crashing into it
DART struck Dimorphos in 2022. Changes in its orbital period and the debris thrown from its surface reveal the impact’s effect.
Recovering speech from the vibrations of a bag of chips
A high-speed camera records the tiny vibrations sound produces in a thin surface. A seemingly still bag of chips becomes a visual record of sound.
A screen rising above the table, inFORM
MIT’s inFORM raises and lowers an array of pins to give digital information a physical shape. The 2013 research interface can be pressed by hand and can move objects resting on its surface.
Touching objects in the deep sea with a robotic hand
Stanford’s OceanOneK connects an underwater robot with an operator aboard a ship through touch feedback. The operator sees the site on screen and feels forces as the robot contacts an object.
How to fold a starlight shield into a rocket
A starshade would block a bright star to help a telescope observe nearby planets. Paper models and ground tests explore how to fold and deploy it, and how to keep it aligned with the telescope.
Fabric that listens through its fibers
MIT and RISD researchers wove a piezoelectric fiber into fabric that converts sound vibrations into electrical signals. The 2022 study explored a microphone that could be worn.
Cyworld returns with memories of our old minihompies
Cyworld announced plans for a mobile beta as early as late November. Old accounts and ilchon friend connections would come first, with photographs and diaries restored in stages through the full service.
Ribose and glucose discovered on an asteroid
Researchers identified ribose, a sugar used in RNA, and glucose in samples from Bennu. Finding these molecules is different from finding life.
How discarded plastic becomes material for something new
Precious Plastic shares designs for shredders and molding equipment. Turning waste into new material takes sorting, preparation, and several stages of work.
Muro Box, a music box that plays the tunes you choose
Muro Box uses electronic controls to change what its mechanism plays. Its metal comb produces the sound, within the limits of the N20’s 20 notes.
Makey Makey turns a banana into a keyboard
Makey Makey Classic connects conductive objects and your hands into a circuit that sends input to a computer. You choose what becomes a button.