Good Thinking

Candy sprinkles may make desserts more interesting, but a scientist has developed what could be a much more valuable use for them. His CandyCode system might one day be utilized to confirm that supposedly authentic pills aren't actually counterfeits.

It's easy to forget that structures such as bridges, wind turbines and scaffolding are held together by screws which could loosen – with catastrophic results. The new Smart Screw Connection system is designed to warn authorities before that happens.

Although there are already portable systems that create drinking water by desalinating and purifying seawater, they typically utilize filters that have to be replaced. A new MIT setup, however, just requires a small amount of electricity.

In 1964, the Buck Knives company marketed its 110 Folding Hunter knife, which changed the knife-making industry forever by introducing a revolutionary folding blade that locked into place so strongly it performed like a fixed-blade sheath knife.

It was just last week that we heard about the Octo, a carabiner multi-toll with an integrated bit driver, but no way of carrying any extra bits. Well, the Drivr2L has room for four of the things, plus it packs various other features.

A multitool isn't very handy if it's not there when you need it. The new Wyn Multi-Tool Capsule is all but guaranteed to be there. It's small enough to carry anywhere and everywhere, keeping driving, cutting and prying power at one's fingertips.

Instead of using insecticides, farmers will sometimes cover their plants with a mesh fabric. A new such material has now been developed, which keeps out a wider range of bugs while still allowing crops to get enough sunlight and water.

There are many parts of the world in which fresh water may be plentiful, but it's also full of harmful microbes. An experimental new filter is able to purify such water for drinking, and it's powered solely by sunlight.

The color-changing skin of the squid has inspired a new type of infrared-reflecting, metalized polymer film with tunable heat-management properties that could make it useful in everything from coffee cups to shipping containers.

Lead-contaminated tap water is still a problem in much of the world, where conventional lead removal filters may be too expensive for most households. An inexpensive new filter could help – and it was designed by a group of high school students.

Harvesting sea urchins by hand can be tricky, often resulting in painful pokes through diving gloves. That's where the C Disc and the C Bud come in, as both systems vacuum urchins off the seabed and into a boat, net or shore-located container.

When most people think of life vests, they likely picture yokes that are worn around the user's neck. Switlik Survival Products' new UA-80 Evolution Vest takes what is claimed to be a better approach, however, by going under the arms.