New Atlas

Medical Audio available

New process uses two kinds of light to make organs safer for transplant

Ben Coxworth April 12, 2019

It goes without saying that the greater the number of organs available for transplant, the better for patients in need of them. A newly-developed technique could help, as it uses light to kill viruses and bacteria that might otherwise make donated organs unsuitable for use.

The technology has so far been utilized on lungs, but is being adapted for use on ...

Home Entertainment

Ikea and Sonos bring light and sound to Milan's Salone del Mobile

Paul Ridden April 9, 2019

Last month, Ikea and Sonos announced that they were collaborating on a new range of light and sound products. Now the Symfonisk range has debuted in Milan, and is made up of a table lamp with built-in wireless speaker and a small, versatile standalone streaming speaker.

The Symfonisk range has debuted in Milan, and comprises a table lamp with built-in wireless speaker ...

Medical Audio available

Blue light might just take the "super" out of superbugs

Michael Irving April 3, 2019

Antibiotics were one of the 20th century's most important scientific discoveries, but their usefulness is quickly fading. Researchers at Purdue University have found that blue light can weaken a particularly nasty “superbug” and make it vulnerable to even mild antiseptics again.

Researchers have found that shining blue light on antibiotic-resistant bacteria can make them vulnerable to drugs ...

Science Audio available

"Invisible" reusable labels are written and read using light

Ben Coxworth February 4, 2019

Currently, package labels contain certain information – such as barcodes, serial numbers or buyers' addresses – that would be best left unseen by wrongdoers. Newly-developed rewritable labels could address that issue, as they're blank and transparent unless exposed to a certain type of light.

The labels are made of a plastic known as poly(methyl methacrylate), or PMMA

3D Printing Audio available

New 3D-printing tech gets smooth results using light and resin

Ben Coxworth February 1, 2019

Most 3D printers work by either depositing or melting building material in successive layers. Unfortunately, this results in the finished objects looking kind of chunky, as the ridges between layers are visible. A new process, however, uses light to create smooth-edged items out of resin.

A miniature version of the statue "The Thinker," created using the new 3D-printing system

Space

Hubble captures "lost light" to reveal deepest look into the universe yet

Michael Irving January 24, 2019

Astronomers from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) have re-processed an old Hubble Ultra-Deep Field (HUDF) image to find new details. The end result is the deepest image ever taken of the universe from space.

The new Hubble Ultra Deep Field image reveals new details, thanks to the recovery of "lost ...

Telecommunications Audio available

Breakthrough experiment beams audio messages across the room using only lasers

Michael Irving January 23, 2019

In the modern day, we’re used to sending messages to people over long distances, usually by way of a phone. But now, scientists at MIT have developed a way to use a laser to beam an audible message through thin air to a person standing on the other side of a room, so that only they can hear it.

he researchers use water vapor in the air to absorb light and create sound. By sweeping ...

Medical

Experimental treatment uses light to stop itchiness

Ben Coxworth December 17, 2018

Nobody likes being itchy, but for people with conditions such as eczema, it can be quite a serious problem. Scientists at EMBL Rome (the European Molecular Biology Laboratory) may be onto a long-acting solution, in the form of light-activated medication that is injected into the skin.

The treatment may stop itching for up to several months

Medical Audio available

Light-sensitive adhesive may find use in ouch-less band-aids

Ben Coxworth December 17, 2018

We all know how painful ripping off a band-aid can be. It may not be so unpleasant in the not-too-distant future, however, as scientists have created an adhesive that detaches in the presence of ultraviolet light.

Two slabs of hydrogel, joined together using the adhesive, separate easily when exposed to ultraviolet light

Space

Astronomers calculate the total amount of starlight ever produced in the observable universe

Michael Irving November 29, 2018

Astronomers have now asked “how much light has been emitted in the universe?” Using a new measurement method, the team has apparently managed to quantify all the starlight ever produced in the observable universe – and the result is a figure that’ll make your eyes water.