New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Scientists use liquid metals to turn carbon dioxide gas back into coal

Michael Irving February 26, 2019

Capturing carbon from the air and sequestering it is emerging as a viable strategy, and now scientists have developed a new method to turn CO2 gas back into solid coal, that can then be buried, or even used for electronic components.

Researchers have developed a new way to turn captured carbon dioxide gas into solid "coal"

Environment Audio available

Environmentally-friendly bricks made from sewage-treatment byproduct

Ben Coxworth January 22, 2019

When sewage sludge is processed at wastewater treatment plants, the leftover "biosolid" material is generally dried and set aside. While some of it ends up being used as fertilizer, much is often just stockpiled. Soon, however, it could find its way into eco-friendly fired-clay building bricks.

RMIT estimates that if 15 percent of bricks produced worldwide contained at least 15 percent biosolids, ...

Telecommunications

Tiny device speeds up the internet 100 times over by reading "twisted" light

Michael Irving October 24, 2018

Fiber optics allows for ultra-fast communication systems, and more data can be crammed in by "twisting" the light. Now, Australian researchers have developed a device to decode beams that’s small enough to fit over the end of a fiber optic cable.

Australian researchers have developed a device that can decode information from "twisted" light through fiber optics

Health & Wellbeing

Paper wristband isn't happy with wearers overdoing the UVs

Ben Coxworth October 5, 2018

While exposure to SOME sunlight is necessary, we all know that getting too much is not a good idea – among other things, it can cause sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging of the skin. With that in mind, a new paper wristband has been designed to let us know when to seek the shade.

Different versions of the wristband can be used for different skin colors

Medical

Diamonds may be a titanium implant's best friend

Ben Coxworth March 15, 2018

Titanium is very biocompatible, which is why it's so often used for medical implants. That said, chemical compounds in the metal sometimes do result in implants being rejected by the body. Scientists at RMIT University are attempting to address the problem, by coating such implants with diamonds.

One of the diamond-encrusted implants created by the team

Materials

Ultra-thin coating makes "dumb" glass smart

Ben Coxworth February 27, 2018

There are already "smart glass" windows that can be tinted to block the sun's hot rays, thus reducing the need to run air-conditioning systems. Such systems still require electricity, however. Now, scientists have developed a coating that allows existing glass to become smart … no power required.

PhD student Mohammad Taha with a sample of coated glass

Environment

Asphalt made of cigarette butts paves the road to less litter

Michael Irving August 6, 2017

The 6 trillion cigarettes produced every year generate over 1.2 million tonnes of toxic butt litter in the environment. Now, researchers at RMIT University in Australia have found a new way to safely dispose of cigarette butts: seal them up inside roads and paths.

Discarded cigarette butts could soon be locked away inside asphalt roads and paths

Medical

Electronic gut-checking capsule tested on humans

Ben Coxworth April 25, 2017

A couple of years ago, scientists developed a swallowable electronic capsule that measures concentrations of intestinal gases, and transmits that data to a smartphone. It's now been tested on humans for the first time.

The capsule makes real-time "gas reports" from within the gut

Energy

Fern-leaf inspires electrode for high density solar energy storage

Michael Irving April 3, 2017

Made from graphene and with a fern-inspired fractal structure, engineers at RMIT University have developed a new prototype electrode that could enable solar harvesting and storage systems that are thin, flexible and have high capacity.

$A new electrode design, inspired by the fractal pattern of veins in a fern leaf, could ...$

Urban Transport

Aussie engineers unveil their entry in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition

Michael Irving November 21, 2016

SpaceX isn't building the Hyperloop itself, but it’s playing a big part in getting it off the ground by hosting a pod design competition. To find out what goes into creating a Hyperloop pod, we spoke to VicHyper, one of 30 teams whose design was selected to be built and tested in January next year.

VicHyper, a team of university students from Melbourne, Australia, has unveiled their entry into SpaceX's Hyperloop ...