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Tabletop X-ray device rivals world's largest machines
By Ben Coxworth
16:30 October 25, 2010
Researchers have created a tabletop device that produces synchrotron X-rays, the energy and image quality of which are as good as some of the largest, most expensive X-ray facilities on the planet. It uses a high power laser combined with a tiny jet of helium gas to produce an ultrashort high energy beam, that could be used for everything from examining molecules to checking the integrity of airplane wings. Read More
Electric supercar circles Greater London twice on a single charge
21:54 May 30, 2010
UK students have driven an electric car around Greater London twice on a single charge. Using a specially modified electric Radical SRZERO supercar, the Racing Green Endurance (RGE) team from Imperial College completed two laps of the M25 motorway in the wee hours of Friday morning, covering a total distance of 250 miles (400km). The feat is a lead up to an attempt later this year at becoming the first EV to conquer the longest road on Earth - the Pan American Highway. Read More
Remember when the simple paddle game Pong generated a world-wide buzz of excitement? Those days may just have returned with the announcement that students from Imperial College London have created an interface using off-the-shelf components which tracks eye movement and enables a bespectacled user to play the game hands-free. Read More
Compostable plastics breakthrough sounds sweet
By Jeff Salton
17:25 February 18, 2010
Traditional environmental enemies food packaging and other disposable plastic items could soon be composted at home along with organic waste and not collected for landfill thanks to a new sugar-based polymer being developed at Imperial College London. The degradable polymer is made from sugars known as lignocellulosic biomass, which come from non-food crops like fast-growing trees and grasses, or renewable biomass from agricultural or food waste. Read More
Future cars: Auto bodywork composite doubles as a battery
18:41 February 7, 2010
The problem is clear. Hybrid cars and EVs rely on batteries for power, but batteries are bulky and heavy, causing the car to use up more energy. But what if a car's bodywork was made of a strong, lightweight material that could store and discharge electrical energy just as a conventional battery does? In pursuing this goal, researchers at the Imperial College London are developing a key building block for the hybrid car of the future, and the implications go way beyond automobiles - think wafer thin mobile phones and laptops that don't need a separate battery because they draw power from their casing. Read More
New computer tool could lead to better crops and safer pesticides
By Jeff Salton
21:11 September 23, 2009
Researchers engaged in developing new strains of crops, such as drought-resistant wheat and new pesticides that are more environmentally-friendly, are also creating a computing tool that could help scientists predict how plants will react to different environmental conditions. It’s hoped their findings will help create better crops, such as tastier and longer-lasting tomatoes. Read More
