Engineering Innovation

The United Nations is sending its first satellite into space to study the use of astronaut excrement as a fuel source.

There are other payloads aboard the UNESCOSat, however “one of them will study Shewanella MR-1 bacteria to see if it can convert astronaut feces into hydrogen for use in fuel cells.” Read the article

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In a recent contest to design the “Taiwan Tower,” the concept that was selected was a tree-like skyscraper.

Construction on the tower is to begin in 2012. Plans are for the structure to be 984-ft tall, have pod-like leaves as observation decks, and be equipped with several eco-friendly designs. Read more about the skyscraper here from Popular Science.

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New Scientist published a recent article related to physicist plans for an “event cloak.” Instead of the classic invisibility cloak idea, which bends light around and object, the goal for an event cloak would be to “open up a time gap in the light by controlling its speed through optical fibers.”

Read the article for more information

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