Optical guitar pickup can be programmed with a smartphone app

Rather than use magnets and coils to convert string motion into an analog voltage for amplified output, the ōPik uses infrared light to capture the vibrations of the strings above it. This versatile optical pickup has now launched on Kickstarter.

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Solar-powered center puts sustainability at heart of the community

K20 Architecture was commissioned to design a new community center in Bayswater, a suburb of Melbourne. In response, it delivered a building that makes use of local and recycled materials and features solar power and rainwater collection systems.

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Biohybrid battery harvests energy from electric bacteria

Bacteria that produce their own electricity could be useful in batteries, but so far, attempts have been inefficient. A new “biohybrid” system is built around a hydrogel and can support the microbes while effectively collecting their energy.

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Lobsters found to grind plastics down into “secondary microplastics”

A new study by scientists in Italy has shone a light on the way lobsters digest plastic particles, finding that their stomach actually grinds them up into tiny fragments that can pose a risk to smaller creatures in the food chain.

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Parts of the universe may be expanding faster than others

One of the core components of cosmology is the understanding that the universe is expanding evenly in all directions. But new X-ray observations now suggest that this may not be the case after all – certain areas may be expanding faster than others.

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“Off-the-shelf” patch boosts cardiac function by 50% in animal models

Cardiac patches are designed to help regenerate healthy heart tissue after the injury, and scientists at North Carolina State University have now developed an “off-the-shelf” version they say overcomes some of the dangers of other approaches.

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Cancer-killing nanoparticles don disguises to sneak into the brain

The brain’s own defense mechanism often prevents treatment of brain cancers. But a new experimental treatment has shown success in mice, with carbon nanoparticles able to sneak through the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs directly to tumors.

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Rocket Lab uses a helicopter to catch its booster in mid-air

Rocket Lab is looking to join the rocket recycling party by collecting the first stage of its Electron launch vehicle in midair using a helicopter, a method that it has now successfully demonstrated over the open ocean in New Zealand.

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Masten Space Systems selected to deliver payloads to lunar south pole

NASA has awarded a US$75.9-million contract to Masten Space Systems of Mojave, California, to produce and operate eight lunar mission payloads, including nine science and technology instruments to scout the Moon's south pole.

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Positive data from 1st clinical trial into cannabis for chronic insomnia

Results from the world's first placebo-controlled clinical trial testing the efficacy of medicinal cannabis for chronic insomnia reveal statistically significant, and dose responsive, improvements to sleep quality using a novel CBD/THC formulation.

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