Scalable wireless charging system could power EVs on the move

With any electric vehicle, you're going to spend some time parked up and plugged in. Being able to roll along the highway with the batteries charging as go would be much better, and a new development out of Stanford could see that happening.

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Electric microwave plasma thruster could rival traditional jet engines

A Chinese team has demonstrated a prototype of a microwave plasma thruster capable of working in the Earth's atmosphere and producing thrust with an efficiency comparable to the jet engines you'd find on modern airliners – under laboratory conditions.

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Stressed-out plants pass down “memories” to make offspring stronger

Geneticists at Penn State University have manipulated the expression of one gene in a plant that makes them more resilient to environmental change – and found that this is passed down to future generations.

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Origami-inspired expanding lunar module set for testing in Greenland

Danish design duo Sebastian Aristotelis and Karl-Johan Sørensen have been busy developing a self-expanding lunar module, which they plan on putting to the test in the harsh environment of Northern Greenland later this year.

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Venice hybrid water taxi melds modern technology with classic design

Looking for a cleaner, more sustainable path forward, Nuvolari Lenard launches the Thunder water taxi. The 14-seater stays true to the classic wood style of Venice's water limousines while incorporating a new diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system.

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Virgin Galactic teams up with NASA to pursue high-speed air travel

Virgin Galactic has recently endured a rocky road financially, with substantial losses in the last two quarters, but is intent on pushing ahead with the development of next-gen aviation technologies – this time with NASA onboard.

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Schizophrenia drug points to improved brain cancer radiation therapy

Promising new research from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), suggests an old schizophrenia drug could significantly enhance the efficacy of radiation treatment for one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer.

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“Astronomers’ sunglasses” spot stripy clouds in brown dwarf atmosphere

Using polarized light, astronomers have detected signs of cloud bands in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf far beyond the solar system. It turns out that these gassy giants have a similar appearance to Jupiter, and the same kind of wild weather.

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Landmark research watches sleeping brains replay waking experiences

A landmark study is offering the first evidence of a process by which our brains consolidate memories during sleep. The researchers witnessed neuronal firing patterns in humans during sleep that suggest we replay our waking experiences as we rest.

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Laser-powered vibration test reveals perfectly ripe avocados

As most fans of the leathery fruit can attest, telling when an avocado is of perfect ripeness can be a guessing game, but a new testing technique could eliminate the margin for error by measuring the firmness of individual specimens using lasers.

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