Best New Inventions
By Steve GillmanI was reading a recent issue of Time magazine and found an article on new inventions and innovations. Here’s a look at a few that caught my eye.
Global Seed Vault - I saw a story on this years ago, and now it is finally open. Located underground and above the arctic circle on the island of Spitsbergen, Norway, this is now taking in seeds from countries around the world. It can hold millions of samples in dry air at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius), and will probably protect the seeds for thousands of years even if the power goes out (it’s very cold there). It is the most secure seed bank in existence.
Algae Power - Researchers at Arizona State University are working on growing an algae that can be converted into a biofuel which would be almost identical to gasoline. Since the plants absorb and use carbon dioxide as they grow, the fuel would be essentially carbon-neutral.
Bionic Hands - Touch Bionics has introduced the first commercially available bionic hand. Unlike typical artificial hands, this one can lift objects large and small, and even handle thin objects like a credit card.
Rotating Tower - Scheduled for completion in less than two years, a building in Dubai will be the skyscraper with rotating floor. Each of the 80 floors will be rotate 360 degrees, and all at different speeds as well. There will be office space, a hotel, and apartments starting at almost $4 million.
Synthetic Life Forms - Splice together various “base pairs” of DNA and you get a new life form. J. Craig Venter has done just that, and expects to insert his creation into a cell and bring it to life within a year. The next step will be creating life forms for specific purposes, like an organism that eats oil spills or cures diseases.
Invisibility Suit - UC Berkley scientists are working on materials that neither absorb nor reflect light. They essentially refract light (the same effect that cause a stick to look bent when stuck into water). This is considered the first step towards making a “suit of invisibility.”
Human Powered Generator - At Simon Fraser University, Max Donelan has invented a device that is strapped to your leg and generates power as you walk. It weighs less than four pounds and with one on each knee you can generate about five watts of power, which could power up to a dozen cell phones.
Covered Motorcycle - The Swiss company Peraves has introduced the “MonoTracer.” It’s an enclosed motorcycle that has air conditioning, windshield wipers and an aluminum roll cage covered by a Kevlar body.
Super Light Shoes - Being an ultralight backpacker, I am always looking for lightweight shoes (I never use hiking boots). Now Nike appears to have produced the lightest out there. Their new “Zoom Victory” running shoe weighs less than four ounces. It’s made with Vectran, a material used for the landing balloons on the lunar rover.
I’ll occasionally have more news on the best new inventions out there, in addition to the usual ideas for inventions and innovations.
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