Latest Inventions

posted by admin on Mar 25

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The Space Probe That Can See Through The Earth!

The European Space Agency (ESA) have just launched their long awaited GOCE Probe, and it is already sending back impressive data!

The Gravity field & steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) is set to map the gravity fields of the Earth, and in doing so give scientists some potentially very important data relating to predicting natural disasters and monitoring climate change.

What Will GOCE Do?
According to reports on the official ESA website and from other sources, the main aims will be the following:

Ocean Currents- GOCE will be monitoring and recording ocean currents across the globe to set a benchmark for future changes.  By knowing how the heat from the oceans is transferred and how certain patterns can be altered by gravity and other factors, they will be able to make predictions about future interventions or preventative technologies.

Gravity Mapping- It is already known that the strength of gravity varies across the globe depending on natural features in the landscape, and they will be using this new data to detect changes to the standard levels and the potential results of tectonic movements and human activity.

Resources Identification- By mapping the forces acting on the surface of the planet, it may well be possible to identify what is under the visible surface of the earth by detecting and recording ’signatures’ in the gravity landscape.  For example, a known large body of water running underground may create a recognisable pattern, therefore allowing scientists to predict where unknown sources of water are - or other natural occurrences like oil fields and other valuable minerals.

Disaster Spotting- By knowing what is happening under the earths surface will also allow for early prediction of volcanic eruptions by identifying when lava flows are active underground.  Again, by comparing known active sites and keeping data on these, it may well be possible to reduce the fatalities by evacuation.

Climate Change - By having these details on record for the first time (this probe is one of the most sensitive probes ever created for space studies) it may be possible to help study the effects of climate change on a large scale - and hopefully offer some preventative advice based on long-term studies.

In Addition:
Adding to the program will be 2 further probes being released later this year:

Herschal:  The most powerful space telescope ever to be built and with an even larger mirror than the famous Hubble.  Herschal will though, only be taking images of infrared radiation and it’s creators hope it will solve the mystery of the formation of the galaxy!

Planck:  This smaller probe will collect microwave radiation and attempt to help scientists study the effects and actions of the ‘Big Bang’ 13.7 million years ago!

And Finally:
You can even track the flight path of the GOCE probe on a world map - and it is currently over Somalia, moving a wobbly but very fast path north!

posted by admin on Mar 20

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We were already amazed when we brought our tiny iPod just before the new year - but to find there is a new even smaller one on the market with and even bigger memory was great news!!!

According to the official website, they have made some changes:

Controls:
The buttons aren’t on the iPod itself.  To make it so small and fill it with songs, the controls are now on the earbud cord.  This is great as you now don’t have to have your iPod clipped somewhere on your person in full view of others (unless you want it to!)  They are even easier to use as well which can’t be a bad thing!

Talking Heads:
For those of you like me, that can’t always remember the exact name of a track or have so many downloaded tunes that you don’t know what you’ve got coming up - just press the magic button and hey presto!  A lovely voice will tell you who sang it and what it’s called!  Great news for sharing!

Too much music?
Never.  With it’s gigantic memory you can now store up to 1000 tracks on your iPod!   It also allows you to sync your playlists, identify each one with it’s name and jump between them whenever you want!

Available for £59 and in black or silver.  You can even get it engraved with a personal message……

posted by admin on Mar 16

These carnivals will allow other writers to share their articles with us, putting a different angle on some latest inventions or recent products of 2009.

First Carnival Articles:

I have selected articles from those sent in that have a certain ‘eco’ heart about them after the popularity of my recent post Eco Inventions I’d Like To See.

The first one I would like to mention is one regarding something close to my own heart - and could well have been born from my recent post about eco-inventions.  So here JGaynard writes Creative Association of a Hand Basin and a Toilet Cistern - a perfect answer to saving water without the buckets!

Another 2 posts here are linked to the innovation of environmentally friendly products - but also those that are just weird!!! Keehek presents details on The 8 Most Unusual & Cutting Edge Inks. An interesting read! And then Jeremy informs us all about a solar powered calculator with a difference - with Still more credit card gadgets and gizmos you cannot live without.

And finally in this reasonably eco friendly post,  Kathryn covers the interesting topic of getting inspiration for products from nature in Biomimicry: Inventions Inspired by Animals.

That’s all for the first carnival - and hope to have more articles to share next month.  Go to BlogCarnival to submit your posts……….

posted by admin on Mar 12

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It seems that medical advances are taking us around in circles! Scientists have recently discovered that injecting athletes with their own blood can speed recovery for a whole range of injuries.

Trials have used 2 high profile American Footballers as examples of how effective this treatment can be - their team then went on to win the SuperBowl!

What Is it All About?
The treatment - dating back from the ’70’s - is basically re-injecting the athlete or persons own body with their plasma - a component of blood.

Known as PRPT - Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy - this treatment has been used in orthopaedic surgery to help repair bones of patients for decades but is failing to make it into the mainstream for athletes in the UK as it is still illegal. It counts as a type of blood doping and there is currently no way around it.

The process involves the removal of blood from the patient. This is spun to collect the body-healing platelets in the plasma, which is them injected straight into the damaged tissues. Reports are that there is generally function recovery in half the normal time.

What’s The Problem?
Even though the results are extremely positive, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee are still not sure about whether it should be allowed.

Their argument is that it is increasing the red blood cell count and so will lead to better performance - basically ‘cheating’. Defenders say that it is only the plasma being injected - not the oxygen-giving red blood cells, but this has yet to convince anyone.

Bearing in mind that many sporting bodies follow the advice of the WADA, it is very difficult for sports people in the UK to use this apparently amazing treatment which works so well for ordinary people. Not only does it shorten recovery time and prevent painful and expensive surgeries - this doesn’t hold any weight.

Professional athletes for now will have to suffer their injuries the old way.

posted by admin on Mar 8

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Can’t People Just Make ‘Green’ Things Easier?

There are always articles and advice on how to better use this or that, and ways to improve efficiency in whatever else - basically using your own time and resources to make something you already have ‘greener’.

Why can’t someone just invent these things in their most energy-saving of non-polluting form - and make them readily available and stylish! (Obviously all products would be A-Rated for energy…)

For example: certain washing detergent companies have developed their standard powder to work at lower temperatures. It’s not more expensive than their normal product and it is in the mainstream of retail - meaning you don’t have to order from a weirdly named small company from their brochure - you just pick it up in the store.

Being responsible shouldn’t have to involve putting yourself out all the time. I myself don’t mind piles of recycling around the kitchen or reusing containers for cooking and storage - but we need to attract the mainstream if we are going to make a difference.

Fridges & Freezers:
They say that a full fridge and freezer work much more efficiently than an empty one - and if you don’t want to keep buying food - they suggest that you put newspaper in them to act like ‘fake food’.

Now this seems like a very time consuming activity - and where do you keep the screwed up newspaper? Or do you recycle the first lot after you’ve been shopping and use another newspaper for stuffing as you eat your food?

Now, we have all seem those single fridges that have the little freezer in the top - separated only by a tiny door flap. So here’s the idea: Why not have those little doors in all freezers and fridges to separate off all the compartments. That way, you could turn down all those that had no food in them and turn them back up after you’d been to the store.

Dishwashers:
Apparently, you should use the lowest temperature for these and you don’t need to use the drying facility as you can just leave the door open and the plates and saucepans dry themselves. So, why not invent a dishwasher that just had 2 buttons rather than vast numbers of knobs and dials - Dirty Wash and Really Dirty Wash. Both setting use the lowest temperature for a decent clean and both settings ping the door open for the drying setting. Taa Daa!!!

Alternatively, invent a smaller dishwasher - say half the width of normal so you can do smaller washes without running your machine on half full (which is very bad in terms of energy). Maybe using the other half of the space for your recycling tubs!!!

Bathwater Capture:
To save water, we should reuse our bathwater to water the garden or to flush the toilet! Now either of these is not something you can expect most people to spend time doing after a hard day at work - Imagine having an after dinner guest walk into your bathroom to find a giant bucket of bubbly water beside the toilet!

So, why not invent a bath tub that look normal on the outside, but has small reservoirs under the panelling (the wasted space underneath the tub) linked up to your cistern. It only fills up to it’s limit - as does a toilet cistern (with the rest feeding down to a water butt outside obviously) and every time you flush it refills from your undercover bath water supply.

This lead me on to the following invention….

Half Flush Toilets:
Now I know these already exist, but I find that none of them are 100 clear on whether you have half flushed as the 2 functions are the same button and nearly everytime I half flush, the larger button seems to follow it down as well. Why not make 2 actual separate flushes - either handles of buttons. This way people can definitely decide that they only want a ‘number 1′ flush!

Cosmetic Goods Refill Sites:
We visit gas stations time and time again using the same tank to fill up, but we are supposed to just keep throwing away our cosmetic bottles and then buying new ones.

If a toiletries company used larger bottles we wouldn’t have to do this so often, but how great to pop into a store with your empty shampoo bottle or empty shower gel container and getting it topped up on site (cleanly) and for a greatly reduce price.

The Body Shop used to do this in their stores and many local delivery services used to refund you some of the cost if you gave them back their bottles to use again. It seems silly that we used to do this anyway - but now we really need to conserve things - we don’t!!

In Conclusion:
Now, I know that these things have to be financially viable for companies to want to offer them - but in general - have people got a choice? We have already been forced to change our boilers - they only sell condensing boilers now - and recently they have stopped selling old fashioned light bulbs!

There will be many more ‘forced’ environmental changes that everyone will have to do due to legislation, but if ‘green’ technology does exactly the same job as an ’un-green’ one and for a similar price, then there is no reason not to welcome these new products or concepts into our busy lives.

Of course, if something is fantastically useful, does the job, looks good and is somewhat cheaper, then the general population will buy that - even if it pollutes heavily, uses more energy to run and emits loads of carbon!

You don’t want to control people lives too much - but when the very world depends on it………