Commentary about nanotech, science policy and communication, society, and the arts
Amanda Vincent s name has become part of something larger (so to speak), it is included in the name for a new species of seahorse, Hippocampus amandavincentae. Elana Shepert s August 11 (?), 2026 article for Vancouver is Awesome charms almost as much as the seahorses do, Seahorses. These petite ocean dwellers are the stuff of dreams. [ ]
Somehow, I must have missed the earlier notices but, on the upside, the folks at the London Arts-Based Research Centre (LABRC) have extended the deadline to September 1, 2026 for anyone wanting to submit a proposal in response to the Call for Papers. Here s more from an August 13 2026 LABRC notice (received via email), [ ]
Longevity is usually the characteristics that gets most mentioned (see my May 10, 2023 posting Answer to why Roman concrete was so durable when discussing Roman concrete. However, it s self-healing properties likely contribute to Roman concrete s longevity. This December 9, 2025 essay by Ray Laurence, professor of ancient history at Macquarie University, for The Conversation, [ ]
A December 10, 2025 SPIE (-International Society for Optics and Photonics) press release (also on EurekAlert) announces a new technique for monitoring health in both medical and consumer applications, Note: A link has been removed, Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optical sensing technique that measures blood volume changes and underpins devices ranging from hospital-grade pulse oximeters [ ]
First reported in a December 28, 2025 news item on ScienceDaily, this research story brings together a pop culture reference and theoretical physics, A University of Cincinnati physicist and an international team of collaborators say they have worked out a theoretical method for producing axions inside fusion reactors. It is a challenge that even two [ ]
As the world burns hotter and hotter, we are having to find new ways to deal with fire. I have two stories about fire and technology in the Northern Hemisphere. Perhaps later this year I will be able to round this out with stories about fire and technology from the Southern Hemisphere once the seasons [ ]
Before diving into the story, Vancouver Police Department s robo cop was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) a few years ago and for anyone unfamiliar with the disease, here s more from the ALS Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig s disease, [ ]
A December 9, 2025 Osaka Metropolitan University press release (also on EurekAlert but published December 8, 2025) describes a new approach to robot harvesting of tomatoes, In the agricultural sector, labor shortages are increasing the need for automated harvesting using robots. However, some fruits, like tomatoes, are tricky to harvest. Tomatoes typically bear fruit in [ ]
Hanging out with seaweed on Hornby Island, my July 27, 2026 posting mentioned that seaweed is of increasing interest in the scientific community both as part of ocean ecology and as a source for new materials. Earlier today (August 4, 2026) I published Turning dirt (with an ingredient from seaweed) into 3-D printed walls. And, [ ]
I have a closer look at the bricks that make up those walls later in this post but first, there s this from a June 22, 2026 University of Colorado at Boulder news release (also on EurekAlert) by Yvaine Ye, Note: Links have been removed, An ingredient that gives ice cream a creamier texture could make [ ]