Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, the days in which people go looking for deals like there’s no tomorrow. As people were hunting bargains, we were hunting the latest developments in the world of tech, and as always, the future is looking pretty sweet.

Low-power microchips

MIT researchers have found a new approach to controlling magnetism in microchips, which causes them to consume less power. This approach could also increase the flexibility of microchips when it comes to their shape and the shape of devices they are implemented in. The discovery came about quite coincidentally, as David L. Chandler describes it, but it holds a lot of potential and promise for the future, because where can’t we find microchips these days? Head on over to MIT’s website and immerse yourself in the science behind it.

Turning carbon dioxide into literally anything else

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: eliminating carbon dioxide from our atmosphere is one of the most important steps towards halting climate change. So researchers are working tirelessly to make it useful. We’ve mentioned turning it into some kind of fuel, but now Rutgers scientists have found a way to convert it into several actual materials, such as plastics and fabrics. And as such, the cycle continues, and what gets used doesn’t get wasted. Thanks, Rutgers for keeping it green.

A replacement for the human touch

A Belgian manufacturer, ZoraBots, has created a robot caregiver to be used in homes for the elderly, and one of those robots has already found a job at a home in Paris. Zora leads exercises, keeps the patients’ company, and is there to perform simple tasks when there aren’t enough nurses around. There’s a growing shortage of skilled nurses globally, and the population needing nurses will only increase. Zora is the logical consequence. Robots can’t replace people, but Zora is finding its place and function, and gaining in popularity. Patients are even getting attached to the little thing. Watch Zora in action on the New York Times.

Building materials from outer space

We know how to get to the Moon, so what would be cooler than to have a base there? Sadly, getting all the materials there necessary to build is holding us back, but not for much longer. Evan Gough describes how researchers at ESA have come up with a solution: 3D printing, using Moondust. That way we could have materials and equipment there without spending a ton of time and energy bringing it over. Now the idea of having a Moon base doesn’t sound quite as ridiculous anymore. Would you dare to take the trip? Head over to Technology.org to learn more and be wowed.

I don’t know if I’d sign up for a Moon trip, but I do know what I would sign up for: receiving our updates, you can do that here!