In this post, we’re looking into materials innovation from the large, namely in creating stronger metals to manufacture vehicles, to the small, namely in a new type of microprocessor. Aside from that, new developments are popping up everywhere that are interesting to take a closer look at, so let’s get to it.

Stronger metal for stronger vehicles

Bending and strengthening metal has always been a challenge because of the risk of fracture, so there are limits to what you can achieve. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have come up with new methods to strengthen metal without this risk. They discovered that samarium cobalt, a material classified as inter-metallic and which shouldn’t be able to bend easily, actually bends without losing strength. This is a first step into researching more materials like this so that they end up as the ultimate material in strength and flexibility, ideal for the military, automotive, and construction industries. Jeff Reinke tells us more on Thomasnet.

Carbon nanotube microprocessors

Innovating on computers requires a new type of microprocessor, usually silicon chips, and MIT researchers have invented a microprocessor made from carbon nanotubes to do just that. This type is expected to be ten times more energy-efficient, and promises greater speeds. This innovation is something that has been in the works for a while, because it showed such great promises, but it was only recently that carbon nanotube defects were circumvented. It’s all very scientific, so I’ll let Rob Matheson explain the rest.

Solving homelessness with an app

Cities like San Francisco and Seattle have a wide-spread housing problem. Tragically, many people are forced to live on the streets. Part of the solution, the cities thought, was through apps. These apps allow people to report camps, or make the city aware that there are people in need of help somewhere. It’s supposed to help people, but the system is also criticized as being too simplistic and more of a way to remove homelessness from the streets, rather than actually helping people in need. Then there’s also the issue of fake reports. There are, however, solutions in the works to use tech to actually offer help. Texas, for example, has an initiative using blockchain to create digital IDs, providing homeless people with Google Voice numbers, and other ways to help them become a member of the community. Tech can be a solution, but it still needs to be thought-through. Find out more on smartcitiesdive, where Kira Barrett shares some insights.

A new style of space travel

Researchers at Columbia and Cambridge University have proposed a new way of space travel that would minimize the use of rocket fuel and thus cut the cost of space travel. According to Dan Robitzski on Futurism, they propose to install a cable on the moon’s surface, which would dangle in geostationary orbit around Earth. The spacecraft would only need to reach that cable, the rest of the journey could be done via a solar-powered shuttle climbing the cable. The researchers claim it could be done using existing materials. If materials transportation and actual travel to the moon becomes that much easier, who knows what we’ll use its surface for? Go here to discover more of the researchers’ ideas!

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