Important Innovations

   DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane OPTIMIZING YOUR RUN WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY                                                                                     Source:  Stock Image                     New tech inventions have the pote...

  DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane OPTIMIZING YOUR RUN WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY                                                                                                                        ...

New, Transformative Device to Generate Power from Night Sky Source:   UCLA Renewable and Complements Solar Power This new, inexpensive thermoelectric device may be transformative in energy generation.  It harvests the coldness of space during the night to generate electricity - enough right now to power a LED light at nighttime, but the inventors say it's very scalable.  The device is a significant new innovation from engineers at UCLA and Stanford University.  The gadget works at night when solar systems don't.  The inventors say it's a new approach to power generation when power at night is needed.  It complements solar power that doesn't work at night, giving a 24/7 approach to green, renewable energy. Phenomenon Like Frost Formation The device takes advantage of radiative cooling, the process by which frost forms on grass during above freezing temperatures at night.  The sky facing surface of the technology passes heat to the atmosphere...

UCLA's Wearable Nanogenerator to Monitor Athletic Performance Source:  Stock Image of Extreme Ski Jump SnowTENG - First of its Kind Nanogenerator This small, inexpensive, slim device can be embedded in the bottom of a ski or the sole of snow boots.  It generates its own power and can monitor the athletic performance of skiers and others engaged in winter sports.  The device converts contact with snow into electricity, which the device harvests.  Developed by UCLA engineers in warm, sunny LA, it has tremendous potential to create the next generation of wearable devices to monitor athletes and to work as smart weather stations with no battery power needed. Best in Snow For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Electricity from Snow - UCLA First : First of its Kind Nanogenerato r:  SnowTENG Source:  UCLA Generating Electricity from Snow - New Wearables From sunny, warm Los Angel...

Big Step toward General Artificial Intelligence for Computers Photo Source:  MIT Important Invention by UCLA Engineer s UCLA scientists have significantly advanced what's called computer vision.  They have developed an AI computer system that can discover and identify real world objects in the same way that humans do. General AI Experts are hailing this as a step toward what's called General AI.  General AI enables computers to learn and make decisions on their own.  For a news blog on this fascinating innovation, check out my journalist colleague Ed Kane at  Important Innovations Collection: AI System Mimics Human Reasoning : Computers with Ability to Visualize and Identify Objects Source:  MIT Next Generation of Artificial  Intelligence Engineers at the ...

Cellular Path to Reversing Paralysis Stem Cells - UCLA Researchers at UCLA have turned human stem cells into sensory interneurons.  These are the cells that give us a sense of touch.  This could be a step toward stem-cell based therapies to restore feeling in people paralyzed who have lost sensation in parts of their body. Neurons Sensory interneurons are a type of neuron in the spinal cord.  They relay information from throughout the body to the central nervous system, which enables a sense of touch.  Creating nerve cells from stem cells is a first. The researchers also did so while maintaining the genetic code of the person they originated from.  That's important because the scientists say it eliminates immune suppression. Ongoing Research with Significant Potential Lead researcher Asso. Prof. Samantha Butler noted that you need to be able to feel and sense your body in space in order to walk.  Feeling and walking go hand-in-hand.  Th...

Potential Painkiller for Chronic Pain UCLA's Magnetic Pain Relief  Pain Relief by Magnetic Fields It's a breakthrough in "mechanoceuticals" that treat medical conditions by physically forcing cells back into a healthy state.  The UCLA painkiller technique uses magnetic fields to manipulate the microscopic activity of the human body to reduce pain.   This is early stage research but very promising.  It's important because chronic pain has been one of the biggest issues facing medicine for centuries.  Right now, opiates offers the best relief but they are highly addictive.  That's why this UCLA research breakthrough is of importance. No Drugs Just Magnetic Fields to Relieve the Pain No drugs are involved.  UCLA bioengineers are using magnetic fields to control and alleviate pain.  The magnetic painkiller controls proteins that mediate and deliver the pain signals that patients feel. UCLA Team Approach The team led by Prof. Dino DiCarlo h...