A look inside the race to create functional artificial blood
Someone in the US needs a blood transfusion, alluding to the importance of blood supplies to modern healthcare. The problem is blood is in incredibly short supply, and the pandemic has only made things worse due to the forced cancellation of many collection drives. That’s why there has been a Read More...
Japan’s space agency to capture ultra-detailed images of Martian moons
Last week, we published a story coming out of Chile where scientists are building a camera so powerful it can spot a golf ball 15 miles away. The camera can snap 3,200-megapixel images and is meant to help us unlock some of the universe’s biggest mysteries. In related news out of Japan, the Read More...
A Japanese company is building a dam using automated robots
Japan has a labor shortage, partially because the workforce is aging. Last year they passed new legislation to attract foreign workers — a controversial bill, given the nation's historically strict immigration policies. But the construction contractor Obayashi is taking the matter into their Read More...
What you can learn from Ukeireru, the Japanese art of acceptance
Acknowledging that something took (or is taking) place can be relatively straightforward, but accepting it is another thing completely. For example, most people can (probably) agree that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, but not everyone is accepting it to the point of being on-board with Read More...
How scientists revived 100-million-year-old microbes
Deep within the cold abyss, beneath the primordial muck of the seafloor and the sediment of millions of years, ancient microbes sit between life and death…and have now been awakened! Scientists haven't quite unleashed Neptune's revenge, but they have revived ancient microbes — possibly over Read More...
Japan’s new bullet train will keep running even during a natural disaster
Japan has long been ahead of the game when it comes to trains. The country’s bullet trains not only hit speeds of over 200MPH with ease, but they’re also notoriously punctual. Its latest train model, however, is taking Japanese transportation to new heights. The new train is called the N700S, Read More...
New biomaterial has plastic-like properties but is eco-friendly
Due to its amazing material properties such as flexibility, durability, and ease of manufacturing, plastic has made its way in virtually all aspects of society, becoming an indispensable material in nearly all industries. But, of course, this wondrous material has also brought our planet on the Read More...
Aquarium in Japan urges people to keep eels company via FaceTime
Social distancing has been tough for everyone, including a group of spotted garden eels at an aquarium in Japan. These cute aquatic creatures are naturally shy and mostly hide in the sand, but over the years, the 300 spotted garden eels at Tokyo's Sumida Aquarium have gotten used to humans Read More...
This 1,000 year old cherry tree is a testament to nature’s resilience
Each spring, hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the town of Miharu, Japan to see a cherry tree known as the Takizakura. Although COVID-19 means that few visitors will lay eyes on it this year, the 1,000 year old cherry tree continues to bloom as a testament to the power and resilience of Read More...
Japanese scientists use nanocarbons to cleanse water of toxic metals
The presence of toxic metals in water stemming from industrial sources makes treatment a tall order, with these polluted liquids capable of contaminating groundwater supplies for years or even decades thereafter. Scientists at Japan's Nagoya University have come up with a new technology that may Read More...