The STEM thread

[TipRoast]

Nobel Prize goes to scientists behind mRNA Covid vaccines

Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman developed the technology which led to Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

www.bbc.com

 

[TipRoast]

Learning how to learn

In "Model Thinking for Everyday Life," MIT Professor Richard Larson offers accessible advice on solving everyday problems and making smarter decisions.

news.mit.edu

The article points out something I have also noticed: the best way to really learn something is to teach it.

 

[TipRoast]

Shape-shifting fiber can produce morphing fabrics

FibeRobo is a liquid crystal elastomer fiber that can change its shape in response to thermal stimuli. Compatible with existing textile manufacturing machinery, it could be used to make morphing textiles, like a jacket that changes its insulating properties.

news.mit.edu

“At the end of the day, you don’t want a diva fiber. You want a fiber that, when you are working with it, falls into the ensemble of materials — one that you can work with just like any other fiber material, but then it has a lot of exciting new capabilities,” Forman says.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

Shape-shifting fiber can produce morphing fabrics

FibeRobo is a liquid crystal elastomer fiber that can change its shape in response to thermal stimuli. Compatible with existing textile manufacturing machinery, it could be used to make morphing textiles, like a jacket that changes its insulating properties.

news.mit.edu

“At the end of the day, you don’t want a diva fiber. You want a fiber that, when you are working with it, falls into the ensemble of materials — one that you can work with just like any other fiber material, but then it has a lot of exciting new capabilities,” Forman says.

I immediately thought of clothes that would help self regulate at different temperatures, but this seems to work backwards for that - tightening (and presumably holding more heat) when warm.

 

[TipRoast]

Explained: Generative AI

What do people mean when they say “generative AI,” and why are these systems finding their way into practically every application imaginable? MIT AI experts help break down the ins and outs of this increasingly popular, and ubiquitous, technology.

news.mit.edu

 

[TipRoast]

A new ultrasound patch can measure how full your bladder is

A wearable ultrasound monitor can image the bladder and determine how full it is. The MIT-developed device could help patients with bladder or kidney disorders more easily track whether these organs are functioning properly.

news.mit.edu

 

[TipRoast]

 

[Kontradiction]

I immediately thought of clothes that would help self regulate at different temperatures, but this seems to work backwards for that - tightening (and presumably holding more heat) when warm.

 

[TipRoast]

A Brief History of Tricky Mathematical Tiling | Quanta Magazine

The discovery earlier this year of the “hat” tile marked the culmination of hundreds of years of work into tiles and their symmetries.

www.quantamagazine.org

The ultimate quest of tiling theory was now to find such an “einstein” tile — named not after the physicist, but for the German phrase “one stone.”

 

[TipRoast]

Another step forward on the path to fusion energy:

Princeton Engineering - Engineers use AI to wrangle fusion power for the grid

A Princeton-led team composed of engineers, physicists, and data scientists from the University and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to predict — and then avoid — the formation of a specific plasma problem in real time.

engineering.princeton.edu

 

[TipRoast]

Nervous System

Nervous System is a design studio that works at the intersection of science, art, and technology. We create using a novel process that employs computer simulation to generate designs and digital fabrication to realize products. Drawing inspiration from natural phenomena, we write computer...

n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com

I have just begun exploring this site - fascinating advances in puzzles, fashion, lighting, jewelry, art, medicine (3D printed organs), other areas.

 

[TipRoast]

Here's a quick follow-up to post #189. Even though this is a NY Times article, everyone should be able to read it.

What Can You Do With an Einstein?

Earlier this year, mathematicians discovered a unique shape. Now do-it-yourselfers have found ingenious ways to put it to use.

www.nytimes.com

 

[BostonTim]

Peter Higgs, Nobelist Who Predicted the ‘God Particle,’ Dies at 94

The Higgs boson was named for him. It was a key element of the Standard Model, which encapsulated all human knowledge so far about elementary particles.

www.nytimes.com

Peter HIggs (Nobel Laureate)) predicted the "God Particle" (Higg's Boson) has passed.

R.I.P.

 

[TipRoast]

Peter Higgs, Nobelist Who Predicted the ‘God Particle,’ Dies at 94

The Higgs boson was named for him. It was a key element of the Standard Model, which encapsulated all human knowledge so far about elementary particles.

www.nytimes.com

Peter HIggs (Nobel Laureate)) predicted the "God Particle" (Higg's Boson) has passed.

R.I.P.

Yes, I saw that and read the obit. Anyone that celebrates winning the Nobel Prize in physics by having a beer is both very smart and salt-of-the-earth.