Category: Technology

Fusion Energy – The Fuel that the Universe Provides

Fusion energy is the process that ‘powers’ the stars, including our sun, making all life on Earth possible. As our planet’s need for a sustainable solution to global energy increases, scientists are putting more effort into researching the ways that in can be created. Fusion energy is produced by fusing light atoms, such as hydrogen, at the extreme temperature and pressure existing in the center of the sun. At this heat all gases turn to plasma, which is the fourth state of matter and an ‘electrically-charged gas.’ In this state, negatively and positively charged atoms are separated. Scientists believe that as much as 99% of the Universe is made up of plasma, even though it is rarely found on Earth.

To replicate the fusion process, gases need to be heated to over 30 million degrees Celsius. This will completely ionize all atoms. The easiest reaction to duplicate occurs between two hydrogen isotopes: deuterium and tritium. When these two elements fuse they form a helium nucleus, a neutron and a significant amount of energy.

Devices have already been constructed that are capable of producing these extremely high temperatures. A ‘cage’ is created by strong magnetic fields, in the device, that minimizes thermal loss and allows the plasma to be confined long enough for fusion to occur. The tokamak, a donut shaped magnetic chamber, is presently the most advanced of these. Scientists have used it to create temperatures ten times higher than the center of the sun, producing megawatts of power for a few seconds.

Tokamak à Configuration Variable. Courtesy of CRPP-EPFL, Association Suisse-Euratom

Earl Marmar, the head of MIT’s Alcator C-Mod tokamak fusion project, has projected the use of nuclear fusion as a power source by the 2030s. The scientific community are already familiar with how the fusion creation process works, and how to replicate it. There still needs to be extensive research conducted in how to sustain the nuclear fusion once it has been produced, however. Several solutions to this problem are currently being researched including: decreasing the size of the donut hole in the tokamak to harness more energy, or increasing the strength of the magnetic field sustaining the plasma.

To meet the 2030s deadline, when the world’s urban population will have risen significantly, this research may need to be accelerated. Marmar believes that this pressure should be viewed positively, as it motivates the team. Climate change, and continue urbanization, mean that the sooner we are able to produce cost-effective, nuclear fusion energy that can be maintained; the sooner we will be able to help the planet heal from the negative effects of current power sources and expand energy provision.

Gene Editing – Influential DNA Changes

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) is a revolutionary gene editing technology that enables efficient, accurate genome modifications, in a large number of organisms and tissues. The procedure was first identified in a prokaryotic defense system, and consists of sections of genetic code that contain short repetitions of base sequences, followed by spacer DNA segments. Jennifer Doudna compares the simple corrective procedure to a word-processing software that allows someone to correct a typo in a hefty document. The ease and low cost with which the technology can be used, render the possibilities of its application endless.

The process works to edit genes by capturing a short nucleic acid sequence from an invading pathogen, which is then integrated into the CRISPR loci amongst the repeats. This causes small RNA to be reduced by the loci, which can then be used to guide a set of end nucleuses to resist the attacks of invading pathogens in the future. There is ongoing research into using the technology to treat diseases such as cancer, sickle cell anemia and some forms of blindness. The possibility has also be raised that CRISPR can be used as a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and The Salk Institute is researching ways in which they can modify it to produce a pig with transplantable human organs.

They are not the only ones that believe that the technology will work well on animals, as Chinese scientists have already used it to delete genes that inhibit muscle and hair growth in goats. This has allowed for the expansion of the country’s meat and wool industries. There is also a team researching ways in which CRISPR can boost agricultural output, by creating super plants. These plants will be modified to resist fungi, and other things that may restrict their growth.

Cas9 is one of several restriction nucleuses that enables the editing of genes using CRISPR. It works as a molecular scissors, and uses a synthetic guide RNA to introduce a double strand break at a specific location on a DNA strand. This gRNA directs the cut through hybridization with its matching genomic sequence. During each procedure, a DNA construct with three major components: the Cas9 enzyme, gRNA and the replacement DNA template; is injected into an organism to modify its genes.

After the procedure has been applied and the cell attempts to repair the break, there is the possibility of added genetic modifications or an error occurring. Modified Cas9 versions prevent this from happening as they introduce single-strand nicks to the DNA, which pair up to stimulate the repair mechanism. Scientists agree that the CRISPR method is easy to use, but comes with huge moral responsibilities as it has the power to change the way in which humans, and other organisms, evolve. As the technology is applied in more experiments, possible immoral actions will need to be avoided.

Electric Cars that Fly – Eliminating Ground Traffic in the Future

Futuristic movies often have flying cars as a means of transport around busy cities. German company, Lilium Aviation, has been working to take this mode of transportation out of the movies and make it a reality. With more than 40 international designers, engineers and enthusiasts working around the clock, they have created the Lilium Jet which the company refers to as ‘the world’s first entirely electric, vertical take-off and landing jet.’ If Lilium Aviation’s goals are achieved, this is just the beginning of an era in which people can book a flying car, instead of calling an Uber.

The jet’s first successful remotely piloted test flight has recently taken place, and the company expects to conduct a manned one soon. In addition to flying as expected, the vehicle has many unique features in its design. It is a two-seater that takes off vertically, but once in the air it accelerates towards forward flight. It can reach faster speeds than cars and helicopters, and also uses 90% less energy than a drone. The vehicle is also shaped like a computer mouse, with 10 metre long wings that are responsible for its power. There are 36 jet engines, on these wings, which have been mounted on 12 movable flaps. At take-off the flaps point down allowing the aircraft to rise vertically, after which they gradually tilt into a horizontal position to facilitate it thrusting forward. A 1000 pound electric battery enables the jet to reach a maximum cruising speed of 300 km/hr and achieve a range of 300 km.

While the company’s achievement in creating the Lilium Jet is spectacular, they have no intention of stopping there. Their aim is to expand their product into a five passenger vehicle, which will become an on-demand option in crowded, urban areas. This will eventually replace less convenient, ground cabs with a more cost effective, in-air journey. Even though there are several obstacles that the company will have to overcome, such as; setting up take-off and landing structures and getting approval and certification for flights in public air space; they are diligently working towards their goal.

The vehicle has several features which make it a more efficient power consumer than other electric aircrafts. These include: the current battery, with a range limit of 482 km, which co-founder Patrick Nathan says will be enough to achieve the company’s ultimate goal, and its vertical take-off and landing abilities, which greatly increase the range of places it can leave from. All the vehicles that Lilium Aviation are currently developing will run on renewable energy sources, which will also be to their advantage, as electric powered aircrafts are currently the biggest step in using clean energy sources for all our transportation needs.

Cable Free Elevators – The Future of the Lift

The first public elevator was installed in a New York City building in 1874. Since then there has not been much change to its design. Most elevators still have a range that is restricted by the cable system that holds it in place, as well as the direction in which it can go. Technological advances have dictated an upgrade to our mobility; and engineering firm, ThyssenKrup, believe that the movement of elevators also needs to be improved. They have developed a modernized design, with a cable free system that will allow elevators to move horizontally as well as vertically. The firm has already conducted its first public tests, in a tower dedicated to the project, and plan to install the system in their new East Side Tower Building in Berlin.

This new elevator has been named ‘Multi,’ because of its ability to move in more than one direction. Its design is aimed at decreasing the wait time for an elevator, and replaces the cables with rails and magnetic fields. The system will also accommodate multiple cabins. The magnetic fields push the cabins along the rails, operating via a direct drive. This combination creates an in-building hyper loop, with each elevator shaft having multiple cabins. During busy periods the cabins will be able to autonomously plan and adjust their routes to prevent a ‘traffic jam’ in the system. Whenever a cabin has reached its destination, the entire system will rotate to allow it out. These new elevators will not be equipped with ‘up/down’ buttons, but will rely entirely on the rails for direction.

This revolutionary elevator concept will also change the way in which buildings are constructed. The problem associated with taking multiple elevators to get to the top floors of extremely high buildings, will be eliminated. Standard elevators are only able to extend up to 1600 feet safely, causing tall buildings to be constructed to accommodate the necessity of separate elevator shafts going up. Buildings will no longer be restricted in this way, resulting in more intricate designs in the future. Elevators can now access areas in buildings that were previously off limits. Even though the cost of one of these new elevator systems is currently five times the price of a standard one, the company is confident that its product will catch on quickly in an evolving world. Many people, especially building contractors and designers, will be willing to pay the higher costs for the extra convenience.

Asteroid Mining – Harvesting Materials from Space

Asteroids are made up of the same materials as Earth, and other planets, but in different quantities. Our planet’s gravitational pull has resulted in most of its iron-loving materials being sucked to the core billions of years ago. This left the crust almost completely depleted of these elements. Without a gravitational pull, the metals on asteroids have remained close to the surface.  Over millions of years, asteroid impacts deposited metals on the Earth’s crust. These have since been extracted in large quantities, and the resources are once again running out.

Space corporations are currently looking into the possibility of asteroid mining which would consist of taking metals, and other useful materials, from the surface of the asteroids. These extractions can be used in space, or taken back to Earth, and include: water and oxygen to sustain astronauts while in space, gold and palladium to send back to Earth, iron and titanium for space construction and hydrogen and ammonia as rocket propellant. The asteroids that are closest to our planet, would be the first targets. Investors believe that once asteroid mining has been perfected, it will become a trillion dollar industry.

There are three types of asteroids that are being considered for mining:

C- type – These asteroids have an abundance of water, and would be ideal places to refill astronaut supplies during space exploration. The option of stopping for water would greatly reduce mission costs. In addition, they also have organic carbon which would allow food growth.

S-Type – The surface of these asteroids is full of numerous metals, such as cobalt, nickel, gold and platinum.

M-Type – A source of up to ten times the amount of metal on S-type Asteroids.

Scientists have come up with three ways in which asteroid mining can be performed: mining the asteroid and bring the raw materials back to Earth, processing the materials before leaving to produce propellant to fuel the return trip or transporting the asteroid to a safe orbit around the moon, or our planet, where it would then be studied and mined.

A leader in space exploration, NASA has been researching asteroid mining for many years. They have already launched OSIRIS-REx on September 8, 2016, to facilitate the study of asteroid 101955 Bennu. The spacecraft will return to Earth with a sample of its surface in 2023, so that it can be studied in detail. If OSIRIS-REx is successful it will be the first mission that has brought an asteroid sample back to Earth.

NASA is also currently working on a mission called the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). The aim of this project is for a spacecraft to use robotic arms and anchoring grippers which it will be fitted with, to retrieve a 4 metre boulder from a near-earth asteroid. The boulder will then be transported to a stable lunar orbit for analysis by robotic probes and future missions. ARM will be launched in December 2020.

Regenerate, Rejuvenate and Reverse – Stem Cell Therapy and Heart Disease

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Many people that are living with damaged hearts find themselves easily fatigued and unable to perform simple everyday actions. This has warranted ongoing research into finding a cure for the condition. Recently, a study published in Nature has shown that stem cell technology may be used to reverse heart damage. Most patients that currently suffer from heart disease treat the condition with medication, but the stem cell therapy will enable a regrowth of healthy cells.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Shinshu University. The method they proposed would involve transplanting stem cells into the heart, encouraging it to repair itself. Stem cell transplants have already been used to treat leukemia, lymphoma, Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s successfully. The process recommended by Shinshu has already been tried on primates, with good results. Some of the hearts with the transplanted cells began to beat irregularly, but there were no adverse effects of this and scientists are confident that the procedure will work well for humans.

One of the possible problems with transplanting stem cells is the risk of them being rejected by the body, as the immune system tries to protect it. This can be prevented by ensuring that the protein from the donor cells matches the recipient’s. Our immune system uses these proteins to identify harmful foreign bodies. In addition, taking mild immunosuppressants will ensure the stem cells survival for at least 12 weeks. This gives the body an adequate amount of time to accept the stem cells, and the damaged cells in the heart to begin repairing themselves.

After many years of research, Mayo Clinic has also developed a procedure that has allowed the successful transplant of stem cells into patients with heart disease. Their process involves harvesting these cells directly from the patient’s bone marrow, and then changing them into cardiac cells in a laboratory. These are then injected into the patient’s heart, where they will stimulate the growth of healthy tissue.

To refine this process, the heart was first examined at a subcellular level. During this assessment, the team discovered that there were hundreds of proteins present in cardiac tissue. They then used computer technology to separate the proteins, and found that eight of these were necessary for healthy cells in the heart. This led Mayo Clinic’s team to correctly create stem cells which would not be rejected by the immune system, creating the possibility of a more energetic way of life for those living with heart disease.