Self-Healing Electronics Pave the Way for More Durable Gadgets. Also T-1000.

Lambert Varias — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:00:40 +0000

It’s a science fiction staple – a character gets blasted, sliced or run over, but instead of dying it just stares at its wound while its body repairs itself as everyone watches in disbelief. Here’s a development that brings us just that much closer to that: circuitry that can heal itself, developed by a team of engineers at the University of Illinois.

In simple terms – the only terms you’ll get from me! – the circuit is made of a gold lining slobbered with a coating of microcapsules. When the circuit is broken (most probably due to heat or scratching) the microcapsules that are also broken in the process release their payload – a liquid metal that seeps into the crack and ~~kills John Connor~~ fills in the gap. This process happens so fast you’ll never notice that your gadget was even damaged. Watch the video below to hear more from one of the engineers’ team leaders, aerospace engineering Prof. Scott White. Excited Skynet zealots can fast forward to 1:36 to see the tech in action.

Seriously though, if this means longer lasting gadgets, then I’m all for it. I just wish they’d make a counterpart for humans too. Just to even the playing field.

Study on Salamanders May Hold Key to Human Tissue Regeneration – or a Monster.

Lambert Varias — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:03:39 +0000

In a study published in Nature magazine, a group of scientists revealed that human cells may be induced to regenerate appendages in the same way that salamanders do. Meaning we can also grow salamander limbs. Kidding.

Apparently the cells on the stumps of a salamander “only” need to revert to a “less mature” state instead of a day 1 embryonic state to differentiate and turn into the cells that will make up the new limb. Dr. Elly Tanaka, one of the biologists behind the study, said that this bodes well for us, because it means that tissue regeneration is much more probable than previously thought. But this is future-future tech, and further studies are needed before any human tests will be performed. I recommend that Dr. Tanaka and her colleagues read this document, published in 1963, so that we may avoid having to deal with the likes of this:

*shivers* Dr. Tanaka, please conduct research on radioactive spiders as well. It’ll be fun I promise.

[via Wired via Neatorama]

Technabob » regeneration

Self-Healing Electronics Pave the Way for More Durable Gadgets. Also T-1000.

Study on Salamanders May Hold Key to Human Tissue Regeneration – or a Monster.