A cloned mouse by using one drop of blood

Japanese scientists have succeeded to clone a mouse by only using one single drop of blood. The scientists used circulated blood cells who were collected from the tail of a donor mouse who was used to produce the clone. The female cloned mouse should be able to live a normal lifespan and could even give birth to young, according to the researchers. 
Mice already have been cloned by using other parts of the body, such as white blood cells found in the lymph nodes, bone marrow and liver. The research the Japanese scientists were doing was to discover if it was possible to clone a mouse by only using circulating blood cells.

The aim to find an easily available source of donor cells to clone scientifically valuable strains of laboratory mice was not to high, but it is one hell of a breakthrough. Imagine this is possible with human beings. How many of you would be walking around? Crazy idead huh? But not as unreal as you think. Lots of ethical discussions will arise in the near future.

A portrait from a single hair

We are so far with present technology that we can figure out how someone looks by a investigating one single hair. This is what really intrigued the artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg, who spent time collecting hairs shed in public spaces... and then sequencing the DNA therein to print 3D sculptures of what those hairs’ owners might look like.
The video 'DNA Portrait' is a lovely short documentary shot by TED. 'It's a very accessible way for the public to engage with this new technology. It really brings to light how powerful it is, the idea that a hair from your head can fall on your street and a perfect stranger can pick it up and know something about it', says TEDGlobal speaker Ellen Jorgensen, who runs a lab in DNA-based technology. Adding: 'With DNA sequencing becoming faster and cheaper, this is the world we’re all going to be living in.'


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Move over, Daft Punk

Robots are getting more and more advanced these days. They can mop floors, assist with daily living tasks, pour beer… but can they rock your face off? It turns out that they can.

Z-Machines is a new band in Japan composed of robots createdby students at Tokyo University. Mach (center) plays lead guitar with 12 picks and 78 fingers. Cosmo (left) plays keyboard and shoots lasers from its eyes. Ashura (right) is on drums and uses 21 sticks.

18-year-old girl invents battery that can recharge in 30 seconds

One thing I really find annoying is the fact that the battery of my smartphone is already low after a hour or two surfing on the internet, tweeting or whatsapping. Instant panic, because how can I get through the day? You have to send an e-mail, you're whatsapping with 5 friends at the same time, you have to travel by train for two hours and tonight you still have to be able to look up the right directions to get from the station to a party. A smartphone consumes a lot of power, which can cause panic if you still need to get through a whole day with a 15% battery. But luckily there has been a clever girl who has come up with the solution.

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Every year 7 million high school students from over the world participate in research projects in the field of science and technology and present their outcomes at local science competitions, hoping that they will be selected to go to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The Intel ISEF is an initiative of computer company Intel and is only accessible for the real nerds and whizkids among us. It is a one week-long celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths. During this event the young innovators can show their ideas and their groundbreaking research to the public. They are competing for more than 4 million dollars in awards and scolarships.

Intel Foundation Young Scientist award

The lucky winner of the 50,000 euro scholarship is the 18 year-old American Eesha Khare. Just like any teenager she experienced the low battery problem with her smartphone. With this as an inspiration she began to work on the energy storage technology and developed a device that is able to charge in 20 seconds. The device is really small and flexible and can save a lot of energy in a small space. The device is about a centimeter long and a few millimeters thick. It fully charges in 20 to 30 seconds, holds its power for a long time and it can be recharged for about 10,000 times. Ideal for a mobile phone!

Knowledge, curiousity and experience

This is another great example of a youngster who combinated her knowledge and curiousity with her daily experiences in life as a teenager. A winning combination if you ask me! Google has also noted Eesha's invention and has already shown interest to buy it. For Eesha there is a bright future waiting for her.

See below the video of Eesha's victory and get an impression of the Intel ISEF.

Young Belgians devise concept to connect Europeans with each other: Hello Europe!

Despite the fact that we live in Europe and the borders are practically wide open, we don't really know much about the countries around us. Ok, we know the standard associations that everyone has with Germany (beer and bratwurst) or France (The Eiffel Tower, baguettes, wine and romance), but what is really going on over there? What does the streetscape look like? How are the people? And what is their story?

Hello Europe!

Three young Belgians have devised a concept with which we can be more connected to the countries around us, the countries in Europe. Hello Europe is the name of the concept that will manifest itself by placing a large screen (6 by 2 metres) at a central place in a European city. The project should be able to give Europeans a peek into another big city in Europe, as if you're really there yourself. You should also be able to communicate with other Europeans through the screen, so imagine what you could do with that!

Connect People

“Our project is not politically inspired. Our only purpose is to connect people” said the young Belgians. It is striking that these young people that have grown up with internet and smartphones, are focussing on bringing people together by offering them as real contact and communication as possible. Although you're communicating via a screen, it will look like you're really in front of the Eiffel Toweror the Colosseum talking, dancing or even dating with the locals.

We live in a globalized world but despite that we are still far apart from each other. Hello Europe! shows that we, by making use of the existing technologies, are able to connect people and bring them closer together. 

Watch here the video of Hello Europe!

Flashlight lighted by the heat of our hands

This 15 year-old is a finalist in Google's global science fair for building a battery-free flashlight powered by the heat of her hands. 

Ann Makosinski will be flying to Mountain View, Calif., to present her science project, which is competing with 14 others for the top prize. Ann got interested in generating energy when she realised human beings are full of energy that we can use to provide our devices with energy. With this thought in her head she started to experiment. 

The winner of Google's competition will be announced on Sept. 23 and receive a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic Expeditions, a $50,000 scholarship, and other prizes.

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