3D Printing with 6,500 Live Silkworms

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have accomplished a stunning architectural feat using silkworms. To construct this “Silk Pavillion,” 6,500 live silkworms were guided via computer, creating a 3D print of the domed structure. Students at MIT studied the worms’ spinning patterns and tested whether they could control them by altering the worms’ … Read more

Direct Use of Solar Energy for Distillation Systems

As regional shortages of fresh water become more prevalent, solar distillation using a single-effect basin holds promise as a method to bring low-cost, clean, and ecologically-responsible water to remote area dwellers. Compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) can be used to direct more light onto the still increasing the throughput and efficiency of these passive solar devices. … Read more

Removing Arsenic from Water

Ashok Gadgil of Berkeley Lab has developed a low-cost and highly efficient method to remove arsenic from water to less than 10 parts per billion (ppb) – the World Health Organization and U.S. EPA standard for drinking water. The technology has been tested in Bangladesh and Cambodia and proven effective. The cost of the treatment … Read more

Test Firing: 3D-Printed Rocket Injector

NASA has successfully tested its first rocket engine component made through 3D printing. On Thursday, NASA subjected its new rocket engine injector to a series of high-pressure fire tests involving liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen, demonstrating that additive manufacturing (its official name) could one day help the agency build the next generation of rockets faster … Read more

Vegan? Watch Your Protein Levels.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian with a secret stash of candy, jelly beans or dark chocolate, join the club. A constant craving for carbs with occasional headaches, muscle or joint pain may be due to a slight deficiency of protein. The symptoms of a severe protein deficiency include: Edema (swelling) Thinning brittle hair … Read more

Crossing the U.S. on Ten Gallons?

URBEE is a return to fundamentals, a rethink of traditional automotive design and manufacturing. As a species endangered by our own actions, we must quickly learn to stop burning fossil fuels. Surely, the ultimate goal of Design is to serve the ‘public good’. Therefore, corporations and individual designers have a responsibility to offer products that … Read more

James Turrell at the Guggenheim

To work with the light itself, to create experiences for visitors is probably the greatest thing anyone who works with light can do. The exhibit opens with a bang. This treatment of Guggenheim’s iconic atrium is nothing short of stunning. By re-imagining the atrium as a volume on which to paint with light, Turrell makes … Read more

Introducing Your Thesis Advisor

This podcast is one of the first seven Keynote Addresses, given by the Aevia Group’s Founder and Lead Trustee, to inspire the building of a next generation university and charitable service. This address specifically addresses the work of the Fact Acquisition and Dissemination (FAD) team and it’s unique curriculum focus. Consider the Source