News of the week selected by Impactscool – October 5th
5 October 2020 | Written by La redazione
The most advanced robotic hand in the world is Italian
IIT at the forefront of the construction of functional prostheses. Hannes, this is the name of this concentrate of technology and innovation in the form of a hand, is one of the most advanced prostheses in the world. It is able to perform movements very similar to those of a biological hand, with speed, precision and adapting the strength to the needs.
In 2008, the discovery of a large lake under the south pole of Mars made headlines. A new analysis of data from ESA’s Mars Express probe now shows that this is not an isolated case: the area would, in fact, be dotted with several bodies of salt water of the same type, albeit smaller, separated by zones dry. This was revealed in a new article published in the journal “Nature Astronomy” by Elena Pettinelli of the RomaTre University and colleagues from a collaboration of Italian and foreign institutes, including the Bologna and Rome sections of the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), and the CNR of Naples. This reopens the debate on the conditions associated with the stable presence of liquid water on the Red Planet, a crucial element in being able to reconstruct its geological history and be able to speculate on the development of life forms. Furthermore, the presence of liquid water could prove to be fundamental for future human missions on the planet.
The mountain can be a treacherous environment, just a moment of distraction is enough to get hurt and need help, often by helicopter. The Great North Air Ambulance Service, a British air ambulance service, is looking for an alternative to expensive helicopters and slow ground rescue. To do this he turned to Gravity Industries and its jetpack which would allow a person to travel the distance that would normally take hours to land rescue in minutes to provide first aid. If the tests are successful in the future, such figures could reach the hapless hiker in no time carrying painkillers, bandages, medical kits and defibrillators.
Created an enzyme that devours plastic
Our planet is invaded by plastic and if on the one hand there are many efforts to reduce its production, on the other we still find ourselves with mountains of this material in landfills. Plenty of researchers are working on ways to get rid of plastic, including a team from the University of Portsmouth claimed to have created an enzyme capable of dissolving plastic six times faster than others. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the research opens up an interesting new way to free us from plastic.
