The 5Ws and H of Science continues…
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhich mammals lay leathery eggs? TWO MAMMALS, the duck-billed platypus and the echidna (spiny anteater), do not give birth to live young. Instead, they are very primitive for mammals because, like reptiles and birds, they lay eggs rather than having live birth. They lay eggs that are protected by leathery shells. After laying eggs in […]
The 5Ws and H of Science
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhat is a PROTEIN? PROTEINS are large molecules playing important functions that make living things alive. They are made out of different combinations of 20 types of amino acids, like words out of a 20-letter alphabet — but long ones with hundreds of letters, even longer than 34,000 letters like the muscle protein titin! Each […]
First D-8 hi-tech park in Malaysia by end-2020
Reading Time: 1 minuteTHE Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) has proposed the establishment of its very first hightechnology industrial park in Malaysia by the end of 2020. D-8 is a 22-year-old global organisation with its headquarters in Istanbul. It was established for “development cooperation” among eight countries stretching from Southeast Asia to Africa (Malaysia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, […]
Primary school pupils engaged in robotics
Reading Time: 2 minutesIN CONJUNCTION with the MTDC Technology Conference and Exhibition (MTCE) 2019, MTDC co-organised an I4.0 Robotics & Drone Bootcamp and Competition with its partners, Politeknik Kota Kinabalu and Universiti Teknologi MARA. Over 90 participants from 11 primary schools, other educational and organisational institutions took part in the Robotics & Drone Bootcamp and Competition. The two-day […]
A second interstellar visitor has arrived in our solar system
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY RAFI LETZTER FOR the second time ever, astronomers have detected an interstellar object plunging through our solar system. But this time, researchers think they know where it came from. Gennady Borisov, an amateur astronomer working with his own telescope in Crimea, first spotted the interstellar comet on Aug. 30. His find made the object […]
How plant-based JUST turns mung beans into scrambled eggs
Reading Time: 3 minutesTHERE’S a reason most plant-based companies start their product lines with a burger. Sure, figuring out the aroma, sizzle and taste of beef is a challenge, but mushing plant protein into a patty is far easier than trying to replicate the light and fluffy texture of scrambled eggs. Still, that’s exactly what JUST, Inc. is […]
Breath-in medication for TB is viable
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY THAIGAR P. A RESEARCH group from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USM, in collaboration with the School of Pharmacy and Centenary Institute from The University of Sydney have developed needle-like antibiotic micro-crystals for tuberculosis (TB) treatment. This novel and cost-effective treatment is to be delivered into the lungs via inhalation. When tested on animals, […]
New way to turn heat into electricity
Reading Time: 2 minutesAN INTERNATIONAL TEAM of scientists has figured out how to capture heat and turn it into electricity. The discovery, published last week in the journal Science Advances, could create more efficient energy generation from heat in things like car exhaust, interplanetary space probes and industrial processes. “Because of this discovery, we should be able to […]
Most complete exploration of fly landing maneuvers to advance future robots
Reading Time: 2 minutesTO INSPIRE advanced robotic technology, researchers in the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering have published the most complete description of how flying insects land upside-down. The paper was published in Science Advances. “ Through this work, we sought to understand how a fly executes the maneuvers of landing upside down in the blink of […]
Daily exposure to blue light may accelerate aging
Reading Time: 2 minutesPROLONGED exposure to blue light, such as that which emanates from your phone, computer and household fixtures, could be affecting your longevity, even if it’s not shining in your eyes. New research at Oregon State University suggests that the blue wavelengths produced by light-emitting diodes damage cells in the brain as well as retinas. The […]