From dog poo energy to self-parking slippers, when you think about science and technology, these things might not usually cross your mind.
Dog-Poo Power
Frustrated by the amount of dog poo left on the footpaths near his home in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, a British inventor, Brian Harper, spent several years developing his dog poo-powered lamp as the first in the U.K."Poo—wherever it comes from—is actually really valuable and it's just a criminal waste for dog poo to not be used for something," said Brian Harper.
Treating Sea Turtle with Tumor
This year, in a breakthrough procedure in the U.S., a sea turtle had its tumor treated with electrochemotherapy.The new approach is designed to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy by using a well-dosed electric pulse combined with a controlled amount of chemotherapeutic drugs.
"Injecting a medication right into that tumor with the electro-chemotherapy, we are able to kill the tumor from within and have the tumor shrink and then kind of fall off," said Dr. Anna Szivek, an assistant professor of oncology at the veterinary college at the University of Florida.
Brain Waves
Eye contact can synchronize brainwaves between the baby and the adult and that can stimulate communicative development and language development. This research was done by Victoria Leong from the University of Cambridge.Edible Water Bottles
It is a common sight at marathons around the world—discarded single-use plastic bottles and cups used only once and then dropped on the roadside. In 2018, edible water bottles offer an alternative solution.Self-Parking Slippers
In Japan, one inn located in the resort town of Hakone is making use of new technology to offer an extra touch in their hospitality—self-parking slippers.Guided by a sensor camera, each slipper has a motor and two tiny wheels.
Nissan Motor Co. developed an automated system that makes their guests' slippers to return to their original position just with one push of a button.