«Suzanne Lee can conjure clothing out of thin air. No, wait, that’s not entirely accurate. She’ll need at least a couple of bathtubs, some yeast, a pinch of bacteria, and several cups of sweetened green tea. Lee, who is a senior research fellow at the School of Fashion & Textiles at Central Saint Martins in London, is the brains (and brawn) behind BioCouture, an experiment in growing garments from the same microbes that ferment the tasty caffeinated beverage.»

Source: ecouterre.com

«We’ve waxed lyrical about botanical walls, green roofs and living treehouses on Inhabitat for years – is the next logical step a home made from animal tissue?

From the boundary-pushing team of archi-visionaries who brought us the fabulous Fab Tree Hab comes a new (and somewhat disgusting) way to grow a structure — using animal flesh!

Dr. Joachim explains “It is intended to be a ‘victimless shelter’, because no sentient being was harmed in the laboratory growth of the skin.” »

Source: inhabitat.com

«When Oscar the cat lost both his hind paws in a farming accident, it was feared he’d have to trundle around in one of those wheeled-cat apparatuses. But Noel Fitzpatrick, a neuro-orthopedic veterinary surgeon in Surrey, pioneered a groundbreaking technique instead, installing weight-bearing bone implants to create a bionic kitty. »

Source: popsci.com

«A vegetable? Yes, indeed. Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has just introduced what they’re calling “solid organic electric battery based upon treated potatoes.” In short, it’s a potato powered battery, and it’s as real as you’re hoping it is. The simple, sustainable, robust device can potentially provide an immediate inexpensive solution to electricity needs in parts of the world lacking electrical infrastructure, but we’re hoping that it can work a similar amount of magic for developed nations as well.»

Source: hothardware.com

«Here’s a bright idea for the planet. A Hong Kong-based company has introduced what it bills as the world’s only solar-powered light bulb with the hope of reaching millions of people with little or no access to electricity. »

Source: news.cnet.com

«the world’s largest solar powered boat will be placed in the water for its first trip on march 31st. the planet solar boat measures 100 feet long and 50 feet wide and is covered in 5,300 square feet of photovoltaic solar panels. the ship was built at the hdw shipyard in germany and will embark on a trip around the world in 2011 covering over 25,000 miles. inside the boat has room for fifty passengers who will be propelled from atop the catamaran base. »

Source: designboom.com

«Fort acoustic partition system is made from recycled PET bottle fiber. The “fort” system has its benefits with sound oriented environments as well as being an adaptable room divider that unlike most can be reconfigured to fit specific needs.»

Source: arihiromiyake.com

«The concept car Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. plans to show at the Expo 2010 (more images in the extended) betrays tremendous pressure to set the highest standard. Combining all of the wildest dreams of electric vehicle buffs into one concept car, SAIC claims to achieve a net vehicle emissions balance of less than zero. The world’s first negative emissions vehicle.»

Source: treehugger.com

«Scientists at a government lab here are trying to use the world’s largest laser — it’s the size of three football fields — to set off a nuclear reaction so intense that it will make a star bloom on the surface of the Earth. »

Source: cnn.com

«In the center of Stuttgart, Germany, lies an odd roundabout called Oesterreichischer Platz. Speeding traffic circles around it, and for the last 40 years no one has found much use for it, except as a parking lot. Now German designer Lars Behrendt has conceived of an incredible tower for the unused site that is comprised of 55 shipping containers stacked up like blocks. The Lotto Turm would function as a mixed-use development with a sphere at the top, which would be used to announce the city’s lotto numbers..»

Source: inhabitat.com