The 3G networks that first enabled true broadband mobile Internet access are now being superseded by LTE networks, which offer download and upload speeds many times greater than those achievable via decade-old 3G technology. A team of experts at Ericsson have contributed a significant number of patents to the development of LTE, powering the rise of the mobile Internet economy.
Exploring the brain allows us to better understand brain disorders, treat trauma, and train future medical doctors and neuroscientists. Wieslaw Nowinski's high-resolution, 3D brain atlases have revolutionised the world of brain mapping and have given us unprecedented insights into our most complex organ.
Sixty-five years ago, in 1949, Fischer received his first patent for the synchronised photo flash. A long list of inventions and patents followed: from cup holders and CD boxes to storage trays, ventilation nozzles – and even children’s toys.
The married couple's invention consists of two components: an external processor that converts sound into electrical signals, and an internal implant that sends that information to the brain. The implant itself comprises a computer that receives information from the processor, and uniquely shaped electrodes that pass this information along.
3D printing, the additive-manufacturing technology Charles W. Hull developed, has made rapid prototyping possible and opened up new applications across countless industries. The technology could one day become one of the biggest advances in manufacturing since the industrial revolution.
Antibodies are used by our immune system to identify invaders and fight diseases. The American researchers Cary L. Queen and Harold E. Selick were able to "humanise" antibodies to contain at least 90% human components, making them radically more effective in warding off a variety of diseases including cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma.
Since a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum was scanned at an Ohio supermarket in 1974, the familiar black-and-white stripes of the most popular bar code type - the one-dimensional UPC - have become an integral part of modern life.
What if implants such as pacemakers could receive their energy not from batteries but from the human body itself, preventing the risk and cost of replacement surgery? A team of French scientists successfully implanted a micro-device that generates electricity from the glucose in the blood of a mammal - a major step forward in the quest for a power source that can operate on its own and doesn't need to be recharged.
The proteins built by our cells are necessary for our biological functions. However, when a gene gives instructions that differ from the typical blueprint, the incorrectly built proteins can cause a variety of diseases and conditions. Halting the activation of disease-causing genes can help prevent certain diseases.
Unravelling the complexities of the human genome was once an endeavour reserved for the scientific elite, but Christofer Toumazou’s invention – a USB stick that decodes a patient’s DNA within minutes – puts that unique ability at people’s fingertips.
