Volkswagen has announced it will bring back the most iconic vehicle of the 1960s. The VW van will return sometime in the next two years, as the I.D. Buzz. But this time around, it?s not a four-cylinder, water-cooled gas burner. The new van will be an all-electric vehicle driven by batteries. VW says the new all-wheel-drive machine will be able to transport eight passengers and get up to 270 miles of all-battery range. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-vw-van-returns-20170819-story.html
Quantum computing is expected to have a revolutionary impact in many industries including finance, resource extraction, health, pharmaceuticals, logistics and data. Quantum computers will be able to solve some types of problems millions of times faster than conventional computers. Silicon Quantum Computing Pty Ltd, will have a key goal of retaining IP in Australia and boosting new industries based around quantum computing and other quantum spin-offs.
http://www.afr.com/technology/unsw-joins-with-government-and-business-to-keep-quantum-computing-technology-in-australia-20170821-gy0tki?
According to MIT researchers 3D solar towers can generate anywhere from double up to 20 times the amount of energy as flat solar panels with the same base area. These 3D designs increase electricity output because their vertical surfaces allow them to capture sunlight even when the sun is closest to the horizon during mornings, evenings and winter and when sunlight is partially obstructed by shadows or cloud cover.
http://news.mit.edu/2012/three-dimensional-solar-energy-0327
Who wants a pop-up, mobile beach house? Ten Fold Engineering, a UK-based company, builds expandable houses that can be trucked to a location and set up in minutes. www.tenfoldengineering.com
Scientists at Ghent University in Belgium have developed a way to turn grass into biofuel which could be used for air travel. If they can keep working on optimizing this process, in cooperation with industrial partners, this idea could become feasible http://www.ugent.be/en/news-events/news/from-grass-to-grassoline.htm
Gastrointestinal parasites cost the Australian sheep industry around $400 million each year with huge implications for animal welfare. The most common way of de-worming sheep is by ?drenching? them but most worm populations are now showing resistance to the drugs which are used. This drug resistance is leading scientists working with the CSIRO to look for new treatments derived from the venom of spiders. https://blog.csiro.au/sheep-parasites-spider-venom/
