Computer America

Show Notes 24 July 2026NASA Program Explores Hybrid-Electric ‘Double Bubble’ [fuselage] Airliner ConceptFlyingmag.comStory by Jack Daleohttps://www.flyingmag.com/nasa-electra-hybrid-commercial-airliner-concept/Electra Company WebsiteElectrahttps://electra.aero/Electra Press ReleaseElectrahttps://electra.aero/news/electra-unveils-turbo-electric-aircraft-concept-for-next-generation-airliner-as-part-of-nasa-aaces-2050-programNASA AACES ProgramNASAhttps://www.nasa.gov/reference/advanced-aircraft-concepts-for-environmental-sustainability-2050/“Cold spray” 3D printing technique proves effective for on-site bridge repairMIT NewsStory by Anne Wilsonhttps://news.mit.edu/2025/cold-spray-3d-printing-technique-effective-bridge-repair-0620Plastic bottles could find new life in batteries as graphitePenn State announcementhttps://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/plastic-bottles-could-find-new-life-batteries-graphiteScienceDirect Research PaperScienceDirecthttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925963526002700?via%3DihubSurgeons Use Teleoperated Humanoid Robots to Perform Live Surgery – a World FirstUniversity of California, San DiegoStory by Ioana Patringenaruhttps://today.ucsd.edu/story/surgeons-use-teleoperated-humanoid-robots-to-perform-live-surgery-a-world-firstUCSD Surgery VideoYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp0eiQL6vB8A Seaweed-based ingredient can help turn dirt into 3D-printed wallsUniversity of Colorado BoulderStory by Yvaine Yehttps://www.colorado.edu/today/2026/06/22/seaweed-based-ingredient-can-help-turn-dirt-3d-printed-wallsNature Research PaperNaturehttps://www.nature.

Show Notes 17 July 2026Ultra-thin transparent solar cells promise invisible charging for wearables, cars, and homesDigitalTrends.com - Story by Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/ultra-thin-transparent-solar-cells-promise-invisible-charging-for-wearables-cars-and-homes/
Soil power: UK startup Bactery is generating sustainable energy from the earthUniversity of Bath press release
https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/soil-power-uk-startup-bactery-is-generating-sustainable-energy-from-the-earth/
Bactery Company WebsiteBactery
https://www.bactery.com/
This shape-shifting liquid stores solar energy, and releases it on demandAnthropocene Magazine
https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/06/this-shape-shifting-liquid-soaks-up-sunlight-stores-energy-and-releases-it-on-demand/
Boosting one protein helps the brain fight Alzheimer’sScienceDaily.com - From Baylor College of Medicine
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260502013550.htm
Previously unrecognized immune response could enhance defense against cancerBaylor College of Medicine
https://www.bcm.edu/news/previously-unrecognized-immune-response-could-enhance-defense-against-cancer
New US partnership aims to extract critical semiconductor materials from aluminum wasteInteresting Engineering - Story by Atharva Gosavi
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/us-to-extract-critical-semiconductor-materials
Low-tech solution to the 6G problem: Metacrystal panels offer cheap way to guide wireless signals around cornersNewAtlas.com - Story by Etiido Uko
https://newatlas.com/telecommunications/metamaterial-panels-wireless-signals-indoor-barriers/
Revolutionary 3D Microscope Delivers High-Resolution Tissue Imaging at a Fraction of the CostBioengineer.org
https://bioengineer.org/revolutionary-3d-microscope-delivers-high-resolution-tissue-imaging-at-a-fraction-of-the-cost/

Show NotesStory 1: First map of nerve circuitry in bone helps physicians identify key signals for bone repairRobert EganMedicalXpress.comhttps://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-nerve-circuitry-bone-physicians-key.htmlhttps://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr9608Story 2: Spinach-Based Eye Drops Could Help Treat a Common Eye ConditionDavid NieldScienceAlert.comhttps://www.sciencealert.com/spinach-based-eye-drops-could-help-treat-a-common-eye-conditionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL8OuEJeDxYStory 3: Engineered blood clots form faster to stop severe bleedingMedical News Life Scienceshttps://www.news-medical.net/news/20260615/Engineered-blood-clots-form-faster-to-stop-severe-bleeding.aspxhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10412-yStory 4: Stanford scientists regrow lost cartilage and reverse arthritis in major breakthroughScienceDaily.comhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260612021604.htmhttps://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx6649Story 5: Animals react to secret sounds from plants, say scientistsPallab GhoshBBChttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8e4860n9rpoStory 6: Chinese team converts wastewater to ammoniaEcohubmap.comhttps://www.ecohubmap.com/the-news/chinese-team-converts-wastewater-to-ammonia/rshyl3lmp17l3v3Story 7: Electricity could produce cement with almost no carbon footprintAmerican Chemical Societyhttps://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2026/may/electricity-could-produce-cement-with-almost-no-carbon-footprint.html

Show NotesFox Buying Roku: A Cage Match for the TV Home ScreenBy Rob EnderleTechNewsWorld
https://www.technewsworld.com/story/fox-buying-roku-a-cage-match-for-the-tv-home-screen-180403.html
Sony Will Stop Making Disc-Based PlayStation Games Starting 2028By Igor BonifacicEngadget
https://www.engadget.com/2205792/sony-will-stop-making-disc-based-playstation-games-starting-2028
Brands Share Playful Responses to Sony's Digital-Only AnnouncementBy Theodore McKenzie80lv
https://80.lv/articles/brands-share-playful-responses-to-sony-s-digital-only-announcement
GitHub Is Offering CD-ROMs of Your Code For a Few DaysBy Jorge JimenezPC Gamer
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/your-code-is-physically-yours-forever-until-you-lose-it-lets-be-real-github-wagging-its-finger-at-sonys-own-goal-is-offering-cd-roms-of-your-code-for-a-few-days
Xbox Follows Apple with Price IncreasesBy Ivan MehtaTechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/25/xbox-follows-apple-with-price-increases/
Support for a Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16 Cuts Across Party LinesBy Lauren FeinerThe Verge
https://www.theverge.com/tech/961051/support-for-a-social-media-ban-for-kids-under-16-cuts-across-party-lines
Neon Rescues Sam Altman Movie After Amazon Drops ItBy Thomas GermainGizmodo
https://gizmodo.com/neon-rescues-sam-altman-movie-after-amazon-drops-it
Guest: Nathan Evans, Managing EditorCalcopia
https://www.calcopia.com

Show Notes 3 July 2026Story 1: IBM Unveils the World’s First Sub-1-Nanometer Chip TechnologyStory by Allen LeeSource: TechTimes.comLink: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/319060/20260625/ibm-unveils-worlds-first-sub-1-nanometer-chip-technology.htmLink: https://newsroom.ibm.com/2026-06-25-ibm-debuts-worlds-first-sub-1-nanometer-chip-technology?utm_source=chatgpt.comStory 2: University licenses breakthrough e-waste gold and copper recovery technologySource: Edinburgh InnovationsLink: https://edinburgh-innovations.ed.ac.uk/news/university-of-edinburgh-licenses-breakthrough-e-waste-gold-and-copper-recovery-technologyStory 3: World's first 'native' color lidar will let robots and self-driving cars map the world in full color 3DStory by Fiona JacksonSource: Newsbreak.comLink: https://www.newsbreak.com/livescience-525075/4659318310506-world-s-first-native-color-lidar-will-let-robots-and-self-driving-cars-map-the-world-in-full-color-3dLink: https://ouster.com/Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msrvH_nivHIStory 4: Lab-created ‘SpudCell’ marks ‘stunning’ step toward building life from scratchStory by Kai DupferschmidtSource: Science.orgLink: https://www.science.org/content/article/lab-created-spudcell-marks-major-step-toward-building-life-scratchLink: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/worlds-first-synthetic-cell-complete-life-cycle-could-revolutionize-biologicalLink: https://biotic.org/research/spudcell/Honorable Mention: Scientists Turn Wet Coffee Grounds into Coal-Like Fuel in Just 90 SecondsStory by Tudor TaritaSource: ZME ScienceLink: https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/scientists-turn-wet-coffee-grounds-into-coal-like-fuel-in-just-90-seconds/Honorable Mention: Paper Battery Startup Aims to Power Everything in Your HouseStory by Matthew S. SmithSource: IEEE SpectrumLink: <

Show Notes 26 June 2026

World’s Most Powerful Tidal Turbine ‘Orbital O2’ Begins Operations Off Scotland’s Orkney IslandsMI News NetworkMarineInsight.comhttps://www.marineinsight.com/worlds-most-powerful-tidal-turbine-orbital-o2-begins-operations-off-scotlands-orkney-islands/https://www.orbitalmarine.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSM3WukK_cgHelion secures world’s first regulatory licenses for fusion power plant being built in WashingtonLisa StifflerGeekwirehttps://www.geekwire.com/2026/helion-secures-worlds-first-regulatory-licenses-for-fusion-power-plant-being-built-in-washington/Circularity Fuels Converts Raw Dairy Biogas to Jet Fuel in World First End-to-End PilotBeth AntonRenewable Energy Newshttps://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/biogas/circularity-fuels-converts-raw-dairy-biogas-to-20260617Ultrasound-based pacemaker noninvasively steadies the heartJennifer ChuMIT Newshttps://news.mit.edu/2026/ultrasound-based-pacemaker-noninvasively-steadies-heart-0602Waste oils and fats to be turned into low-emission jet fuel with new modular techSujita SinhaInteresting Engineeringhttps://interestingengineering.com/energy/honeywell-brazil-cleaner-jet-fuelNanoengineered wood sets new record for transformer insulationLisa LockTechXplore.comhttps://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-nanoengineered-wood-insulation.htmlWorld-first hydrogen-powered 'gas station' for ships passes key trialsOmar KardoudiNew Atlashttps://newatlas.com/marine/elire-maritime-hydrogen-power-hub/A solar-powered rubbish-eating boat? The vessel chomping plastic waste out of the seaKatharine GammonThe Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/12/solar-powered-rubbish-eating-boat-plastic-waste-sea

Show Notes

Story 1: A new frontier for marine robot communication: University of Florida scientists develop BlueMEDave SchlenkerUniversity of Floridahttps://www.eng.ufl.edu/news/research-innovation/a-new-frontier-for-marine-robot-communication-uf-scientists-develop-blueme/?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11506063Story 2: Scientists bred a fast-growing kelp that could fuel ships and aircraft without oilBrooklyn SmithThe Cool Down on MSN.comhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/scientists-bred-a-fast-growing-kelp-that-could-fuel-ships-and-aircraft-without-oil/ar-AA239D7SStory 3: Introducing Argus, a robot with 20 legs and eyes built to move and see in any direction instantlyAllen G. Breed and Holly RamerAP News Servicehttps://apnews.com/article/robot-duke-argus-6ba9651ba6553ebc4405ffc07a26afedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivufnqS3pRc&t=2sStory 4: Genetically Engineered Hookworms Developed to Produce and Deliver Therapeutic AgentsBioengineer.orghttps://bioengineer.org/genetically-engineered-hookworms-developed-to-produce-and-deliver-therapeutic-agents/Honorable MentionsStory: Robots Could Turn E-Waste into a Source of Legacy Chips - This startup wants to recover usable RAM before circuit boards are shreddedShannon CuthrellIEEE Spectrumhttps://spectrum.ieee.org/e-waste-recycling-robots-ramStory: Scientists Found a Remarkable Way to Help Kids Like VegetablesDavid NieldScienceAlert.comhttps://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-found-a-remarkable-way-to-help-kids-like-vegetablesStory: This Groundbreaking Hydrogen Engine Could Rival Diesel Power Without the EmissionsJonathan SayersBGR.comhttps://www.bgr.com/2167090/groundbreaking-hydrogen-engine-no-emissions-diesel/Story: New thermal imaging system detects early melanoma before it is visibleNews Medical Life Scienceshttps://www.news-medical.net/news/20260525/New-thermal-imaging-system-detects-early-melanoma-before-it-is-visible.aspx

Show NotesStudent-Built Car Hits 2,145 MPG And Beats Every Production VehicleRex SanchezAutoBlog.comhttps://www.autoblog.com/news/student-built-car-hits-2145-mpg-and-beats-every-production-vehicleSee YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz84xF6tn-MBacteria Live in Fog Droplets and Clear Toxins from Earth’s AirKeith CowingAstrobiology.comhttps://astrobiology.com/2026/05/bacteria-live-in-fog-droplets-and-clear-toxins-from-earths-air.htmlSee also: https://futurism.com/science-energy/something-living-inside-fogSee research paper here: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.00463-26Solar cells just did the “impossible” with this 130% breakthrough - A new “spin-flip” breakthrough could let solar panels generate more energy than they receiveKyushu UniversityScienceDaily.comhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260328024517.htmSee research paper here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5c20500Scientists reverse brain aging, with a nasal spray - New therapy is turning back the clock in aging brains, healing inflammation, restoring memory and reshaping the future of brain age-related therapies.Zaid ElayyanTexas A&M Storieshttps://stories.tamu.edu/news/2026/04/14/scientists-reverse-brain-aging-with-a-nasal-spray/Scientists Create First-Ever ‘Smell Map’ - A detailed diagram of smell receptors in the nose fills in missing details of how olfaction worksCatherine CarusoHarvard School of Medicine Websitehttps://hms.harvard.edu/news/scientists-create-first-ever-smell-mapAI-powered spectrometer chip shrinks lab technology to the size of a grain of sand - Scientists built a grain-of-sand-sized AI chip that could turn future gadgets into powerful chemical and medical scanners.University of California DavisScienceDaily.comhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260525000501.htmEach atom in the universe might be uniqueK. R. CallawayScientific Americanhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/each-

Computer America Stories 06/5/2026

 Happy First Birthday, Switch 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Switch_2

Nvidia’s RTX Spark Silicon Brings Supercomputer Ambitions to Consumer Laptops

 https://www.pcmag.com/news/nvidia-rtx-spark-in-consumer-laptops-computex-2026

Steam Machine and Steam Frame are coming 'this summer'

 https://www.engadget.com/2187938/steam-machine-and-steam-frame-are-coming-this-summer/

Behind the Movie Claiming to Be the First Straight-to-VHS Release in 20 Years — And Why It’s a ‘Middle Finger’ to AI

https://variety.com/2026/film/global/behind-the-fstraight-to-vhs-release-in-20-years-and-why-its-a-middle-finger-to-ai-1236767661/

Misc.

Show Notes 5 June 2026

Researchers built a switch 1,000 times faster than today's AI chips, and it barely generates any heat - University of Tokyo's antiferromagnetic spintronic switch operates at picosecond speedsKishalaya KunduTechSpot.com
https://www.techspot.com/news/112430-researchers-built-switch-1000-times-faster-than-today.html
https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/press/11143/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt3136?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Solar [panels] on canals reduces water evaporation by 70% and algae growth by 85%Pilar Sanchez MolinaPV Magazine
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/05/04/solar-on-canals-reduces-water-evaporation-by-70-and-algae-growth-by-85/
https://www.tid.org/current-projects/project-nexus/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1yAxRxRpuc
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/solar-panel-covered-canals-have-their-day-sun-california
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtJzOtOpYdo
Can plants hear? Latest research offers new insightsGaby Clark and Andrew ZininPhys.org
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-latest-insights.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-44444-1
AI Tool in Radiotherapy Advances Global Fight to Eradicate Cervical CancerN/ABioengineering.com
https://bioengineer.org/ai-tool-in-radiotherapy-advances-global-fight-to-eradicate-cervical-cancer/