Computer America

Show Notes 15 August 2025
Story 1: Meta researchers are developing a gesture-controlled wristband that can interact with a computer
Source: TechCrunch.com
Link: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/23/meta-researchers-are-developing-a-gesture-controlled-wristband-that-can-interact-with-a-computer/
Find the research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09255-w
Story 2: First standard production tire with over 70% bio-based and recycled materials
Source: Pirelli News Release
Link: https://press.pirelli.com/pirelli-first-standard-production-tyre-with-over-70-bio-based-and-recycled-materials/#_ftn1
Story 3: Who-Fi: An AI-Powered Wi-Fi Technology That Can Identify and Track Individuals Without Cameras
Source: Gadgets360.com
Link: https://www.gadgets360.com/internet/news/whofi-wifi-technology-ai-tracking-biometric-signals-behind-walls-without-cameras-study-8949928
See also: https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/wifi-fingerprint-ai-tracking-without-device
See research paper here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.12869
Story 4: Scientists create first mini lungs with built-in blood vessels, unlocking new insights for pulmonary vascular disease
Source: MedicalXpress.com
Link: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-scientists-mini-lungs-built-blood.html
See also: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/scientists-create-first-mini-lungs-built-blood-vessels-unlocking-new-insights-pulmonary
See research paper here: https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(25)00628-2
Honorable Mentions
Story: Scientists develop game-changing method to make use of walnut and pistachio shells [to make biomass fuel]
Source: The Cool Down via MSN
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-develop-game-changing-method-to-make-use-of-walnut-and-pistachio-shells-a-significant-step-forward/ar-AA1HFuM5
Story: World’s most advanced haptic gloves bring real-time touch into virtual reality
Source: Timesofinnovation.com
Link: https://timesofinnovation.com/ai-in-healthcare/worlds-most-advanced-haptic-gloves-bring-real-time-touch-into-virtual-reality/
Story: US firm to build 3,275°F brick battery to decarbonize steel and cement plants
Source: InterestingEngineering.com
Link: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/mass-produce-heat-storing-electric-bricks
Story: Smarter flow simulation model for analyzing blood flow in brain aneurysms improves efficiency and accuracy
Source: MedicalXpress.com
Link: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-smarter-simulation-blood-brain-aneurysms.html

Popzara.com. Nathan Evans, Managing Editor.


Throughout Popzara you’ll find views on gaming, movies, technology, cultural icons and so much more. Reviews and previews, in-depth analyses, opinion pieces, conversations, and a regularly updated Podcast keep things interesting and always entertaining. Our diverse editorial staff is committed to bringing this cornucopia of editorial goodness in fair-minded and positive ways, with minimal snark and maximum fun. A little bit of everything for the discriminating reader and curious listener is what you’ll find at Popzara.



Topics:


Google: Actually, AI in Search is driving more queries and higher quality clicks


Hulu App to Be Phased Out; 'Fully Integrating' Into Disney+


Baidu robotaxi falls into construction pit in China, raising safety concerns | Reuters


Meta says these wild headset prototypes could be the future of VR


Nintendo Switch 2: The Fastest Selling Console Ever With Over 5 Million Units Sold In Its First Month - SuperbCrew


GPT-5 is being released to all ChatGPT users | The Verge

New liquid metal-infused circuit boards can self-heal and work after taking heavy damage
Source: LiveScience.com
Link: https://www.livescience.com/technology/electronics/unlike-conventional-electronics-liquid-metal-used-in-novel-circuit-boards-can-self-heal-and-work-after-taking-heavy-damage
Story 2: Cooling data centers is a multi-billion-dollar problem - now researchers want to use a common cooling mechanism found in animals to solve it
Source: TechRadar.com
Link: https://www.techradar.com/pro/cooling-data-centers-is-a-multi-billion-dollar-problem-researchers-want-to-use-a-common-cooling-mechanism-found-in-animals-to-solve-that-issue
See research paper here: https://www.cell.com/joule/abstract/S2542-4351(25)00156-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2542435125001564%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
Story 3: Scientists invent weird, shape-shifting 'electronic ink' that could give rise to a new generation of flexible gadgets
Source: LiveScience.com
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-invent-weird-shape-shifting-electronic-ink-that-could-give-rise-to-a-new-generation-of-flexible-gadgets/ar-AA1HAE0v
Story 4: A bionic knee integrated into tissue can restore natural movement
Source: MIT News
Link: https://news.mit.edu/2025/bionic-knee-integrated-into-tissue-can-restore-natural-movement-0710
See research paper “Tissue-integrated bionic knee restores versatile legged movement after amputation” here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv3223
Honorable Mentions
Story: Using AI to make lower-carbon, faster-curing concrete
Source: Engineering at Meta
Link: https://engineering.fb.com/2025/07/16/data-center-engineering/ai-make-lower-carbon-faster-curing-concrete/
Story: A mild spinal zap can cut brain-computer interface learning time in half
Source: Medicine.net
Link: https://www.medicine.net/news/Neurology/A-mild-spinal-zap-can-cut-brain-computer-interface-learning-time-in-half.html
Story: Scientists invent photosynthetic 'living' material that sucks CO2 out of the atmosphere
Source: LiveScience.com
Link: https://www.livescience.com/technology/engineering/scientists-invent-photosynthetic-living-material-that-sucks-co2-out-of-the-atmosphere
Story: Alzheimer’s gene therapy shows promise in preserving cognitive function
Source: University of California San Diego
Link: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/alzheimers-gene-therapy-shows-promise-preserving-cognitive-function

Show Notes 1 August 2025
Story 1: Husker researchers developing cephalopod-inspired synthetic skins
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln website
Link: https://news.unl.edu/article/husker-researchers-developing-cephalopod-inspired-synthetic-skins
See research paper Synthetic Chromatophores for Color and Pattern Morphing Skins here: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202505104?af=R
Story 2: US soldiers get smart rifle scopes that aim and help shoot enemy drones on their own
Source: Interesting Engineering Story by Kapil Kajal
Link: https://interestingengineering.com/military/us-army-rolls-smart-rifle-scopes
See also: https://www.smart-shooter.com/
Story 3: Can 3D-Printed Skin Save Soldiers? The US Army Thinks So
Source: NextGenDefense.com Story by Joe Saballa
Link: https://nextgendefense.com/3d-printed-skin-save-soldiers/
Story 4: Scientists create liver organoids with functional blood vessels
Source: News Medical Life Sciences website – Institute of Science Tokyo
Link: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250717/Scientists-create-liver-organoids-with-functional-blood-vessels.aspxHonorable Mentions
Story: Researchers use high-tech drones with exceptional vision to revolutionize how farmers grow food: 'Farmers are looking for ways to assess their crops'
Source: The Cool Down Story by Calvin Coffee
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/researchers-use-high-tech-drones-with-exceptional-vision-to-revolutionize-how-farmers-grow-food-farmers-are-looking-for-ways-to-assess-their-crops/ar-AA1GI8Iz
Story: Replicating Real-Life Blood Vessels to Cure Vascular Disease
Source: Texas A&M website Story by Bailey Noah
Link: https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2025/05/28/replicating-real-life-blood-vessels-to-cure-vascular-disease/
Story: New fuel cell could enable electric aviation - These devices could pack three times as much energy per pound as today’s best EV batteries, offering a lightweight option for powering trucks, planes, or ships.
Source: MIT News Story by David L. Chandler
Link: https://news.mit.edu/2025/new-fuel-cell-could-enable-electric-aviation-0527
Story: MIT's high-tech 'bubble wrap' turns air into safe drinking water — even in Death Valley
Source: LiveScience.com Story by Damien Pine
Link: https://www.livescience.com/technology/engineering/mits-high-tech-bubble-wrap-turns-air-into-safe-drinking-water-even-in-death-valley

Story 1: Japan sets new internet speed record — it's 4 million times faster than average US broadband speeds

• Source: LiveScience.com
• Story by Perri Thaler
• Link: https://www.livescience.com/technology/communications/japan-sets-new-internet-speed-record-its-4-million-times-faster-than-average-us-broadband-speeds
• Official research team statement: https://www.nict.go.jp/en/press/2025/05/29-1.html
• See also: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/japan-shatters-internet-speed-record-can-download-entire-netflix-library-in-a-seconds/
• Internet Archive: https://archive.org/
• Relevant Product Example: TRU COMPONENTS TC-7638628 https://www.conrad.com/en/p/tru-components-tc-7638628-data-cable-64-pin-pitch-1-27-mm-7-x-0-127-mm-30-m-grey-1909657.html

Story 2: Breakthrough US thermal coating cools buildings by 36°F, slashes AC bills, power use

• Source: TimesofInnovation.com
• Story by Kir Birkin
• Link: https://timesofinnovation.com/energy-efficiency/breakthrough-us-thermal-coating-cools-buildings-by-36f-slashes-ac-bills-power-use/

Story 3: Graphene-based artificial tongue achieves near-human-like sense of taste

• Source: Phys.org
• Story by Charles Blue
• Link: https://phys.org/news/2025-07-graphene-based-artificial-tongue-human.html
• Research paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2413060122

Story 4: Scientists Found the Staggering Natural Switch That Could Bring Back Your Eyesight

• Source: Popular Mechanics
• Story by POPMECH Editors
• Link: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a65438356/restoring-eyesight-breakthrough/
• See also: https://scitechdaily.com/breakthrough-drug-restores-vision-researchers-successfully-reverse-retinal-damage/
• Celliaz Inc: https://celliaz.com

Honorable Mentions:Story: Scientists extracted water and oxygen from moon dust using sunlight. Could it work on the lunar surface?

• Source: Space.com
• Story by Keith Cooper
• Link: https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/scientists-extracted-water-and-oxygen-from-moon-dust-using-sunlight-could-it-work-on-the-lunar-surface

Story: Scientists propose nuclear rocket with solar wings to reach mystery planet in 7 years

• Source: Timesofinnovation.com
• Story by Kir Birkin
• Link: https://timesofinnovation.com/aerospace-technology/scientists-propose-nuclear-rocket-with-solar-wings-to-reach-mystery-planet-in-7-years

Story: US firm’s reactor to supply hydrogen, electricity for 400,000 homes, water for 2.3 million people

• Source: InterestingEngineering.com
• Story by Aman Tripathi
• Link: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/us-firm-reactor-supply-hydrogen-electricity

Story: Researchers at MIT create AI-based tool that restores age-damaged artworks in hours

• Source: The Guardian
• Link: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jun/11/researchers-create-ai-based-tool-that-restores-age-damaged-artworks-in-hours?CMP=share_btn_url

Show Notes 18 July 2025
Story 1: Bill Gates-backed rectangular turbine pilot could upend wind power
Source: Electrek.com Story by Michelle Lewis
Link: https://electrek.co/2025/06/26/bill-gates-backed-rectangular-turbine-pilot-could-upend-wind-power/
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTWhGSdZh1o
See company website here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTWhGSdZh1o
Story 2: Owls’ silent flight inspires new noise reduction technology
Source: American Chemical Society website
Link: https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2025/june/owls-silent-flight-inspires-new-noise-reduction-technology.html
See also: https://hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/hearing-loss-prevention/industrial-military/new-noise-reduction-tech-inspired-by-owls-silent-flight
Story 3: Contactless system to detect fentanyl and other drugs
Source: Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Story by Tom Rickey
Link: https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/chemists-develop-contactless-system-detect-fentanyl-other-drugs
Story 4: Controversial World-First Project to Create Human DNA From Scratch Takes First Steps - The massive project will likely take decades to complete, but it has significant oversight built into it to ensure it remains ethical.
Source: IFLScience.com Story by Dr. Russell Moul
Link: https://www.iflscience.com/controversial-world-first-project-to-create-human-dna-from-scratch-takes-first-steps-79797
See also: https://wellcome.org/news/researchers-take-first-steps-creating-synthetic-human-genomes
Honorable Mentions
Story: Scientists rewind heart ageing using lab-grown scaffold that mimics young tissue
Source: Interesting Engineering Story by Neetika Walter
Link: https://interestingengineering.com/health/reverse-heart-ageing-ecm-decipher
Story: Study shows making hydrogen with soda cans and seawater is scalable and sustainable
Source: TechXplore.com Story by Jennifer Chu, MIT
Link: https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-hydrogen-soda-cans-seawater-scalable.html
Story: Donut Lab reveals 845-hp electric motor weighing 88 pounds
Source: MotorAuthority.com Story by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
Link: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1145467_donut-lab-reveals-845-hp-electric-motor-weighing-88-pounds
See company website here: https://www.donutlab.com/
Story: AugWind Energy to Install First Commercial-Scale AirBattery in Germany
Source: CleanTechnica.com Story by Jake Richardson
Link: https://cleantechnica.com/2025/07/01/augwind-energy-to-install-first-commercial-scale-airbattery-in-germany/

Show Notes 11 July 2025
Story 1: University researchers develop a revolutionary closet-sized nuclear reactor: 'Something no other university has'
Source: The Cool Down via MSN
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/university-researchers-develop-revolutionary-closet-sized-nuclear-reactor-something-no-other-university-has/ar-AA1GQUlh
Story 2: Scientists design novel battery that runs on atomic waste
Source: Ohio State News
Link: https://news.osu.edu/scientists-design-novel-battery-that-runs-on-atomic-waste/
Story 3: DARPA smashes wireless power record, beaming energy more than 5 miles away — and uses it to make popcorn
Source: LiveScience.com
Link: https://www.livescience.com/technology/darpa-smashes-wireless-power-record-beaming-energy-more-than-5-miles-away-and-uses-it-to-make-popcorn
Story 4: US doctor performs prostate telesurgery on a patient in Africa
Source: TheEngineer.co.uk
Link: https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/us-doctor-performs-telesurgery-on-patient-in-africa
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWW32okjhrc
Honorable Mentions
Story: A new technology for extending the shelf life of produce -
Source: MIT News
Link: https://news.mit.edu/2025/new-technology-extends-produce-shelf-life-0521
Story: 'Smart' dental implants developed that feel and function like natural teeth
Source: MedicalXpress.com
Link: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-smart-dental-implants-function-natural.html
Story: MIT researchers bond gallium nitride transistors to silicon for faster next-gen wireless devices
Source: TechSpot.com
Link: https://www.techspot.com/news/108441-mit-researchers-bond-gallium-nitride-transistors-silicon-chips.html
Story: France has a new laser rifle that can melt electronics from 500 meters away
Source: ZME Science
Link: https://www.zmescience.com/research/inventions/silent-laser-rifle-helma-lp/

Story 1: Electronic face 'tattoos' could measure your mental strain at work
Source: LiveScience.com
Link: https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/electronic-face-tattoos-could-measure-your-mental-strain-at-work
Research paper here: https://www.cell.com/device/abstract/S2666-9986(25)00094-8
Story 2: This laser breakthrough can read text on a page from a mile away
Source: ScienceAlert.com
Link: https://www.sciencealert.com/this-laser-breakthrough-can-read-text-on-a-page-from-a-mile-away
Story 3: Scientists develop a game-changing method to make use of coffee waste
Source: The Cool Down
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/scientists-develop-game-changing-method-to-make-use-of-coffee-waste-this-is-a-true-circular-economy-solution/ar-AA1H2cG4
Story 4: Houston patient receives first fully robotic heart transplant in U.S.
Source: Houston Chronicle via MSN
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/i-want-to-live-houston-patient-receives-first-fully-robotic-heart-transplant-in-u-s/ar-AA1GU3l8
See also: https://www.bcm.edu/news/robotic-heart-transplant-surgery-performed-at-baylor-st-lukes-medical-center
Honorable Mentions
Story: This EV battery fully recharges in just 18 seconds — and it just got the green light for mass production
Source: LiveScience.com
Link: https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/ev-battery-that-recharges-in-just-18-seconds-green-lit-for-mass-production
Story: Axolotls May Hold the Key to Regrowing Limbs, and Scientists Are Unraveling Their Secrets to Help Humans Do the Same
Source: Smithsonian Magazine
Link: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/axolotls-may-hold-the-key-to-regrowing-limbs-and-scientists-are-unraveling-their-secrets-to-help-humans-do-the-same-180986781/
Story: Aerial robot with 'elephant trunk' developed for complex mid-air manipulation tasks
Source: TechXplore.com
Link: https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-aerial-robot-elephant-trunk-complex.html
Story: Chasing the Sun at Midnight: How 24/7 Solar Became Possible
Source: Climatecosmos.com
Link: https://climatecosmos.com/space/chasing-the-sun-at-midnight-how-24-7-solar-became-possible/

Show Notes 20 June 2025
Story 1: Crawling Toward the Future: Robotic Centipedes Aim to Revolutionize Farming
Source: Impactlab.com
See also: https://groundcontrolrobotics.com/
Link: https://www.impactlab.com/2025/05/25/crawling-toward-the-future-robotic-centipedes-aim-to-revolutionize-farming/
See this short video here: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=Ground+Control+Robotics&&mid=2803501D0F3FAF7A22AD2803501D0F3FAF7A22AD&&FORM=VRDGAR
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvm4AK_z_0c
Story 2: Soft robotic gripper injects leaves with precision
Source: Cornell University Chronicle Story by Stephen D’Angelo Cornell Research and Innovation
Link: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/06/soft-robotic-gripper-injects-leaves-precision#:~:text=Cornell%20researchers%20have%20developed%20a%20soft%20robotic%20device,can%20also%20inject%20genetic%20material%20into%20the%20leaves
See research paper here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adu2394
Story 3: Seoul National University College of Engineering Researchers Unveil World’s First 3D Microphone with Single-Sensor Position Estimation
Source: Bioengineer.org
Link: https://bioengineer.org/breakthrough-innovation-snu-researchers-unveil-worlds-first-3d-microphone-with-single-sensor-position-estimation/
See also: https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-sensor-3d-microphone-enables-robots.html
See research paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736584525000249?via%3Dihub
Story 4: First-of-its-kind technology helps man with ALS ‘speak’ in real time - New brain-computer interface system enables faster, more natural conversation
Source: https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/first-of-its-kind-technology-helps-man-with-als-speak-in-real-time/2025/06
Link: See research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09127-3
Honorable Mentions
Story: World’s first 2D, non-silicon computer developed
Source: PennState News Room Story by Ashley Wenners Herron
Link: https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/worlds-first-2d-non-silicon-computer-developed
Story: China’s Largest Relocation Project: Robots Relocate 7,500 Ton Historical Complex
Source: RealityPlus.com
Link: https://www.rprealtyplus.com/international/chinas-largest-relocation-project-robots-relocate-7500-ton-historical-complex-120313.html
MUST SEE VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aatM7mvCEko
Story: Turning CO₂ into cement: A new path to greener construction
Source: Earth.com Story by Rodielon Putol
Link: https://www.earth.com/news/turning-co2-into-cement-a-new-path-to-greener-construction/
Story: Your Next Flight Could Run on Algae: Inside the Biofuel Revolution - Climate Cosmos
Source: Climatecosmos.com Story by Jeff Carlin
Link: https://climatecosmos.com/sustainability/your-next-flight-could-run-on-algae-inside-the-biofuel-revolution/

Show Notes 13 June 2025
Story 1: Scientists turn hard-to-recycle plastics into clean hydrogen fuel
Source: Knowridge.com
Link: https://knowridge.com/2025/06/scientists-turn-hard-to-recycle-plastics-into-clean-hydrogen-fuel/
Story 2: Terraforming Mars Might Actually Work and Scientists Now Have a Plan to Try It
Source: ZME Science Story by Tibi Puiu
Link: https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/terraforming-mars-might-actually-work-and-scientists-now-have-a-plan-to-try-it/
See research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02548-0
Story 3: Radiant Raises $165 Million For Development Of ‘World’s First’ Mass Produced Nuclear Reactor
Source: Nucnet.org Story by David Dalton
Link: https://www.nucnet.org/news/radiant-raises-usd165-million-for-development-of-world-s-first-mass-produced-nuclear-reactor-6-1-2025
See also: https://www.radiantnuclear.com/
Story 4: A step closer to the confident production of blood stem cells for regenerative medicine
Source: Eurekalert.org Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona
Link: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1083986
Research paper here: https://ashpublications.org/blood/article-abstract/doi/10.1182/blood.2024027742/536680/An-unbiased-genomewide-screen-uncovers-7-genes
Honorable Mentions
Story: Graduate student unveils plant-inspired tech that pulls harmful toxin from air: 'Totally different than what anybody else is doing'
Source: The Cool Down Story by Jon Turi
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/graduate-student-unveils-plant-inspired-tech-that-pulls-harmful-toxin-from-air-totally-different-than-what-anybody-else-is-doing/ar-AA1GbW0G
Story: A fresh new way to produce freshwater: Sonicated carbon nanotube catalysts
Source: Water Online
Link: https://www.wateronline.com/doc/a-fresh-new-way-to-produce-freshwater-sonicated-carbon-nanotube-catalysts-0001
Story: 3D-printed device advances human tissue modeling
Source: WU Medicine [University of Washington] NewsRoom Story by Leila Gray
Link: https://newsroom.uw.edu/blog/3d-printed-device-advances-human-tissue-modeling
Story: New MIT Tech Could Cut Oil Refining Energy by 90%
Source: SciTechDaily.com Story by Anne Trafton, MIT
Link: https://scitechdaily.com/new-mit-tech-could-cut-oil-refining-energy-by-90/