Innovation is about finding a better way of doing something. Like many of the new development buzzwords (which many of them are over-used on many business documents), the concept of innovation originates from the world of business. It refers to the generation of new products through the process of creative entrepreneurship, putting it into production, and diffusing it more widely through increased sales. Innovation can be viewed as t he application of better solutions that meet new requirements, in-articulated needs, or existing market needs. This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments and society. The term innovation can be defined as something original and, as a consequence, new, that “breaks into” the market or society.
Innoveracy: Misunderstanding Innovation article points out that there is a form of ignorance which seems to be universal: the inability to understand the concept and role of innovation. The way this is exhibited is in the misuse of the term and the inability to discern the difference between novelty, creation, invention and innovation. The result is a failure to understand the causes of success and failure in business and hence the conditions that lead to economic growth. The definition of innovation is easy to find but it seems to be hard to understand. Here is a simple taxonomy of related activities that put innovation in context:
- Novelty: Something new
- Creation: Something new and valuable
- Invention: Something new, having potential value through utility
- Innovation: Something new and uniquely useful
The taxonomy is illustrated with the following diagram.
The differences are also evident in the mechanisms that exist to protect the works: Novelties are usually not protectable, Creations are protected by copyright or trademark, Inventions can be protected for a limited time through patents (or kept secret) and Innovations can be protected through market competition but are not defensible through legal means.
Innovation is a lot of talked about nowdays as essential to businesses to do. Is innovation essential for development work? article tells that innovation has become central to the way development organisations go about their work. In November 2011, Bill Gates told the G20 that innovation was the key to development. Donors increasingly stress innovation as a key condition for funding, and many civil society organisations emphasise that innovation is central to the work they do.
Some innovation ideas are pretty simple, and some are much more complicated and even sound crazy when heard first. The is place for crazy sounding ideas: venture capitalists are gravely concerned that the tech startups they’re investing in just aren’t crazy enough:
Not all development problems require new solutions, sometimes you just need to use old things in a slightly new way. Development innovations may involve devising technology (such as a nanotech water treatment kit), creating a new approach (such as microfinance), finding a better way of delivering public services (such as one-stop egovernment service centres), identifying ways of working with communities (such as participation), or generating a management technique (such as organisation learning).
Theorists of innovation identify innovation itself as a brief moment of creativity, to be followed by the main routine work of producing and selling the innovation. When it comes to development, things are more complicated. Innovation needs to be viewed as tool, not master. Innovation is a process, not a one time event. Genuine innovation is valuable but rare.
There are many views on the innovation and innvation process. I try to collect together there some views I have found on-line. Hopefully they help you more than confuze. Managing complexity and reducing risk article has this drawing which I think pretty well describes innovation as done in product development:
8 essential practices of successful innovation from The Innovator’s Way shows essential practices in innovation process. Those practices are all integrated into a non-sequential, coherent whole and style in the person of the innovator.
In the IT work there is lots of work where a little thinking can be a source of innovation. Automating IT processes can be a huge time saver or it can fail depending on situation. XKCD comic strip Automation as illustrates this:
System integration is a critical element in project design article has an interesting project cost influence graphic. The recommendation is to involve a system integrator early in project design to help ensure high-quality projects that satisfy project requirements. Of course this article tries to market system integration services, but has also valid points to consider.
Core Contributor Loop (CTTDC) from Art Journal blog posting Blog Is The New Black tries to link inventing an idea to theory of entrepreneurship. It is essential to tune the engine by making improvements in product, marketing, code, design and operations.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/03/bicycle-adds-reliability-with-second-chain/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Clever Design Behind Everyday Traffic Poles
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/03/the-clever-design-behind-everyday-traffic-poles/
The open design also simplifies maintenance. If the pole tilts after years of wear, it takes just a few nut adjustments to fix it—no heavy cranes required. Plus, the gap helps prevent moisture buildup, reducing corrosion. So next time you’re waiting at an intersection, you’ll know it’s not just clever engineering—it’s practical street smarts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17109-nokian-tutkimuksessa-kehitettiin-optinen-kytkinmuisti
Tomi Engdahl says:
Programmable photonic latch memory
https://opg.optica.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-33-2-3501&id=567359
Abstract
Significant advancements in integrated photonics have enabled high-speed and energy efficient systems for various applications, from data communications and high-performance computing to medical diagnosis, sensing, and ranging. However, data storage in these systems has been dominated by electronic memories that in addition to signal conversion between optical and electrical domains, necessitates conversion between analog to digital domains and electrical data movement between processor and memory that reduce the speed and energy efficiency. To date, scalable optical memory with optical control has remained an open problem. Here, we report an integrated photonic set-reset latch as a fundamental optical static memory unit based on universal optical logic gates. As a proof of concept, experimental implementation of the universal logic gates and realistic simulation of the latch are demonstrated on a programmable silicon photonic platform. Optical set, reset, and complementary outputs, scalability to a large number of memory units via the independent latch supply light, and compatibility with wavelength division multiplexing scheme and different photonic platforms enable more efficient and lower latency optical processing systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Paljon punaista lihaa ja etenkin pitkälle prosessoituja lihatuotteita syövät sairastuvat muistisairauksiin muita todennäköisemmin, tuore tutkimus osoittaa. https://www.is.fi/terveys/art-2000011006882.html?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Toimitus&utm_campaign=is_echo&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1738584888
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17110-timanttitransistori-voi-mullistaa-elektroniikan-suunnittelun
Tomi Engdahl says:
Muovia löytyi myös aivoista – vieläpä enemmän kuin muista elimistä
Mikromuovi|Dementikoilla oli aivoissa muovia enemmän kuin muilla, mutta syyn ja seurauksen suhde on epäselvä.
https://www.hs.fi/tiede/art-2000011009948.html
Mikromuovi päätyy myös ihmisen aivoihin. Tuoreessa yhdysvaltalaisessa tutkimuksessa muovia löytyi aivoista jopa enemmän kuin muista tutkituista elimistä.
Aivojen otsalohkosta otettuihin näytteisiin muovia oli kertynyt peräti 7–30 kertaa niin paljon kuin maksaan ja munuaisiin.
Valtaosa aivoista löydetystä muovista oli polyeteeniä, josta valmistetaan esimerkiksi muovipusseja, elintarvikepakkauksia ja pesuainepulloja.
Ihminen saa muovia sisäänsä ruuasta, juomavedestä ja hengitysilmasta. Sitä tulee niin kosmetiikasta, tekokuituvaatteista kuin autonrenkaista irtoavasta pölystä.
Mikromuovia leviää jatkuvasti kaikkialle ympäristöön, kun erilaiset muovit hajoavat auringonvalon, veden ja hankauksen vaikutuksesta.
Tähän mennessä muovihitusia on löytynyt ihmisistä monesta elimestä. Sitä on havaittu jopa siemennesteestä, äidinmaidosta ja istukasta.
Aivoja suojaa vierailta aineilta veri-aivoeste. Viime vuonna julkaistut laboratoriokokeet viittasivat siihen, ettei veri-aivoestekään välttämättä pysäytä nanokokoisia muovihiukkasia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains
Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains | Nature Medicine https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03453-1
Rising global concentrations of environmental microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) drive concerns for human exposure and health outcomes.
Complementary methods for the robust detection of tissue MNPs, including pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, confirm the presence of MNPs in human kidney, liver and brain. MNPs in these organs primarily consist of polyethylene, with lesser but significant concentrations of other polymers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17113-orgaanisen-katodin-pussikenno-laehempaenae-todellisuutta
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sähköautot
Onko tässä ikuinen akku? 10 000 latauksenkin jälkeen kapasiteetista jäljellä 99 prosenttia
Sähköautojen ostajien suurin huoli on yleensä ajoakun kestävyys. Uusi akkutyyppi hälventäisi tuon huolen tehokkaasti.
https://www.iltalehti.fi/sahkoautot/a/7f6db081-d452-4b8f-a931-31d555f5df99
Tutkijat kertovat kehittäneensä kokonaan uuden tyyppisen akun, joka säilyttää kapasiteettinsa poikkeuksellisen hyvin, kertoo Techxplore. American Chemical Societyn sivuilla julkaistussa tutkimuksessa testattiin kiinteän olomuodon alumiini-ioniakkua, joka osoittautui poikkeuksellisen poikkeuksellisen pitkäikäiseksi. Akku nimittäin säilytti 99 prosenttia kapasiteetistaan vielä 10 000:n lataus-purkausjakson jälkeen.
Eco-friendly aluminum battery lasts 10,000 cycles with minimal loss
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-01-eco-friendly-aluminum-battery-minimal.html
Large batteries for long-term storage of solar and wind power are key to integrating abundant and renewable energy sources into the U.S. power grid. However, there is a lack of safe and reliable battery technologies to support the push toward sustainable, clean energy. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have designed a cost-effective and environment-friendly aluminum-ion (Al-ion) battery that could fit the bill.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are in many common consumer electronics, including power tools and electric vehicles. These batteries are ubiquitous because of their high energy density. But lithium is cost prohibitive for the large battery systems needed for utility-scale energy storage, and Li-ion battery flammability poses a considerable safety risk.
Potential substitutes for reliable long-term energy storage systems include rechargeable Al-ion batteries. However, their most common electrolyte, liquid aluminum chloride, corrodes the aluminum anode and is highly sensitive to moisture, which exacerbates the corrosion. Both factors contribute to poor stability and a decline in electrical performance over time. So, Wei Wang, Shuqiang Jiao and colleagues wanted to design an improved Al-ion battery without these limitations.
The team added an inert aluminum fluoride salt to an Al-ion-containing electrolyte, turning it into a solid-state electrolyte. The aluminum fluoride salt has a 3D porous structure, allowing aluminum ions to easily hop across the electrolyte and increase conductivity. Additionally, when the researchers constructed their Al-ion battery, they used fluoroethylene carbonate as an interface additive to create a thin solid coating on the electrodes to prevent the formation of aluminum crystals that degrade battery health.
In experiments, the battery’s moisture resistance as well as physical and thermal stability were enhanced, allowing it to withstand repeated jabs from a sharp object and temperatures as high as 392 degrees Fahrenheit. The solid-state Al-ion battery also had an exceptionally long life, lasting 10,000 charge-discharge cycles while losing less than 1% of its original capacity.
Moreover, most of the aluminum fluoride could be recovered with a simple wash and then recycled into another battery with slightly diminished performance. The new battery could reduce the production cost of Al-ion batteries and extend their life, thus increasing their practicality.
A Recyclable Inert Inorganic Framework Assisted Solid-State Electrolyte for Long-Life Aluminum Ion Batteries
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.4c01615
Tomi Engdahl says:
US Science Is Under Attack
The Trump Administration has frozen funds, delayed and deleted vital research, and curtailed the free speech of scientists across the United States.
https://www.iflscience.com/us-science-is-under-attack-77917?fbclid=IwY2xjawIQqx5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV08LMbpMCmWZ4Cy0bNLqzDzB7ADubDkMM_5qCrCs8VaJ7jLgjC1NZUREw_aem_cp5bCHRz4gZv-kKU1Hss6Q
Tomi Engdahl says:
Precisely controlling sparks allows for their use in a wide variety of applications. https://link.ie.social/8SvgUL
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/07/growing-a-gallium-arsenide-laser-directly-on-silicon/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/07/whod-have-guessed-graphene-is-strange/
The superconductivity of layered graphene is surprisingly strange
The odd superconductivity found in layered graphene may bring us closer to understanding room-temperature superconductors
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2466930-the-superconductivity-of-layered-graphene-is-surprisingly-strange/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17136-tutkijat-selvittivaet-miksi-korvanappien-akku-ei-kestae
Tomi Engdahl says:
Researchers at the University of Guelph have developed a slime-like material that generates electricity when compressed, with potential applications in flooring, shoe insoles, and robotics. The discovery was made using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan.
Composed of 90% water, oleic acid, and amino acids, the biocompatible material can morph into microscopic structures, potentially enabling targeted drug delivery and advanced bandages that accelerate healing by amplifying the body’s natural electric fields.
Lead researcher Erica Pensini envisions real-world uses beyond medical applications, even considering testing it as a hand salve for rock climbing. While still in the prototype phase, the breakthrough could transform energy harvesting, healthcare, and robotics.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HKKCH8wVT/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists from the University of Washington and Princeton University have developed a compact camera using meta-lenses and optical computing, enabling object identification at the speed of light while significantly reducing power consumption.
The camera replaces traditional lenses with 50 layers of meta-lenses, functioning as an optical neural network that processes visual data 200 times faster than conventional computer vision systems, with comparable accuracy.
Researchers demonstrated that their nanophotonic neural network achieves 72.76% accuracy on CIFAR-10, surpassing AlexNet (72.64%), proving its potential for deep-learning-driven image recognition at high speeds.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1QCpABmkkS/
Tomi Engdahl says:
200x faster: New camera identifies objects at speed of light, can help self-driving cars
The system can identify and classify images more than 200 times faster than neural networks that use conventional computer hardware.
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/new-camera-identifies-objects-200x-faster
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists Just Created a ‘New Type of Matter’
Based on the interlocking structure of chainmail, this material has all the best parts of both solids and liquids.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a63642251/chainmail-device-matter-pams/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Single-photon LiDAR delivers detailed 3D images at distances up to 1 kilometer
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-photon-lidar-3d-images-distances.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Physicists achieve fully optical readout of superconducting qubits
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-physicists-fully-optical-readout-superconducting.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Undergraduate Upends a 40-Year-Old Data Science Conjecture
By
Steve Nadis
February 10, 2025
https://www.quantamagazine.org/undergraduate-upends-a-40-year-old-data-science-conjecture-20250210/
A young computer scientist and two colleagues show that searches within data structures called hash tables can be much faster than previously deemed possible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17120-bell-labs-taeyttaeae-100-vuotta-nokiaan-kuuluva-tutkimuskeskus-saattaa-olla-maailman-taerkein
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/how-to-avoid-outrage-fatigue-and-tune-in-without-burning-out/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a63626808/37-dimensions-quantum-mechanics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://phys.org/news/2025-01-coupled-semiconductor-lasers-generate-optical.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-telecommunications-cables-image-ground-beneath.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-a-game-changing-way-to-etch-3d-nand-memory/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://scitechdaily.com/electrons-frozen-yet-free-a-quantum-breakthrough-in-graphene/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://eladelantado.com/news/electron-shape-discovery-quantum-physics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists say they have finally achieved teleportation in major breakthrough
A team of scientists from Oxford University might have paved the way for humans to use teleportation as a mode of transport in years to come
https://www.unilad.com/technology/news/scientists-make-breakthrough-teleportation-oxford-university-408839-20250212
There are few facts in life: we all die, grass is green and teleportation is something from science-fiction.
Well, apparently that last one is a gray area after a team of scientists from the University of Oxford, UK, used a supercomputer to harness the ability to teleport.
It sounds like something straight out of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – it’s taken me 27 years to realize that’s the real name of the hit kids TV show… although that’s nothing on the 138 years it has taken scientists to make it a reality.
They used particles of light, known as photons, and they physically teleported them to a separate device – however, it is important to note that in this case, data is what is being transported between locations.
Speaking of the impressive feat, Oxford University said in a media release: “In a milestone that brings quantum computing tangibly closer to large-scale practical use, scientists at Oxford University’s Department of Physics have demonstrated the first instance of distributed quantum computing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.eejournal.com/article/new-memory-architectures-for-socs-and-multi-die-systems/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How the XB-1 aircraft went supersonic without a sonic boom
When the experimental XB-1 aircraft achieved supersonic speeds on a test flight, it did not create a disruptive sonic boom – thanks to a physics phenomenon called the Mach cutoff
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2467745-how-the-xb-1-aircraft-went-supersonic-without-a-sonic-boom/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://tekniikanmaailma.fi/oxfordin-tutkijoiden-lapimurto-saattaa-tuoda-kvanttitietokoneet-lahemmas-todellisuutta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kiinalaiset tekivät merkittävän läpimurron litium-vetyakuissa
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17157-kiinalaiset-tekivaet-merkittaevaen-laepimurron-litium-vetyakuissa
Kiinalaisen tiede- ja teknologiayliopiston (USTC) tutkijat ovat saavuttaneet merkittävän edistysaskeleen ladattavien litium-vetyakkujen kehityksessä. Uusi akku käyttää vetyä anodina, mikä mahdollistaa huomattavasti korkeamman energiatiheyden ja käyttöjännitteen verrattuna perinteisiin vetypohjaisiin akkuihin.
Perinteisesti vetypohjaisissa akuissa vety toimii katodina, mutta USTC:n tutkijat käänsivät konseptin päinvastaiseksi. Litium-vetyakku (Li-H) yhdistää litium-metallianodin, platinoidun kaasudiffuusiokerroksen katodina ja kiinteän elektrolyytin (LATP), joka tehostaa litiumionien kulkua ja minimoi ei-toivotut kemialliset reaktiot. Testien perusteella akku saavutti huikean 2825 Wh/kg energiatiheyden sekä vakaan noin 3 voltin jännitteen.
Litium-vetyakku ylsi vaikuttavaan 99,7 prosentin kierrostehokkuuteen (RTE), mikä tarkoittaa, että sen energiankulutus latauksen ja purkamisen aikana on hyvin minimaalista. Akku myös säilytti suorituskykynsä pitkällä aikavälillä, mikä tekee siitä houkuttelevan vaihtoehdon uusiutuvan energian varastointiin, sähköajoneuvoihin ja jopa avaruusteknologiaan.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/16/graphene-tattoos-the-future-of-continuous-health-monitoring/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Curious Claim Of Conversion Of Aluminium Into Transparent Aluminium Oxide
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/15/curious-claim-of-conversion-of-aluminium-into-transparent-aluminium-oxide/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Science Behind Making Buildings Comfortably Non-Combustible
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/11/the-science-behind-making-buildings-comfortably-non-combustible/
Although the most fire-resistant building is likely a windowless, concrete bunker, this tends to be not the vibe that most home owners go for. This is why over the years construction of buildings in areas prone to bush- and wildfires – i.e. an uncontrolled fire in an area with combustible vegetation – has adapted to find a happy medium between a building that you’d enjoy living in and a building that will not instantly combust the moment an ember from a nearby wildfire gently touches down upon any part of it.
To achieve this feat, the primary means include keeping said combustible vegetation and similar away from the building, and to make the house as resistant to ember attacks as possible. That this approach is effective has been demonstrated over the course of multiple wildfires in California during the past years, whereby houses constructed more recently with these features had a much higher chance of making it through the event unscathed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Bell Labs celebrates 100 years of innovation
https://www.nokia.com/bell-labs/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/10/how-magnetic-fonts-twisted-up-numbers-and-saved-banking-forever/
If you’ve ever looked at the bottom of a bank check, you probably glanced over some strangely formed numbers?
Those oddball numerals didn’t come from just anywhere—they were a very carefully crafted invention to speed processing in the banking system. These special fonts were created to be readable both by humans and machines—us with our eyes, and the computers with magnetic sensors. Let’s explore the enigmatic characters built for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR).
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/13/why-ai-usage-may-degrade-human-cognition-and-blunt-critical-thinking-skills/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The “Unbreakable” Beer Glasses Of East Germany
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/17/the-unbreakable-beer-glasses-of-east-germany/
But what if you could make glassware that didn’t break? Surely, that would be a supreme product that would quickly take over the entire market. As it turns out, an East German glassworks developed just that. Only, the product didn’t survive, and we lumber on with easily-shattered glasses to this day. This is the story of Superfest.
It all started in the German Democratic Republic in the 1970s; you might know it better as East Germany. The government’s Council of Ministers deemed it important to develop higher-strength glass. Techniques for the chemical strengthening of glass were already known by the 1960s, and work on developing the technology further began in earnest.
These efforts came to fruition in the form of a patent filed on the 8th of August, 1977. It was entitled Verfahren und Vorrichtung Zur Verfestigung Von Glaserzeugnissen Durch Ioenenaustausch—or, translated to English—Process and Apparatus for Strengthening Glassware By Ion Exchange. The patent regarded an industry-ready process, which was intended for use in the production of hollow glass vessels—specifically, drinking glassware.
The researchers understood that glasses typically broke in part due to microscopic cracks in the material, which are introduced in the production process. These microcracks could be mitigated by replacing the sodium ions in the surface of the glass with larger potassium ions. The larger ions thus cause a state of compression in the surface layer. Glass is far more capable of resisting compression rather than tension. The high compressive stresses baked into the material help resist tension forces that occur during impact events, thus making the material far more resistant to breakage.
The process of exchanging sodium ions in the glass with potassium ions was simple enough. The patent outlined a process for raining down a molten potassium salt solution onto the glassware, which would harden the outside surface significantly. This process was chosen for multiple reasons.
Recognizing the value of this patent, the Council of Ministers fast-tracked the technology into commerical production at the Sachsenglas Schwepnitz factory. The glassware was originally named CEVERIT
“chemically solidified.” It also wore the name CV-Glas for the same reason. Production began in earnest in 1980, primarily centered around making beer glasses for hospitality businesses in East German—bars, restaurants, and the like. The glass instantly lived up to its promise, proving far more durable in commercial use. While not completely indestructible, the glasses were lasting ten to fifteen times longer than traditional commercial glassware.
there were hopes to expand sales to the West. On the urging of sales representative Eberhard Pook, the glasses were referred to by the name Superfest.
Despite efforts made at multiple trade fairs, however, international interest in the tough glassware was minimal.
He was told that the material’s strength was also a great weakness from a sales perspective. “At Coca Cola, for example, they said, why should we use a glass that doesn’t break, we make money with our glasses,”
Production nevertheless continued apace, with 120 million glasses made for the domestic market. Hardened glassware was manufactured in all shapes and sizes, covering everything from vases to tea cups and every size of beer glass. Stock eventually began piling up at the factory, as restaurants and bars simply weren’t ordering more glassware. Their chemically-strengthened glasses were doing exactly what they were supposed to do, and replacements weren’t often necessary.
Regardless, the future was unkind to Superfest. Urban legend says that the reunification of Germany was the beginning of the end, but it’s not entirely true. As covered by ZEITMagazin, the production of Superfest glassware was ended in July 1990 because it simply wasn’t profitable for the company.
Production of other glassware continued, but the chemically-hardened line was no more. The patent for the process was allowed to lapse in 1992, and pursued no more
The question remains why we don’t have chemically-hardened glassware today. The techniques behind Superfest are scarcely different to those used in Gorilla Glass or other chemically-strengthened glasses. The manufacturing process is well-documented
It’s a shame, because the world demands nice things—and that includes beer glasses that last seemingly forever.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2014/08/10/the-science-of-strengthening-glass/
benkrasnow.blogspot.com/2014/08/how-to-chemically-strengthen-glass-eg.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Burgeripihveistä nousi kohu – Tämän takia ulkofileepihvin saa syödä mediumina, mutta hampurilaispihviä ei
Etenkin iäkkäitä henkilöitä ja lapsia suositellaan syömään jauhelihapihvit läpikotaisin kypsennettynä.
https://www.iltalehti.fi/terveysuutiset/a/d3009fd2-9d87-4a32-afa2-9f9421c195f4
Ruokavirasto suosittelee, että kaikki jauhelihatuotteet tarjoillaan kunnolla läpi kypsennettynä, eikä mediumkypsennettynä. Tavallisesti mediumkypsennettynä tarjoiltu jauhelihapihvi on valmistettu naudanlihasta.
Niin naudan kuin myös muidenkin eläinlajien mediumkypsiin jauhelihapihveihin liittyy ruokamyrkytysriski. Raaka naudanjauheliha on riskielintarvike, etenkin EHEC-bakteerin leviämisen suhteen, mutta naudanlihassa voi esiintyä muitakin taudinaiheuttajia.
– Turvallisin tapa valmistaa jauhelihapihvejä on kuumentaa kokolihapalan pinta esimerkiksi paistamalla tai ruskistamalla ja vasta sen jälkeen leikata pintaosat pois ennen lihan sisäosien hakkaamista tai jauhamista jauhelihaksi. Pintojen kuumennus vähentää riskiä, että bakteerit päätyisivät lihan pinnasta sisäosiin.
– Jos jauhelihapihvi jätetään puolikypsäksi, sisäosiin jauhamisen yhteydessä päätyneet bakteerit eivät tuhoudu. Tämä on tärkeää kuluttajien tiedostaa. Etenkin iäkkäitä henkilöitä ja lapsia suositellaan syömään jauhelihapihvit aina läpikotaisin kypsennettynä, Tuutti huomauttaa.
Miksi kokolihapihvin saa syödä mediumina, mutta hampurilaispihviä ei?
– Riippuen lihan käsittelyn hygieenisyydestä mikrobien laatu ja määrä vaihtelee. Karkeasti sanottuna mikrobeja on aina, mutta hyvällä hygienialla ja oikeilla lämpötiloilla riskejä saadaan hallittua, aloittaa laatu- ja elintarviketurvallisuuden asiantuntija Vesa Koivumaa Elap oy:sta.
– Kokolihan pinnalla on mikrobeja, mutta se on käytännössä vapaa mikrobikannasta lihapalan sisältä, Koivumaa selittää.
– Kun lihaa leikataan ja käsitellään, mikrobit väistämättä siirtyvät myös lihan muihin osiin. Etenkin jauheliha tarjoaa otolliset kasvuolosuhteet eri mikrobeille. Riippuen jauhetun lihan säilytysajasta ja lämpötilasta mikrobikanta voi kasvaa niin suureksi, että kypsentämättä se voi aiheuttaa ruokamyrkytyksen.
– Raa’an kokolihapalan pinnalla on aina bakteereita, vaikka liha olisi hyvälaatuistakin. Osa bakteereista voi olla ihmisille tautia aiheuttavia. Kun kokolihapihvin pinnat kypsentää, pinnalla olevat bakteerit tuhoutuvat. Kun kokolihapihvi paistetaan mediumiksi, siinä ei siis käytännössä ole bakteereihin liittyvää ruokamyrkytysriskiä, Tuutti sanoo.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Viranomainen varoittaa: Suomessa yleisesti myyty hampurilainen voi aiheuttaa vakavan taudin
Mediumkypsiin jauhelihapihveihin liittyy ruokamyrkytysriski.
https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/0fcc44f2-bd23-42fd-bfee-1d27f31b1c24
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT Demonstrates Fully 3D Printed, Active Electronic Components
https://hackaday.com/2025/02/19/mit-demonstrates-fully-3d-printed-active-electronic-components/
MIT team takes a major step toward fully 3D-printed active electronics
By fabricating semiconductor-free logic gates, which can be used to perform computation, researchers hope to streamline the manufacture of electronics.
https://news.mit.edu/2024/mit-team-takes-major-step-toward-fully-3d-printed-active-electronics-1015
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Newly-Discovered Form of Magnetism Could Make Devices 1,000x Faster!
Researchers from the University of Nottingham have discovered a third type of magnetism – altermagnetism – and shown that it can be controlled in microscopic devices. This new form of magnetism could dramatically speed up digital devices and make them more energy-efficient.
What is Altermagnetism?
Unlike traditional magnets, altermagnets have a unique structure where their magnetic building blocks align antiparallel, but with a rotated pattern, creating a completely new type of magnetic order.
Why Does This Matter?
- Could make microelectronic devices and digital memory up to 1,000 times faster
- More energy-efficient and robust than current magnetic materials
- Reduces reliance on rare, toxic heavy elements, making technology greener
This discovery, published in Nature, could lead to a new era of ultrafast, sustainable electronics – a game-changer for the digital world!
Learn more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08234-x
Tomi Engdahl says:
Litium-nikkeliakkujen hajoamisen syy löytyi
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17179-litium-nikkeliakkujen-hajoamisen-syy-loeytyi
Dallasin Texasin yliopiston (UTD) tutkijat ovat löytäneet syyn, miksi litium-nikkelioksidi (LiNiO₂) -akut menettävät kestävyyttään ja rappeutuvat toistuvien lataussyklien aikana. Löydös voi avata tietä pitkäikäisemmille ja tehokkaammille akuille, jotka voisivat parantaa esimerkiksi sähköautojen ja älylaitteiden suorituskykyä.
Tutkijat julkaisivat löydöksensä Advanced Energy Materials -lehdessä
Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että LiNiO₂-materiaali muuttuu epävakaaksi latauksen loppuvaiheessa. Tämä johtuu hapen vapautumisesta, mikä saa akun rakenteen halkeilemaan ja lopulta heikentää sen käyttöikää.
Ratkaisuna tutkijat kehittivät menetelmän, jossa positiivisesti varattuja ioneja (kationeja) lisätään materiaaliin. Tämä luo ”pylväitä” akun rakenteeseen, mikä vahvistaa katodia ja estää hajoamisen.
Tutkijat aikovat tehdä yhteistyötä teollisuuden kanssa, jotta uusi teknologia voidaan ottaa käyttöön kaupallisissa akuissa. Tämä voisi tarkoittaa pidempikestoisia, turvallisempia ja tehokkaampia akkuja laitteisiin, kuten sähköautoihin, älypuhelimiin ja energian varastointijärjestelmiin.
Löydös voi myös auttaa vähentämään riippuvuutta koboltista, joka on kallis ja vaikeasti hankittava materiaali perinteisissä akkujen katodeissa.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14414717/naturopathic-doctor-five-toxic-drinks-never-consume.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.tyla.com/life/misophonia-symptoms-treatment-nhs-901775-20250213