This is the surface of Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, that may contain water. Read below to find out more. Creative Commons image from NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Lauren Yang | News Editor
The cat street view, shown above, has struck popularity among both Japanese locals and tourists for its quirkiness. Image from Hiroshima Prefecture.
1. Google maps for cats
Japan recently constructed an interactive map from a cat’s perspective, much like the current street view on Google maps. The map supports a cat’s point of view in the town of Onomichi, which is famous for the cats that frequent its roads and its temple walks. This cat-view map supports many features, including where other local cats are and the kitty-friendly locations in the town.
Facebook users will soon see this icon on posts. Creative Commons image from Enoc vt.
2. Facebook’s Dislike Button and Video Chat
Today, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook is implementing the long-debated dislike button to its platform. The reasoning behind this decision is to allow users to better express their feelings towards different posts, especially since not all posts yield “like” reactions. Facebook will also be supporting video chat on its Messenger app, joining the other video-communication platforms out there already like Skype and Apple’s FaceTime.
Above is an artist’s rendition of the possible hydrothermal activity within the layers on Enceladus’ surface. Creative Commons image from NASA/JPL-Caltech.
3. Enceladus’ Ocean — Possible Extraterrestrial Life?
Recently, one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, was confirmed to contain an ocean, prompting scientists to question whether this moon hosts extraterrestrial life. Scientists determined that Enceladus has an ocean by analyzing its wobble — its wobble is significantly more than a planetary body without any liquid, leading researchers to believe that this is caused by a layer of liquid on its surface.
Above is a miniature version of a solar panel strip that utilizes kirigami concepts to obtain maximum efficiency. Video from Michigan Engineering.
4. Maximizing Solar Panel Efficiency
Researchers have found a new method of maximizing the energy obtained from solar panels on rooftops by utilizing an origami technique called kirigami. Kirigami consists of cutting and folding paper in a certain way, and when applied in this context, allows solar panels to tilt in order to access the sun without casting a shadow on other panels. Incorporating Kirigami into solar panels is predicted to increase the energy efficiency by 40 percent.
Mouth guards like the one above may soon be measuring the health condition of the user. Creative Commons image from Mik81.
5. Smart Mouthguard
An intelligent mouthguard, developed by scientists from the University of California, San Diego, may soon be non-invasively analyzing your health. The idea is that the mouthpiece will contain sensors that monitor chemicals in your saliva, and determine whether the user has any pressing health issues. This product has a wide array of potential customers including soldiers, athletes, pilots, and more.
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