【推荐1】What if your smartphone or laptop starts charging as soon as you walk in the door? Scientists have developed a specially-built room that can conduct energy to a variety of electronic devices within it without plugs or batteries.

It’s a custom test room of about 18 cubic meters, built from conductive aluminum(铝) panels with a metal pole running down the middle. When the scientists ran an electric current through the walls and pole following a set pattern, it generated two separate magnetic (磁的) fields: one that fills the center of the room and the other that covers the corners, thus allowing any devices within the space to charge.

By carrying out tests, scientists found their method could deliver 50 watts of power throughout the room. firing up all devices they tested. Without safeguards, running currents through the room's metal walls would typically fill it with two types of waves: electric and magnetic. This presents a problem, because electric fields can produce heat in biological tissues and pose a danger to humans. So the team built capacitors, devices that store electric energy, in the walls. “It limits the safe magnetic fields to the room volume while limiting risky parts to all the components built in the walls.” lead author Takuya Sasatani explains.

The scientists also tested the room’s safety, and the result showed the absorption of energy would remain well below acceptable limits. “We’re not saying this technology is safe under all circumstances—we’re still exploring,” says study co-author Alanson Sample. “But it shows us that there's still much area to explore.”

But applying the technology is still far in the future. It’s just too burdensome to put aluminum sheets all over the walls-that benefit doesn't make sense yet. “We’ve just developed a brand-new technique. Now we have to figure out how to make it practical,” Sample says. Meanwhile, scientists hope to improve the efficiency of power conduction and remove spots that the charge does not reach.

【推荐2】There are many sources of debate on a long road trip, including route selection, the choice of snacks ,and, probably most importantly, what to play on the radio. Finding a way for all parties to listen to their own audio without the need for headphones has been a goal of car makers for decades and scientists may have finally managed it.

A team from the University of Le Mans in France carefully positioned microphones, speakers and filters (过滤器) to create personalised sound zones (PSZs) inside a car, and the small regions are where sound from a set of speakers can be heard clearly. Outside these, it can not be heard.

One barrier which scientists have previously been unable to overcome was the impact of moving one’s seat. They were able to form a PSZ, but unable to move it to follow a person if they moved the seat forwards or backwards.

The French team created a new algorithm (算法) specifically to tackle this issue, which handles the sound waves to create “bright” and “dark” zones in the car. “Loudspeakers are placed in the headrests. and specific filters for each transducer (换能器) are calculated to reproduce a sound signal that maintains. good quality in the zone under consideration and is strongly weakened in other zones.” said Dr Lucas Vindrola, the author of the study. “The key to the technique working properly is having sufficient microphones placed around the car to detect how many people are in the car and where they are sitting. The price to pay is to have control microphones in the passenger section, so that the algorithm can work.”

However, the technique is not yet ready to be commercially rolled out as a luxurious optional extra just yet, as it currently works only for a limited range of frequencies.

【推荐2】The ISS orbits Earth at an average of 250 miles from the surface of Earth and completes 15.5 circles per day, once every 92 minutes. In other words, the astronauts see the sunrise and sunset 16 times every day!

The station is inhabited by astronauts conducting research in various fields, while also using it as an observatory to explore Earth and outer space. It is also intended to be a transportation center for spacecraft that are bound for the Moon, Mars and other interplanetary voyages.

The crew is not only responsible for the scientific experimentation and research being conducted onboard, but also the upkeep and maintenance of the vessel, a vessel that is continuously in motion and exposed to the worst possible elements. Such conditions are significant area of study for researchers.

The most common effect of space is the initial contact — getting used to such an alien environment. Astronauts are often seen to display anxiety or depression as they adjust to the novelty of space, according to post-psychiatric screenings of astronauts. Other causes of stress are the high pressure of work while being under frequent public observation, being away from home and family, and missing important events.

Sleep is another major factor that affects the mood and efficiency of the astronauts. Due to the irregularity in life and the constant rotation (转动) of sunrise and sunset, the circadian rhythm (生理节律) of the astronauts goes completely haywire, resulting in poor quality of sleep. The shuttle itself is noisy, with essential equipment always in operation to sustain the vessel. Half of all the astronauts onboard rely on sleeping pills to get some rest and manage to get an average 2 hours less sleep than when they’re back on Earth. Sleep is so critical for functionality that 50% of all medicines taken by astronauts in orbit is to help them sleep better. Low-Earth Orbit living is a restless endeavor, indeed.