Chinese researchers successfully tested the world’s first “lobster eye” telescope that will produce some of the most accurate X-ray images of the known universe. The sophisticated imaging device was inspired by lobsters and other similar crustaceans whose specialised eye structure allows the ocean-dwelling creatures to see clearly in dark or murky waters. Animals like lobster…
Chinese engineers have unveiled a massive 16-megawatt wind turbine, powerful enough to generate and deliver clean electricity to more than 36 000 households yearly. Jointly developed by two of the country’s most prominent industry players, the turbine’s developers claimed it is the largest ever built and that it affirms China’s position as a leader in…
A Chinese research team has created a radio-wave electrocardiogram (ECG) scanner capable of detecting the electrical activity of the human heart from a distance. The milestone achievement makes monitoring vital signs remotely a reality. The ECG has been used by medical professionals for a century to measure the voltage generated by the heart during each…
The first flight-ready COMAC C919 aircraft has been delivered to China Eastern Airlines. Received on December 9, the airline marked the milestone occasion with a 15-minute test flight over Shanghai. The C919 is the first Chinese-developed passenger jet to be manufactured in compliance with international standards. It’s poised to compete with Boeing 737 and Airbus…
A team of Chinese researchers claim to have designed a kinetically-powered watch-type sensor capable of monitoring a cow’s movement, diet, oxygen levels, milk production, diseases and reproductive cycles. Working out of Southwest Jiaotong University, the scientists are hopeful their creation will positively impact food security and the overall efficiency of the supply chain. Wearables have…
The dream of limitless fusion energy is one step closer to being realised. Chinese scientists claim to have developed the first heat-resistant panels engineered for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Officially the world’s largest fusion reactor, ITER is a global collaborative project involving several countries, including the UK, EU member states, India, Russia, Japan…
A team of scientists from Shanghai’s Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics has developed a novel method to generate a ‘laser-like light’ with the potential to boost the communication speeds of everyday electronics. This includes smartphones and barcode scanners, as well as high-precision tools, like laser scalpels. Lasers form when energy, like electricity or light,…
A team of Chinese scientists has developed what it says is the world’s first malleable ceramic material. It can reportedly bend like a metal but has retained the hardness synonymous with ceramics. The breakthrough textile could see use in several major industries, including aviation, motoring, medicine and renewable energy. Ceramics possess several qualities that make…
In what may be a scientific first, Chinese aerospace experts claim to have developed the world’s first kerosene-burning Mach 9 jet engine. The Chinese Academy of Sciences spent months fine-tuning the oblique detonation engine at the state-of-the-art JF-12 wind tunnel in Beijing, before publishing their findings in late November. Hypersonic travel – along with semiconductors,…
A team of Chinese scientists has completed what is now the world’s largest telescopic array. Situated on the very edge of the Tibetan Plateau, researchers aim to direct the massive lens at the sun for several years, ushering in what one Chinese official calls the “golden age of solar astronomy”. The Daocheng Solar Radio Telescope’s…