We are the last generation that can prevent irreparable damage to our planet, let's clean up, catch up and smarten up.

Astronauts survive in space by utilizing protective and augmentative suits. Space suits can act as self-contained and self-cleaning environments, that protect and help the astronaut from the harshness of space. Scaling analogous suits down to the nanoscale allows for simple organisms to survive and even thrive in normally toxic environments. These augmented organisms are termed “bionic lifeforms” as they combine the promise of nanomaterials with life.

Natural biological sensors, designed, tested, and adapted via evolutionary processes, typically exhibit sensing performances that far exceed those currently achieved by human-engineered sensors. Bioinspired and biomimetic flow velocity sensors, inspired by the mechanosensory lateral-line system found in blind cavefish, can be used for a wide range of applications including underwater robots.

Augmented Reality (AR) has significant economic potential because it embeds virtual objects into physical reality at negligible marginal costs, while maintaining targeted advertising capabilities similar to those of the internet.

Online tools such as Audiovisual Translation (AVT) and Assistive Technology (AST) have the potential to aid the provision of university-level educational material for people with sensory impairments such as blindness and deafness.

From improving the process of food production to keeping up with the demands of a rising population, to developing novel and sophisticated biological treatments for life-threatening diseases, biotech can and does impact multiple aspects of our life.

Metabonomics, namely the observation of small molecules within a biological sample, has emerged as a new potential treatment due to the complexity of mainstream genetic and biomedical research.

Well over 3.5 billion years ago when liquid water was present on Mars, it may have harboured primitive microbial-like life. If humans are ever to travel to Mars, the availability of resources will play a crucial part in the planning of such missions.

The hand is a crucial part of the body, and the desire to replace it following an amputation – with trauma or cancer being the main underlying causes – is a natural one. Existing bionic hands are already good substitutes for the natural limb yet a number of limitations prevail.

The science of the very small, nanotechnology could play a key role in tackling many sustainable development issues ranging from fresh water supply and food decontamination to green technology.

Recent friction in the field of rare earths and platinum group metals demonstrate that it will be essential to find a mutually beneficial outcome for the mineral wealthy and the technology rich.

Until now only a fraction of 1% of energy has been provided by direct conversion of solar energy, but that is set to change: International Energy Agency projections anticipate that some 11% of electric power will be provided by solar technologies by 2050.

Geological disposal appears to be the best available approach to long-term nuclear waste management in the UK.

This article outlines a model for developing rural housing in Syria by means of relying on local resources including labour, materials and techniques.

New Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology could potentially achieve a reduction of 15% in total electricity consumption in developed countries