Batteries could one day assemble themselves inside micromachines. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology deposited charged particles of the electrode materials lithium cobalt oxide and graphite on a surface. Like types of particle then electrostatically attracted each other to form electrodes (Advanced Functional Materials, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200790011).
An eye implant that bypasses retinal light receptors wrecked by disease is allowing blind people to see again. A wireless video camera mounted on spectacles feeds data to an image sensor implanted in the retina. Six people fitted with the device can now see well enough to identify objects and detect motion.…
