The Guardian discovers nanotechnology

The Guardian appears to have been bitten by the nanotechnology bug, if articles from the past two days are anything to go by. Tuning in to the possibilities of nanotube transistors reports on the application of carbon nanotubes in radios, and Once bitten... welcomes readers to the world of nanofoods, 'where almost anything is possible: where food can be manipulated at an atomic or molecular level to taste as delicious as you want, do you as much good as you want, and stay fresh for ... well, who knows?' Yum.

New Materials World out now

It's actually been out for some time... those guys at MW run rings round the rest of us :-)

The March 2008 issue focuses on the automotive industry, with related articles on sustainable production, paint shop costs and coatings.

In other feature stories, mining risk management and the search for oil off the Irish coast are investigated.

In the news section, the team reports on new ways of disposing of irradiated materials and a silicon chip that is 10 times more energy-efficient than standard versions.

Galloway man builds home from salvaged materials for £4,000

A man from Galloway, Scotland has built his own home from salvaged and natural materials for a total of £4,000, reports the BBC.

The walls are made of straw, the roof out of turf and much of the rest of the building from items discarded by other people, including a roof velux, shower tray, front window, front door and an oval bedroom window. The Tudor-style panelled timber ceiling was made out of solid pine changing cubicle doors salvaged from old Victorian public baths in Govan.

The warm and watertight cottage gets its water supplies by gathering rainfall and its electricity from a car battery.