Word: lighter
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...selling point is the use of carbon-fiber composites in 50% of the Dreamliner by weight (80% by volume), adding to the new jet's reputation as a "game changer." Carbon-reinforced plastic in places such as the wings, fuselage and floorboards not only makes the aircraft lighter--and reduces fuel consumption--but also provides the opportunity to change systems integration, rework maintenance programs, overhaul cabin interiors and upgrade aerodynamic performance. Boeing is working with the world's largest producer of carbon fiber, Tokyo-based Toray Industries, which is still fine-tuning its mass production (this is the first large...
...latest is Yellow Jersey, launched in May by big French Burgundy producer Boisset, which will be distributed only in dark-colored plastic bottles--a lot lighter than glass ones and therefore requiring less fossil fuel to transport. And Ontarians aren't the only ones ditching the glass bottle. A lot of this innovation comes from eco-forward Australians and New Zealanders, the same people who were early adopters of plastic corks and screw-top caps. More than half the wine in Australia is sold in boxes, although that country has yet to catch up to Chile, where more than...
Human and animal prostheses are in dire need of a makeover. Typically, the stump of a damaged limb is simply inserted into a socket at the top of a prosthesis and held fast by a plastic sleeve or belt, or suction. The prostheses themselves might have gotten lighter and more flexible over the years, but the stumps' socket attachments have remained largely unchanged--and that's not good. It can be notoriously unstable and is prone to causing breakdown of soft tissues, as constant rubbing leads to pain and infection...
...doubts," says caretaker Soraida Salwala, founder of the hospital. "I had heard of prosthetics for birds and dogs, but nothing had ever been made for an elephant." So well has Motala adjusted to her new foot, however, that doctors are already designing a lighter, sturdier replacement for her made of fiberglass and silicone...
...Airplane manufacturers and airlines are working on ways to cut carbon emissions by raising fuel efficiency - building lighter and more aerodynamic planes, towing jets on the ground, and improving engine capacity. Designers are looking at running planes on biofuel, and Virgin Atlantic head Richard Branson has promised to build a biofueled jet by next year. But industry experts believe such incremental changes could improve efficiency by 1% or 2% a year at most, while passenger miles are set to grow at 5% to 6% annually. "We're left with a sustainability gap," says Roger Gardner, chief executive of OMEGA...