By Nick Chambers •
January 5, 2009
A team of Taiwanese researchers has combined industrial wastewater and petroleum oil to make a new fuel that could largely eliminate the costly treatment of industrial air emissions from boilers, is an environmentally-friendly way to treat industrial wastewater, and could increase fuel efficiency by 14%.
Worldwide, many industrial processes depend on steam boilers that are powered by what’s called heavy fuel oil (HFO). In the US, where coal and natural gas are plentiful, boilers are not typically run on HFO, but many homes in the Northeast US are still heated with furnaces that use HFO. These boilers are notorious for spewing out toxins into the environment when untreated.
By Stuart Stein •
November 13, 2008
According to the Taipei Times, a student at Dayeh University in Changhuain Taiwan died in late October during the annual steamed bun eating contest. The 23 year old was participating to see who could finish two steamed buns stuffed with egg and cheese in the fastest time. The student couldn’t stop vomiting and fell unconscious during the competition. Although he was rushed to the hospital, it was too late. The cause of the death remains unclear, but some believe he choked to death. All this for NT$2,000 (approximately US$60.)
By Ariel Schwartz •
October 31, 2008
Professor Chungpin Hovering Liao of National Formosa University in Taiwan has created the world’s first chlorophyll organic battery. The battery can use any liquid—even urine—to power up. It doesn’t take much time to start juicing the battery, either. Within 10 seconds of being doused with liquid, the battery starts providing power.
By Joshua S Hill •
July 2, 2008
In a day of fascinating and ingenious environmentally friendly ideas (see my post at Sustainablog on the Utah 4-day work week), a Taiwanese inventor, Peng Yu-lun, has devised a new method of rail transport that could very well increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Designed to never stop running – something you would almost imagine to be a vital necessity on a train – Peng’s talent for invention has awarded him a bronze medal at the Nuremburg International Inventors Exhibition in Germany, as well as a silver medal at the Taipei International Inventors Exhibition; so he can’t be too far off the track (sorry), can he?
By Max Lindberg •
April 9, 2008
How about riding a tandem bike, and being able to look your companion straight in the eye? This might be dangerous, but a Taiwanese inventor has created a face-to-face tandem bicycle.
Chen Yugang seems to think it will be a big hit, and is courting manufacturers. He says,
“On a traditional two-person bicycle, the rider in the rear seat can only see the back of the one in front. So I started wondering how I could get them sitting face-to-face”.
