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George Putic

Produced by George Putic

October 24, 2018
Hi-Tech Cameras Spy Fugitive Emissions

The technology used in space missions can be expensive but it has some practical benefits here on Earth. Case in point: the thousands of high resolution images taken from the surface of Mars, collected by the two Mars rovers – Spirit and Opportunity. Now researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, are using the same technology to analyze air pollution here on our planet. VOA’s George Putic reports.
September 25, 2018
Shape-Changing Materials to Enter Everyday Life

Many materials change shape when exposed to heat, electricity or some other kind of energy. That change is usually random, but scientists are now learning how to direct that energy to turn the material into a predetermined shape. VOA’s George Putic visited a lab at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh that experiments with morphing materials.
August 07, 2018
Can a Robot Know When It’s Wrong?

Today’s robots can be programmed to do many things – from vacuuming floors to assembling cars. But teaching them to recognize and correct a mistake is much harder to do. A group of scientists, led by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, is trying to solve that problem. VOA’s George Putic has more.
August 01, 2018
A Special Type of 3-D Printing

3-D printers are being used extensively in industry, research, teaching and hobbies, printing with metal, plastic and even edible material such as dough. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh are experimenting with another kind of 3-D printing — with yarn. VOA’s George Putic reports.
August 01, 2018
A Special Type of 3D Printing

3D printers are being used extensively in industry, research, teaching and hobbies, printing with metal, plastic and even edible material such as dough. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, are experimenting with another kind of 3D printing – with yarn. VOA’s George Putic reports.
June 17, 2018
Fighting TB in Remote Areas

The technology for reading a person’s genetic code, called ‘DNA sequencing,’ is moving from fully-equipped laboratories to portable devices. Doctors can now take them to remote hospitals and fight endemic diseases, such as tuberculosis, in areas where they occur. VOA’s George Putic has more.
June 15, 2018
Antarctica Losing Ice Faster Than Thought

Once again, hard facts support the claim that the planet is getting warmer. According to a new report, published in the scientific journal Nature, Antarctica is losing ice so fast that by the end of this century, the sea level could rise as much as 16 centimeters. This may not sound like much, but scientists say the trend is alarming. VOA's George Putic has more.
June 14, 2018
CES Asia Opens in Shanghai

Judging by the size of the crowd and the number of exhibitors at the fourth annual Consumer Electronics Show Asia, which opened Wednesday in Shanghai, China is well on its way toward catching up with the United States in consumer technology. A mirror image of the older and bigger sister show in Las Vegas, CES Asia 2018 presents the latest hardware and software for everyone. VOA's George Putic has more.
June 11, 2018
Proof-of-Concept Hyperloop to Open Soon

The Boring Company, based in California, is close to opening its first exciting venture - a 3.2 kilometer underground tunnel designed to convince Californians that traveling underground at high speed may solve their state’s ubiquitous traffic jams. It is the brainchild of Elon Musk, the U.S. billionaire who founded the electric car company Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX. VOA’s George Putic has more.
June 10, 2018
Fighting Infections in Post-antibiotic World

Scientists say due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics, for treating even minor infections, many bacteria have developed strong immunity against this type of drug. In their words, we may have already entered the 'post-antibiotic era,' with previously non-life-threatening infections becoming fatal. Researchers at Rockefeller University in New York say an enzyme called lysin may prove to be crucial in this new battle against infection. VOA’s George Putic has more.
June 09, 2018
Soft Soil Saving Pisa Tower from Falling

Earthquakes happen frequently in Italy, but the famous leaning tower in Pisa still stands, puzzling scientists. An earthquake expert from University of Bristol thinks he knows why. VOA's George Putic has more.
June 05, 2018
Apple to Let Users Limit Time on their Smartphones

Experts warn that spending too much time with smartphones is eroding our family and social life. The world’s biggest smartphone manufacturer, Apple, has heard that warning... and has announced new features for iPhones that will help people get back their lives. At its annual conference, now going on in San Jose, California June 4 - 8, Apple also unveiled a host of small improvements including a bit of augmented reality. VOA’s George Putic reports.
June 04, 2018
Uphill Battle with Plastic Trash in Oceans

India is the global host of the 2018 World Environment Day. Highlighting its theme “Beat Plastic Pollution,” environmentalists will urge everyone, from those in government, industry as well as ordinary citizens, to reject the so-called ‘single-use plastic’ items which are slowly choking the planet’s waters and the animals that live in them. VOA’s George Putic reports.
June 02, 2018
Robotic Falcon Keeps Airports Free of Birds

Birds and airplanes share the sky, so inevitably collisions occur. But airport authorities try to limit those encounters because bird strikes cause costly damage to jet engines and can lead to crashes. Some airports employ trained dogs, others use loud noises to frighten birds away. A company in the Netherlands says its robotic predator Robird is much more efficient. VOA's George Putic has more.
May 31, 2018
Gravity Could Be Source of Sustainable Energy

In today's energy-hungry world, scientists are constantly revisiting every renewable resource looking for ways to increase efficiency. One researcher in the Netherlands believes even gravity can be harnessed to produce free electricity on a scale sufficient to power small appliances. VOA's George Putic has more.
May 24, 2018
Mapping the Oceans' Floors by 2030

Oceanographers often say we know much more about the surface of the Moon and Mars than we do about nearly 70 percent of our own planet. That is because most of the Earth is covered in water, most of it deeper than 200 meters. There are several initiatives to map the oceans' floors and the latest comes from Japan. VOA's George Putic reports.
May 22, 2018
Snails May Hold Clue to Treating PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a notoriously hard to treat mental state affecting both humans and animals. Its mechanism is still not completely understood, but scientists know that it causes biochemical changes in the affected person’s brain. Researchers at the University of Sussex are working to pinpoint the molecules responsible for these changes... by using pond snails. VOA’s George Putic reports.
May 21, 2018
Robots Taking Over Grocery Warehouses

Grocery stores in the U.S. are locked in a fierce battle for customers who often demand the convenience of home deliveries. Automation is increasingly becoming part of the competitive equation. When U.S. mail-order retail giant Amazon shook up the supermarket industry with its purchase of Whole Foods, America's second biggest food retailer, Kroger, responded by partnering with a British online supermarket known for its advanced warehouse technology. VOA’s George Putic reports.
May 19, 2018
Progress in Struggle to Save Animals From Extinction

Conservationists around the world are making great strides in rescuing animal species from the brink of extinction. Despite the recent death of the last male white rhinoceros, there is hope that science can bring the species back. In Europe, scientists are raising bison almost a century after they vanished from the wild, and California's population of sea otters has rebounded from only 50 specimens in the 1930s. VOA's George Putic has more.
May 17, 2018
Does Our Galaxy Sound Like Funky Blues Music?

One astronomer has developed a computer program that converts galaxy rotation into music

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