Plus: Computerized Cat Brains, Baby Cubicles, Bulletproof T-Shirts and a Billboard Made of Water.

Building the Electronic Cat Brain
Research shows that a cat can identify a face faster and more efficiently than a supercomputer, leading some scientists to use a feline brain as a model for advanced computing systems.

Researchers at the University of Michigan are working on a biologically inspired machine that can learn, recognize and make decisions quicker than conventional computers by relying on a “memristor,” a type of transistor that functions like a biological synapse. The memristor remembers past voltages, and the research team is using it with the goal of creating a computer as powerful as a cat’s brain, according to an announcement from the university (via ScienceDaily).

“We are building a computer in the same way that nature builds a brain,” Wei Lu, an assistant professor in the University of Michigan Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said. “The idea is to use a completely different paradigm compared to conventional computers. The cat brain sets a realistic goal because it is much simpler than a human brain but still extremely difficult to replicate in complexity and efficiency.”

Although the most advanced supercomputer can accomplish certain tasks with the brain functionality of a cat, it requires enormous processing resources, a large power supply and performs much more slowly than an actual cat’s brain. Lu’s team hopes that by using the memristor to link conventional circuits, they can simulate a mammal brain’s learning and neural pathway performance in a much smaller and more efficient machine.

Things the Internet Has Ruined
While the Internet has been a tremendous asset to humanity in more ways than we can count, it has also spoiled some aspects of modern life, as instant connectivity and access to anything and everything can breed impatience and deaden certain experiences for good.

PC World this week rounded up 10 of the things the Internet has ruined. Here are a few of our favorite selections from the list:

• Trust in encyclopedias — Thanks to Wikipedia and the many other user-edited info. sites, the faith in reliable knowledge once reserved for encyclopedias has faded.
• Barroom debates — The pleasure of arguing with friends over an obscure fact or bit of esoteric trivia has disappeared because now you can find a computer or pull out a smartphone and use Google to instantly solve the dispute.
• Civil discourse — The days of courteous debate are over, as the Internet provides the world’s largest outlet for name-calling, rudeness and a general lack of politeness.
• Listening to albums — Future generations can forget about listening to an entire CD, much less a record, because the Web has made downloading single tracks, rather than entire albums, the dominant form of musical experience.
• Gud spellng — The spread of texting, Twitter and looser editing standards across much of the Web have led to a seeming embargo on proper spelling and a boom in acronyms.

“From newspapers and the yellow pages to personal privacy and personal contact, the Net has been accused of murdering, eviscerating, ruining, and obliterating more things than the Amazing Hulk,” PC World explains. “Some claims are more true than others, but the Net certainly has claimed its share of scalps.”

For those readers who think the preferred usage should be “the Incredible Hulk,” feel free to argue your point vehemently in the comments section below.

Cubicle Play Set Prepares Babies for Office Life
Youth no longer has to be wasted on the young, as technology blog Gizmodo reports on a new cubicle play set that allows children to have fun while preparing for a future in which they won’t be able to have any. It’s never too early for kids to be exposed to reality.

The Young Explorer play set, from toy company Little Tikes, comes equipped with a functional kids’ computer pre-loaded with educational software and includes a flat desk space, built-in mouse pads, locking cabinet doors, computer wiring storage and a bench seat that fits two children.

“In this age of technology we think it is essential that children learn about computers as early as possible. This technology can enhance critical and cognitive thinking skills, problem-solving abilities and analytical thinking,” the toymaker notes. (Image credit: Little Tikes)

Introducing the Bulletproof T-Shirt
Summer is coming and people are prepping their wardrobes for warmer days, but unfortunately, some of the best beaches happen to be located near war zones. Luckily, an international group of scientists has made breakthroughs that could soon yield bulletproof T-shirts.

A team of researchers from the U.S., Switzerland and China recently succeeded in combining cotton fabric with boron carbide, the world’s third-hardest material, currently used in creating tank armor, Discover Magazine’s Discoblog reports. Fusing this incredibly durable material with a softer substance may produce thinner and more adaptable bulletproof armor, even in T-shirt form.

“Modern military forces use plates of boron carbide (B4C) as ceramic inserts for bulletproof clothing, but these can restrict mobility, so the design of a nanocomposite — where B4C is used to reinforce another material — could provide the perfect balance of strength and flexibility,” Chemistry World explains.

The scientists cut sections from pure cotton T-shirts and soaked them in a boron powder and nickel-based catalyst solution, then heated them under an argon stream that kept the material from burning. The reactions produced “nanowire” cloths, which were remarkably strong but remained lightweight and flexible.

Billboard Made of Water
In an attempt to bring an important but often neglected issue to light, the French charity and emergency relief organization Solidarités International recently prepared a mesmerizing billboard made of water. The ad’s goal is to highlight one of the most dangerous problems in the world today. Here’s a video showing how the billboard was prepared and put on display:

Credit: Solidarité from La Boite Concept on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend, folks.