Plus: Pollution-Cleaning Buildings, The Lord of the Rings Infographic and Mind-Reading Technology.

The Smog-Cleaning Building
Air pollution in urban environments is becoming a serious problem everywhere from Los Angeles to Beijing, but new materials technology may provide a solution to clearing smog from the world’s cityscapes.

Industrial materials firm Alcoa recently unveiled the world’s first self-cleaning architectural panel, a product with the potential to reduce building maintenance and enable structures to decompose smog and other air pollutants. Known as Reynobond with EcoClean, the technology relies on a titanium dioxide coating that interacts with sunlight to break down organic matter on and floating around the surface of a building panel. Rainwater then washes the particles down to the surface.

“You can imagine the applications of this green building technology: Times Square would glimmer a little brighter,” SmartPlanet notes. “Ultra-high skyscrapers wouldn’t need to hire daring window cleaners to keep floor-to-ceiling windows transparent. And, at scale, a smog-choked Los Angeles could breathe a bit easier.”

Alcoa claims that approximately 10,000 square feet of surface using the coated panels has the same air-cleaning capability as 80 trees. The coating is designed solely for aluminum materials, and with 14 billion square feet of aluminum paneling in North America and Europe, replacing a fraction of the total with smog-cleaning panels would equate to planting millions of trees.

The new panels will cost 4 percent to 5 percent more than standard materials, but the expense may be offset by maintenance reductions. In addition, many companies may be interested in boosting their brand by adopting the high-tech breakthrough. The technology is currently being tested in pilot programs in North America and Europe.

The Lord of the Rings Charted Out
Some of the details of the Lord of the Rings trilogy can be difficult to remember. Did Frodo and Sam make it to Fangorn and reunite with Gandalf before splitting off on their own? Did Gimli ever show up at Isengard?

Luckily, graphic designer J.T. Fridsma has put together a handy visual reference guide to help all the J.R.R. Tolkien geeks among us sort out who was where and when on the Fellowship’s journey.

Click image for larger view.
Image Credit: Fast Company’s Co.Design

A Big Investment in Mind-Reading Tech
A neurotechnology company pioneering new methods to chart brain activity through swift and non-invasive methods recently received a major infusion of funds from an anonymous investor — an amount greater than Google’s and Facebook’s first-round investments combined, CNBC reports.

NeuroVigil, a San Diego-based company developing advanced electroencephalogram (EEG) technology, is focusing its efforts on the iBrain, a head cap that can be used to monitor brain signals without resorting to the traditional method of implanting electrodes on the brain itself. The company has also pioneered the Sleep Parametric EEG Automated Recognition System (SPEARS) algorithm to rapidly analyze the data collected.

“Our technology not only automates current manual tasks, but also more than quadruples the amount of useful information obtained from current EEG data, which leads to neural signatures, or correlates of important disease states, that are useful in early detection and diagnosis of important sleep-related medical conditions as well as diseases of the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, etc.,” NeuroVigil explains.

The major investment made into the company, which puts its current valuation at roughly $250 million, will enable NeuroVigil to increase its research and development efforts and possibly increase the iBrain’s neurological disease-detection capabilities. The technology also has the potential for a variety of non-medical applications in biofeedback, transportation and the defense industry.

“Another trove of potential cash could come from neuromarketers, currently measuring brain activity around decision-making about everything from what soup to buy, to what movie to see, to which candidate to vote for,” according to Fast Company.

The Origins of Friday the 13th
Calendar numerology? Norse witchcraft? A supernatural, hockey-mask-wearing killer? There are a wide range of theories to explain why people are frightened by Friday the 13th. (The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia, by the way.)

Here’s a short video, courtesy of Slate.com’s Trending News Channel blog, outlining some of the likeliest explanations for the superstitions revolving around this terrifying day:

Have a superstition-free weekend, folks!