The first cloned1 dog
At first glance, Snuppy seems like a perfectly ordinary 7-month-old Afghan puppy, but he isn't ordinary. He's a clone, his genes2 derived not from the egg3 and sperm4 of a mother and father but from a single cell taken from the ear of an adult Afghan hound5. That makes Snuppy the first dog created by cloning technology, which is still very controversial6 around the world. Other mammals7 have been cloned, starting with Dolly the sheep back in 1996 and followed by mice, cows, pigs, rabbits, horses, cats and now dogs.
League of its own
The underwater camera is much smaller than the traditional underwater cameras, measuring a mere 9 cm by 14 cm and weighing under 0.5 kg. But its additional features assure image quality. The Sealife DC500 captures ultrasharp, high-resolution8 pictures and overcomes underwater photography challenges including poor light, waterborne9 particles and quick-moving subjects. And it's good for a deep dive. The camera is waterproof down to 60m and also has six modes for land.
Fruit tattoos10
A growing number of produce packers and distributors11 are experimenting with natural-light labeling, a new process that uses a laser to etch12 identifying information (country of origin, variety, etc.) into the skins of fruits and vegetables without bruising13 or causing other damage. In our taste tests with pears from Southern Oregon Sales, the labeled areas proved entirely edible14, if oddly textured15. The process allows suppliers to attach more specific data to individual items—such as when a peach will be ripe enough to eat and other handy tidbits16.
Clear water revival
The Life Straw, a large drinking straw designed by the Swiss-based company Vestergaard Frandsen, uses seven types of filters, including mesh, active carbon and iodine17, to make 700L of water clean enough to drink. It can prevent waterborne illnesses, such as typhoid18 and diarrhea19, that kill at least 2 million people every year in the developing world. It can also create safe drinking water for victims of hurricanes20, earthquakes or other disasters. It's also handy when going camping or hiking.
A rope that knows
As any fire fighter or rock climber can tell you, a simple rope can save your life—as long as it doesn't fray or break without warning. Because Smart Rope has metal fibers inside which can sense how much weight is on it and alert users if it is too great. A handheld receiver relays any problems to the owner with a warning message. It can also be used to tie boats, securing objects and in rescue21 operations.
Keeping dry
Like many great inventions, Ecology Coatings' new type of waterproof paper was an accident. While experimenting with a new kind of plastic in her lab, Sally Ramsey put down paper to keep her workspace clean. But before she trashed22 the coated paper, she got curious. It turned out that she had created a waterproof and mildew23-resistant paper that was easy to write on. The technology could be perfect for such low-cost paper products as shipping labels.
Training wheels
Learning to ride a bike can be scary, but it doesn't have to be. Industrial designers from Purdue University have invented the Shift tricycle, whose rear wheels move closer together as the rider picks up speed24, then separate for easier balance at slower speeds or at a standstill25. A spring-loaded mechanism in the rear hub26 controls the rear wheels, and there are no spokes27 or exposed bike chain. The 11-kg aluminum trike28 won an international bike-design competition in Taiwan this year. Now its creators want to produce it commercially.
Handles like a dream29
The i-unit is a four-wheel personal-transportation system that looks like a space-age sports car. “This is designed to be an extension of the human body,” says Yoshiaki Kato, chief engineer of the fully electronic vehicle, which runs on batteries with its exterior being environmentally friendly, made of plant-based materials. The 1-m-wide, leaf-shaped i-unit is 1.8m tall and can travel at speeds of up to 40km/h. Sensors allow the vehicle to detect obstacles. Place the steering unit to the left or right or even at the feet of those with special needs.
第一只克隆狗
斯纳皮乍看就像一只很普通的7个月大的阿富汗小狗，可他非同寻常。他是一只克隆狗，其基因不是源自父母的精子和卵子，而是从一只成年阿富汗猎犬的耳朵上提取的一个单细胞，因此斯纳皮就成了第一只用克隆技术制造出来的狗。克隆技术在世界各地一直颇有争议。自从1996年第一只克隆羊多莉问世以来，其他一些哺乳动物：鼠、牛、猪、兔、马、猫以及如今的狗相继有了克隆产物。
别具一格的相机
该相机比传统水下相机小得多，大小仅为9cm×14cm，重量不足0.5kg，但图像质量毫不逊色。这款名为Sealife DC500的相机能够捕捉超清晰、高分辨率的图像，并克服了包括光线不足、水中颗粒和快速移动的物体等水下摄影的难题。这款相机适用于深潜水拍摄，具有60m以内的防水功能以及陆地上使用的6种模式。
水果文身
越来越多的农产品包装商和批发商正在试验用自然光贴标签的技术，这种新方法使用激光装置把识别信息（原产地、品种等等）蚀刻到水果和蔬菜的表皮内，但并不造成擦伤或其他破损。通过对俄勒冈南部销售公司的梨进行味道测试，被贴标签的部位证明完全可以食用，仅在纹理上有些异样。这种技术使得供应商可以在单个产品上附加更多的具体信息——比如一个桃子成熟到何种程度可以吃及其他珍闻花絮等。
再造净水
“救命吸管”是一根大型饮水吸管，由瑞士维斯特加德·弗朗德森公司设计。它采用包括筛网、活性碳和碘在内的7种过滤器，可以净化700升的水供人饮用。它能够预防水传播的疾病：如每年在发展中国家导致至少200万人死亡的伤寒和痢疾。它还能为飓风、地震或其他灾难的受害者创造饮用水。它也方便了那些外出野营或远足的人们。
聪明的绳子
任何一个消防员或攀岩者都会说，一根普通的绳索可以拯救你的生命——只要它不磨损或毫无征兆地断裂。由于“智能绳”嵌入了金属光纤，它能够感应自身承载的重量；如果超重就会向使用者报警。便携式接收装置把警告信息迅速传给绳子的主人。“智能绳”还可以用于停泊船只、缚牢物品或救援作业。
防潮能手
像许多伟大发明一样，“生态涂料”公司新型防水纸的问世也是一个偶然。萨利·拉姆齐在试验一种新型塑料时，为保持工作场所清洁而在地上铺了一些纸。在扔掉这些粘上涂料的纸之前，她惊奇不已：原来她无意中创造了一种防水防霉且易书写的纸。这项技术非常适合生产诸如运输标签之类的低成本纸品。
新手自行车
学骑自行车也许是一件令人头疼的事，但如今大可不必。普渡大学的工业设计师们发明了一种变位三轮车：骑车人加速时两个后轮靠拢，减速或停止时则分开以更易于保持平衡。控制后轮的是轮轴中的一个弹簧装置，没有辐条或暴露的自行车链条。这种11公斤重的铝制三轮车今年在台湾举办的国际自行车设计大赛中获得头奖。其发明者目前打算把它投入商业生产。
操纵易如反掌
i型装置是一种四轮个人交通工具，看起来像太空时代的跑车。“它被设计成人体的一个延伸部分，”总工程师吉秋加藤说。这种完全电子化的车辆由电池提供动力，外表用环保的植物材料制成。i型装置宽1米，形状如树叶，高1.8米，行驶时时速可达40公里。车上的传感器能够探测障碍物。该操纵设备可以左右调换，如有特殊需要甚至还可放在脚边。
1. clone v. 克隆
2. gene n. 基因
3. egg n. 卵子
4. sperm n. 精子
5. hound n. 猎犬
6. controversial adj. 引起争论的，有争议的
7. mammal n. 哺乳动物
8. resolution n. （监视器）分辨率
9. waterborne adj. 水传播的，水运的
10. tattoo n. 文身
11. distributor n. 销售者，批发商
12. etch v. 蚀刻
13. bruise v. 擦伤，碰损
14. edible adj. 可食用的
15. texture v. 使具有特定本质
16. tidbit n. 珍闻，花絮
17. iodine n. 碘，碘酒
18. typhoid n. 伤寒
19. diarrhea n. 痢疾，腹泻
20. hurricane n. 飓风
21. rescue n. 解救，营救
22. trash v. 废弃，扔掉
23. mildew n. 霉，霉菌
24. pick up speed 加快速度
25. standstill n. 停止，停顿
26. hub n. 毂，轮轴
27. spoke n. 轮辐，辐条
28. trike n. 三轮车
29. like a dream 毫不费力地