The Economist: This week BAE Systems, a defense and aerospace giant, and Quest International, a small producer of equipment used to sanitize the air in hospitals and nursing homes, announced that they had successfully adapted Quest’s technology for use in aircraft.They make bold claims for AirManager, their new system. It can be fitted during a routine overnight service and uses less power than a light bulb, but is capable of zapping just about all the bacteria, viruses and other biohazards in cabin air—as well as destroying chemical contaminants and pollutants. And it also removes nasty smells.
Modeling the shapes of tree branches, neurons, and blood vessels is a thorny problem, but researchers have just discovered that much of the math has already been done.