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Categories: Engineering: Nanotechnology, Environmental: General
Published Researchers probe molten rock to crack Earth's deepest secrets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team re-created molten rock conditions deep within the Earth and measured the spin states of iron atoms within that rock melt. An iron atom's spin state drives its magnetic behavior and reactivity in chemical reactions, and can influence whether iron prefers to be in the molten or solid rock.
Published Climate is increasing risk of high toxin concentrations in Northern US lakes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As climate change warms the Earth, higher-latitude regions will be at greater risk for toxins produced by algal blooms, according to new research. The findings identify water temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) as being at the greatest risk for developing dangerous levels of a common algae-produced toxin called microcystin.
Published Plants transformed into detectors of dangerous chemicals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What if your house plant could tell you your water isn't safe? Scientists are closer to realizing this vision, having successfully engineered a plant to turn beet red in the presence of a banned, toxic pesticide.
Published Unexpected behavior discovered in active particles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Physicists have now shown that, depending on the extent to which the propulsion speed of active particles is dependent on their orientation, clusters in different shapes arise in many-particle systems. This might be a possible key to the realization of programmable matter.
Published Increased West Antarctic Ice Sheet melting 'unavoidable'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The West Antarctic Ice Sheet will continue to increase its rate of melting over the rest of the century, no matter how much we reduce fossil fuel use, according to new research. A substantial acceleration in ice melting likely cannot now be avoided, which implies that Antarctica's contribution to sea level rise could increase rapidly over the coming decades.
Published New study shows surprising effects of fire in North America's boreal forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using satellite images, researchers found that fires in North America's boreal forest may be changing the environment in ways that researchers didn't previously anticipate.
Published Soft, living materials made with algae glow under stress
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed soft yet durable materials that glow in response to mechanical stress, such as compression, stretching or twisting. The materials derive their luminescence from single-celled algae known as dinoflagellates, which are embedded within the materials. The work was inspired by the bioluminescent waves caused by dinoflagellates during red tide events at San Diego's beaches.
Published Does urbanization trigger plant evolution?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Urban environments have become hotspots for understanding how rapid evolution occurs in response to extreme environmental changes. These habitats exert selective pressures on resident organisms that impact their evolutionary trajectories. Recently, researchers investigated how the creeping woodsorrel plant might adapt in response to elevated temperatures that result from urbanization. Understanding these effects can help predict evolutionary traits to manage plant evolution in the face of shifting climatic conditions.
Published Land use: Producing more food and storing more carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Doubling food production, saving water, and increasing carbon storage capacity -- this may sound paradoxical, but would be theoretically feasible considering the biophysical potential of the Earth. Reaching this goal, however, would require a radical spatial reorganization of land use.
Published Accelerating waves shed light on major problems in physics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers at Tampere University and the University of Eastern Finland have reached a milestone in a study where they derived a new kind of wave equation, which applies for accelerating waves. The novel formalism has turned out to be an unexpectedly fertile ground for examining wave mechanics, with direct connections between accelerating waves, general theory of relativity, as well as the arrow of time.
Published Pivotal breakthrough in adapting perovskite solar cells for renewable energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A huge step forward in the evolution of perovskite solar cells will have significant implications for renewable energy development.
Published New extremes in stratospheric water vapor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The focus of new research was to determine how deep, how much and how frequently water in the stratosphere was being increased by thunderstorms.
Published El Niño's changing patterns: Human influence on natural variability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Two recent scientific studies provide new insights into Earth's climate dynamics, with a particular focus on the El Niño phenomenon. The results show how El Niño responds to natural factors over extended periods, while highlighting the increasing role of human activities in shaping this climatic phenomenon in the modern era.
Published Unearthing the ecological impacts of cicada emergences on North American forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research unveils the cascading effects of periodical cicada emergence events on forest ecosystems ahead of an historic convergence of broods set to emerge spring of 2024.
Published International team develops novel DNA nano engine
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists has recently developed a novel type of nano engine made of DNA. It is driven by a clever mechanism and can perform pulsing movements. The researchers are now planning to fit it with a coupling and install it as a drive in complex nano machines.
Published Scientists discover deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered the deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching, more than 90 metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean. Identified during a research cruise, the damage to the deeper reefs in the Central Indian Ocean has been attributed to significant changes in the region's ocean temperature caused by the Indian Ocean Dipole. The researchers have also warned such incidences are only likely to increase as a result of present and future climate change.
Published Electron-rich metals make ceramics tough to crack
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have developed a recipe to make a certain class of ceramics tougher and more resistant to cracking. The newfound toughness of these ceramics paves the way for their use in extreme applications, such as spacecraft and other hypersonic vehicles.
Published Cobalt-free battery for cleaner, greener power
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source High-capacity and reliable rechargeable batteries are a critical component of many devices and even modes of transport. They play a key role in the shift to a greener world. A wide variety of elements are used in their production, including cobalt, the production of which contributes to some environmental, economic, and social issues. A team now presents a viable alternative to cobalt which in some ways can outperform state-of-the-art battery chemistry. It also survives a large number of recharge cycles, and the underlying theory can be applied to other problems.
Published New study finds 50-year trend in hurricane escalation linked to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research by climate scientists indicates that there have been great changes to Atlantic hurricanes in just the past 50 years, with storms developing and strengthening faster.
Published Cut emissions and improve farming to protect wilderness
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Humanity must cut carbon emissions and use farmland more efficiently to protect our planet's remaining wilderness, new research shows.