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Scientists create rechargeable swimming microrobots using oil and water

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By combining oil drops with water containing a detergent-like substance, the scientists found they could produce artificial swimmers that are able to swim independently and even harvest energy to recharge.

The oil droplets use fluctuating temperature changes in their surrounding environment to store energy and to swim. When cooled, the droplets release thin ‘tail-like’ threads into the environment. The friction generated between the tails and surrounding fluid, pushes the droplet causing them to move.

On heating, the droplets then retract their tails returning to their original state, and harness the heat from their environment to recharge. [Read more…] about Scientists create rechargeable swimming microrobots using oil and water

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  • Better batteries start with basics – and a big computer
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    Better batteries start with basics – and a big computerTo understand the fundamental properties of an industrial solvent, chemists with the University of Cincinnati turned to a supercomputer. UC chemistry professor and department head Thomas Beck and UC graduate student Andrew Eisenhart ran quantum simulations to understand glycerol carbonate, a compound used in biodiesel and as a common solvent.…
    Tags: water, energy, study, simple, basic, people, chemical, physical, news

Transformation of controller software to ensure safe behavior under perceptual uncertainty

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A research team consisting of Tsutomu Kobayashi, Ichiro Hasuo, Fuyuki Ishikawa, and Shinya Katsumata at the National Institute of Informatics (NII, Japan) and Rick Salay and Krzysztof Czarnecki at University of Waterloo (Canada) developed a method that automatically transforms models of controller software into models that satisfy safety requirements even when there is uncertainty in sensing the state of the environment.

In addition to the transformation, the method generates formulas that represent the degree of uncertainty that the controller software can tolerate. The method can be applied to various controller systems that interact with the external environment, including autonomous vehicles.

This research was conducted under the ERATO MMSD Project (*1) funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST, Japan). The findings were presented at the 13th NASA Formal Methods Symposium (online) on May 26th, 2021. [Read more…] about Transformation of controller software to ensure safe behavior under perceptual uncertainty

Turning plastic into foam to combat pollution

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Biodegradable plastics are supposed to be good for the environment. But because they are specifically made to degrade quickly, they cannot be recycled.

In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have developed a method to turn biodegradable plastic knives, spoons, and forks into a foam that can be used as insulation in walls or in flotation devices.

The investigators placed the cutlery, which was previously thought to be “nonfoamable” plastic, into a chamber filled with carbon dioxide. As pressure increased, the gas dissolved into the plastic. [Read more…] about Turning plastic into foam to combat pollution

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  • New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exports
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    New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exportsGovernments at the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) of the Basel Convention acted to restrict rampant plastic waste exports by requiring countries to obtain prior informed consent before exporting contaminated or mixed plastic waste. A deluge of plastic waste exports from developed countries has polluted developing countries in Southeast…
    Tags: plastic, plastics, features, environment

Researchers find how tiny plastics slip through the environment

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Washington State University researchers have shown the fundamental mechanisms that allow tiny pieces of plastic bags and foam packaging at the nanoscale to move through the environment.

The researchers found that a silica surface such as sand has little effect on slowing down the movement of the plastics, but that natural organic matter resulting from decomposition of plant and animal remains can either temporarily or permanently trap the nanoscale plastic particles, depending on the type of plastics.

The work, published in the journal Water Research, could help researchers develop better ways to filter out and clean up pervasive plastics from the environment.

The researchers include Indranil Chowdhury, assistant professor in WSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, along with Mehnaz Shams and Iftaykhairul Alam, recent graduates of the civil engineering program. [Read more…] about Researchers find how tiny plastics slip through the environment

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  • It’s snowing plastic: Small particles of plastic are coming down with the snow
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    It’s snowing plastic: Small particles of plastic are coming down with the snowThe snow may be melting, but it is leaving pollution behind in the form of micro- and nano-plastics according to a McGill study that was recently published in Environmental Pollution. The pollution is largely due to the relatively soluble plastics found in antifreeze products (polyethylene glycols) that can become airborne…
    Tags: plastics, environment, plastic, particles, matter, organic, researchers, polyethylene, water, news
  • Plastic waste disintegrates into nanoparticles, study finds
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    Plastic waste disintegrates into nanoparticles, study findsThere is a considerable risk that plastic waste in the environment releases nano-sized particles known as nanoplastics, according to a new study from Lund University. The researchers studied what happened when takeaway coffee cup lids, for example, were subjected to mechanical breakdown, in an effort to mimic the degradation that…
    Tags: plastic, particles, news, environment
  • New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exports
    31
    New global rules curb unrestricted plastic waste exportsGovernments at the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) of the Basel Convention acted to restrict rampant plastic waste exports by requiring countries to obtain prior informed consent before exporting contaminated or mixed plastic waste. A deluge of plastic waste exports from developed countries has polluted developing countries in Southeast…
    Tags: plastic, plastics, environment
  • US Department of Energy to invest $25 million in polymer upcyling, plastic waste reuse research
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    US Department of Energy to invest $25 million in polymer upcyling, plastic waste reuse researchThe US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced plans to invest $25 million in fundamental science to lay the groundwork for technology that finds reuses for plastic waste, makes strides toward addressing the global plastic waste crisis, and reduces the climate impacts of plastic production. DOE's research investment will focus…
    Tags: plastic, plastics, news, environment
  • Self-watering soil could transform farming
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    Self-watering soil could transform farmingA new type of soil created by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of farmable land around the globe to previously inhospitable places and reducing water use in agriculture at a time of…
    Tags: water, news, environment

Energy unleashed by underwater volcanoes could power a continent

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Volcanic eruptions deep in our oceans are capable of extremely powerful releases of energy, at a rate high enough to power the whole of the United States, according to new research.

Eruptions from deep-sea volcanoes were long-thought to be relatively uninteresting compared with those on land. While terrestrial volcanoes often produce spectacular eruptions, dispersing volcanic ash into the environment, it was thought that deep marine eruptions only produced slow moving lava flows.

But data gathered by remotely operated vehicles deep in the North East Pacific and analysed by scientists at the University of Leeds, has revealed a link between the way ash is dispersed during submarine eruptions and the creation of large and powerful columns of heated water rising from the ocean floor, known as megaplumes. [Read more…] about Energy unleashed by underwater volcanoes could power a continent

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  • Sea levels influence eruptions on volcanic island
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    Sea levels influence eruptions on volcanic islandThe rise and fall of sea levels influence the likelihood of volcanic eruptions on the Greek island of Santorini, new research led by Oxford Brookes University has discovered. Analysing the timings of eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years, the researchers found that a 40 metre fall in sea level…
    Tags: eruptions, volcanic, volcanoes, activity, eruption, news, environment

It’s snowing plastic: Small particles of plastic are coming down with the snow

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The snow may be melting, but it is leaving pollution behind in the form of micro- and nano-plastics according to a McGill study that was recently published in Environmental Pollution.

The pollution is largely due to the relatively soluble plastics found in antifreeze products (polyethylene glycols) that can become airborne and picked up by the snow.

The researchers used a new technique that they have developed to analyze snow samples collected in April 2019 in Montreal for both micro- and nano-sized particles of various plastics. [Read more…] about It’s snowing plastic: Small particles of plastic are coming down with the snow

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  • Researchers find how tiny plastics slip through the environment
    45
    Researchers find how tiny plastics slip through the environmentWashington State University researchers have shown the fundamental mechanisms that allow tiny pieces of plastic bags and foam packaging at the nanoscale to move through the environment. The researchers found that a silica surface such as sand has little effect on slowing down the movement of the plastics, but that…
    Tags: plastics, plastic, particles, researchers, environment, water, organic, polyethylene, matter, news
  • Plastic waste disintegrates into nanoparticles, study finds
    34
    Plastic waste disintegrates into nanoparticles, study findsThere is a considerable risk that plastic waste in the environment releases nano-sized particles known as nanoplastics, according to a new study from Lund University. The researchers studied what happened when takeaway coffee cup lids, for example, were subjected to mechanical breakdown, in an effort to mimic the degradation that…
    Tags: plastic, study, particles, news, environment
  • AI pinpoints local pollution hotspots using satellite images
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    AI pinpoints local pollution hotspots using satellite imagesResearchers at Duke University have developed a method that uses machine learning, satellite imagery and weather data to autonomously find hotspots of heavy air pollution, city block by city block.  The technique could be a boon for finding and mitigating sources of hazardous aerosols, studying the effects of air pollution…
    Tags: pollution, researchers, environmental, health, study, human, better, university, methods, technique
  • Social media and science show how ship's plastic cargo dispersed from Florida to Norway
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    Social media and science show how ship's plastic cargo dispersed from Florida to NorwayA ship's container lost overboard in the North Atlantic has resulted in printer cartridges washing up everywhere from the coast of Florida to northern Norway, a new study has shown. It has also resulted in the items weathering to form microplastics that are contaminated with a range of metals such…
    Tags: plastic, study, university, environmental, current, common, sciences, author, plastics, environment

Life from Earth could temporarily survive on Mars

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Some microbes on Earth could temporarily survive on the surface of Mars, finds a new study by NASA and German Aerospace Center scientists.

The researchers tested the endurance of microorganisms to Martian conditions by launching them into the Earth’s stratosphere, as it closely represents key conditions on the Red Planet.

Published in Frontiers in Microbiology, this work paves the way for understanding not only the threat of microbes to space missions, but also the opportunities for resource independence from Earth. [Read more…] about Life from Earth could temporarily survive on Mars

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  • Earth has a hot new neighbour – and it's an astronomer's dream
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    Earth has a hot new neighbour – and it's an astronomer's dreamA newly discovered planet could be our best chance yet of studying rocky planet atmospheres outside the solar system, a new international study involving UNSW Sydney shows. The planet, called Gliese 486b (pronounced Glee-seh), is a “super-Earth”: that is, a rocky planet bigger than Earth but smaller than ice giants…
    Tags: planet, atmosphere, life, red, earth, study, space
  • Heat and dust help launch Martian water into space, scientists find
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    Heat and dust help launch Martian water into space, scientists findScientists using an instrument aboard NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, spacecraft have discovered that water vapor near the surface of the Red Planet is lofted higher into the atmosphere than anyone expected was possible. There, it is easily destroyed by electrically charged gas particles – or ions…
    Tags: atmosphere, mars, martian, space, surface
  • Young stars ‘destroy Earth-like atmospheres’
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    Young stars ‘destroy Earth-like atmospheres’The discoveries of thousands of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system have made questions about the potential for life to form on these planets fundamentally important in modern science. Fundamentally important for the habitability of a planet is whether or not it can hold onto an atmosphere, which requires…
    Tags: atmosphere, planet, space, life, radiation, earth
  • Earthlings send three separate missions to Mars
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    Earthlings send three separate missions to MarsEarthlings have sent three separate missions to Mars which will all reach the Red Planet within the next few days. One of them was sent by the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is scheduled to land on 18th February 2021. NASA’s spacecraft carried the Perseverance Rover…
    Tags: space, mars, missions, mission, earth, planet
  • Preparing for a human mission to Mars
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    Preparing for a human mission to MarsFuture human missions to Mars depend on field research in an environment similar to that of Mars. It will enable the evaluation of operational concepts and optimization of strategies. The goals and results of the AMADEE-18 Mars analog mission are detailed in a special collection of articles in the peer-reviewed…
    Tags: mission, mars, missions, center, space, environment

Bioplastics in the sustainability dilemma

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Plastics made from crops such as maize or sugarcane instead of fossil fuels are generally considered sustainable. One reason is that plants bind CO2, which compensates for the carbon released into the atmosphere when plastics are disposed.

However, there is a catch: With increasing demand for raw materials for bioplastic production, the areas under cultivation may not be sufficient. As a result, natural vegetation is often converted to agricultural land and forests are cut down. This in turn releases large amounts of CO2.

The assumption that more bioplastics does not necessarily lead to more climate protection has now been confirmed by researchers at the University of Bonn (Germany) in a new study. [Read more…] about Bioplastics in the sustainability dilemma

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  • Current food production systems could mean far-reaching habitat loss
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    Current food production systems could mean far-reaching habitat lossThe global food system could drive rapid and widespread biodiversity loss if not changed, new research has found. Findings published in Nature Sustainability shows that the global food system will need to be transformed to prevent habitat loss across the world. It shows that what we eat and how it is produced…
    Tags: global, university, country, land, study, sustainability, production

Significant cancer rates in California sea lions has major human health implications

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Scientists at The Marine Mammal Center – the world’s largest marine mammal hospital – have found that viral-caused cancer in adult California sea lions is significantly increased by their exposure to toxins in the environment.

The study is the result of over 20 years of research and examination of nearly 400 California sea lion patients by The Marine Mammal Center.

The Marine Mammal Center has been on the forefront of researching and understanding cancer in California sea lions and its connection to both ocean and human health.

Since the cancer in sea lions was first discovered in 1979, between 18-23 percent of adult sea lions admitted to the Center’s hospital have died of the fatal disease – the highest prevalence for a single type of cancer in any mammal, including humans.

The study, which was published in Frontiers in Marine Science, a peer-reviewed research journal, concluded that efforts to prevent ecosystem contamination with pollutants must improve in order to prevent virally caused cancer development in both wildlife and humans.

“This paper’s conclusions mark a significant milestone in piecing together the complicated puzzle of cancer development in California sea lions,” said Dr Pádraig Duignan, Chief Pathologist at The Marine Mammal Center and co-author of the study.

“The decades of research looking into this deadly disease clearly shows the ocean environment we all share is in trouble and that we need to find solutions to protect our collective health.”

The findings also show that California sea lions have among the highest levels of certain persistent organic pollutants in the blubber of any marine mammals – a disturbing report that is cause for concern for scientists across the globe.

“Even though some of the pollutants we’re finding in the blubber have been out of use for years, these cancer-causing elements remain in the environment for a very long time and wreak havoc on opportunistic coastal feeders like sea lions,” said Dr. Duignan.

“It concerns me knowing that we consume very similar seafood as these cancer victims and that the ocean is raising a loud and clear alarm in the sick bodies of a sentinel species.

“We need to continue this critical research and collaborate with the human cancer doctors to find patterns to help discover the link between sea lions and ourselves.”

Previously, researchers at The Marine Mammal Center determined that these sea lions are infected with a herpesvirus similar to one that causes Kaposi’s sarcoma (a viral cancer) in humans.

In this newly released study, scientists used complex statistical analysis and modeling to investigate the relative roles of the various factors in the development of fatal metastatic cancer.

The results showed that the damage of the DNA in sea lions occurs due to a number of factors, including: *the interaction of many environmental factors, including chemical contaminants and pollutants; and * infections by tumor-promoting viruses like Otarine herpesvirus-1.

Additionally, their findings found that the animals’ own genetic predisposition was not a significant factor to developing the cancer.

“While there is more to be learned about the complex factors that play into the development of this disease, what we learn from these animals contributes to research that underpins the threat to human health from pollutants in the ocean,” said Dr. Frances M. D. Gulland, the lead author of the study who worked at The Marine Mammal Center for 25 years.

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  • When humans disturb marine mammals, it’s hard to know the long-term impact
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    When humans disturb marine mammals, it’s hard to know the long-term impactFrom seismic surveys and Navy sonar to fisheries and shipping, many human activities in the ocean environment cause short-term changes in the behaviors of marine mammals. A longstanding challenge for scientists and regulatory agencies alike has been to understand the biological significance of those changes in terms of their overall…
    Tags: california, marine, sea, development, including, lions, ocean, study, scientists, mammal
  • Obesity and cancer: Studies highlight different aspects of the connection
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    Obesity and cancer: Studies highlight different aspects of the connectionMulti-factorial metabolic and inflammatory abnormalities in obesity, independently or in combination, seems to be the critical biological link of obesity, cancer and racial/gender health disparities. However, the specific cross-talk between these factors remain elusive. Because of the extraordinary relevance in understanding the relationship between obesity-associated inflammation and comorbidities with cancer…
    Tags: cancer, center, health

What happens when your brain can’t tell which way is up or down?

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What feels like up may actually be some other direction depending on how our brains process our orientation, according to psychology researchers at York University’s Faculty of Health. 

In a new study, researchers at York University’s Centre for Vision Research found that an individual’s interpretation of the direction of gravity can be altered by how their brain responds to visual information.

Laurence Harris, a professor in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health and Meaghan McManus, a graduate student in his lab, found, using virtual reality, that people differ in how much they are influenced by their visual environment. [Read more…] about What happens when your brain can’t tell which way is up or down?

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  • Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discover
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    Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discoverWhat if an MRI scan could determine whether a weight loss program was likely to be effective? Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have discovered a neural subnetwork of connected regions between the brain and gastric basal electric frequency that correlates with future weight loss based on connectivity patterns.…
    Tags: brain, researchers, participants, visual, health
  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
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    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: people, group, participants, study, researchers, life