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Categories: Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Paleontology: Fossils

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Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water
Published

No shortcuts: New approach may help extract more heat from geothermal reservoirs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Geothermal heat offers a promising source of renewable energy with almost zero emissions, but it remains a relatively expensive option to generate electricity. A new technique may help prevent 'short-circuits' that can cause geothermal power plants to halt production, potentially improving the efficiency of geothermal power, the researchers said.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Slow growth in crocodile ancestors pre-dated their semi-aquatic lifestyle      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A groundbreaking study is reshaping our understanding of crocodile evolution by pinpointing the onset of slow growth rates to the Late Triassic period, much earlier than the previously assumed Early Jurassic timeline. The research highlights newly discovered fossil crocodile ancestors (known as crocodylomorphs) that exhibited slow growth rates, similar to modern-day crocodilians. Intriguingly, these early crocodylomorphs were not the lethargic, semi-aquatic creatures we are familiar with today; they were small, active, and fully terrestrial. The study also suggests that this slow-growth strategy was not a mere evolutionary quirk but a survival mechanism, as only the slow-growing crocodylomorphs managed to survive the End-Triassic mass extinction. This stands in stark contrast to the fast-growing dinosaurs of the same era, setting the stage for the divergent evolutionary paths that would later define their modern descendants.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
Published

Chameleon-inspired coating could cool and warm buildings through the seasons      (via sciencedaily.com) 

As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren't sustainable. Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, a team has developed an energy-efficient, cost-effective coating. The material could keep buildings cool in the summers -- or warm in the winters -- without additional energy.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Electrons take flight at the nanoscale      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A study showing how electrons flow around sharp bends, such as those found in integrated circuits, has the potential to improve how these circuits, commonly used in electronic and optoelectronic devices, are designed.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

RNA for the first time recovered from an extinct species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows the isolation and sequencing of more than a century-old RNA molecules from a Tasmanian tiger specimen preserved at room temperature in a museum collection. This resulted in the reconstruction of skin and skeletal muscle transcriptomes from an extinct species for the first time. The researchers note that their findings have relevant implications for international efforts to resurrect extinct species, including both the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth, as well as for studying pandemic RNA viruses.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

Atomic layer deposition route to scalable, electronic-grade van der Waals Te thin films      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team has made a significant breakthrough in thin film deposition technology.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Researchers make strides in harnessing low-grade heat for efficient energy conversion      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team has achieved significant breakthroughs in harnessing low-grade heat sources (<100 °C) for efficient energy conversion.

Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Nature's great survivors: Flowering plants survived the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study by researchers from the University of Bath (UK) and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) shows that flowering plants escaped relatively unscathed from the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Whilst they suffered some species loss, the devastating event helped flowering plants become the dominant type of plant today.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Severe Weather Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Hot summer air turns into drinking water with new gel device      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. They reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.

Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

You can leave your gloves on: New material burns viruses, safe for skin      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new material that packs deadly heat for viruses on its outer surface while staying cool on the reverse side could be used to make sustainable, multiuse personal protective equipment.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Paleontology: Fossils
Published

St Helena's 'liberated' Africans came from West Central Africa between northern Angola and Gabon      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Between 1840 and 1867, thousands of enslaved Africans who had been 'liberated' from slave ships intercepted by the British Royal Navy were taken to the South Atlantic island of St Helena. But little is written in history books or otherwise known about the lives of these individuals. Now, ancient DNA analyses offer the first direct evidence for the origins of St Helena's liberated Africans.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

Grasping entropy: Teachers and students investigate thermodynamics through a hands-on model      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Though a cornerstone of thermodynamics, entropy remains one of the most vexing concepts to teach budding physicists in the classroom. Physics teachers designed a hand-held model to demonstrate the concept of entropy for students. Using everyday materials, the approach allows students to confront the topic with new intuition -- one that takes specific aim at the confusion between entropy and disorder.

Anthropology: General Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Pioneering research sheds surprising new light on evolution of plant kingdom      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the evolution of plant biology, effectively rewriting the history of how they evolved over the past billion years.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Deriving the fundamental limit of heat current in quantum mechanical many-particle systems      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have mathematically derived the fundamental limit of heat current flowing into a quantum system comprising numerous quantum mechanical particles in relation to the particle count. Further, they established a clearer understanding of how the heat current rises with increasing particle count, shedding light on the performance constraints of potential future quantum thermal devices.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Striking gold with molecular mystery solution for potential clean energy      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Hydrogen spillover is exactly what it sounds like. Small metal nanoparticles anchored on a thermally stable oxide, like silica, comprise a major class of catalysts, which are substances used to accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed themselves. The catalytic reaction usually occurs on the reactive -- and expensive -- metal, but on some catalysts, hydrogen atom-like equivalents literally spill from the metal to the oxide. These hydrogen-on-oxide species are called 'hydrogen spillover.'

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

A new way to capture and recycle carbon dioxide from industrial emissions      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Carbon capture is a promising method to help slow climate change. With this approach, carbon dioxide (CO¬¬2) is trapped before it escapes into the atmosphere, but the process requires a large amount of energy and equipment. Now, researchers have designed a capture system using an electrochemical cell that can easily grab and release CO2. The device operates at room temperature and requires less energy than conventional, amine-based carbon-capture systems.

Ecology: Extinction Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Europe's very own dinosaurs -- the enigmatic Late Cretaceous rhabdodontids      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study brings together intriguing details about the little-known Rhabdodontidae dinosaurs of Late Cretaceous Europe. These gregarious herbivores, characterized by robust builds and beaks specialized for tough vegetation, inhabited the European archipelago. Despite being widespread and abundant, they vanished in Western Europe due to environmental changes around 69 million years ago, while surviving longer in Eastern Europe. Their fossil record offers valuable insights into their evolution and lifestyle, although its limited nature still challenges comprehensive understanding.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Hotter quantum systems can cool faster than initially colder equivalents      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The Mpemba effect is originally referred to the non-monotonic initial temperature dependence of the freezing start time, but it has been observed in various systems -- including colloids -- and has also become known as a mysterious relaxation phenomenon that depends on initial conditions. However, very few have previously investigated the effect in quantum systems. Now, the temperature quantum Mpemba effect can be realized over a wide range of initial conditions.

Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Zoology Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Three-eyed distant relative of insects and crustaceans reveals amazing detail of early animal evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists use cutting edge scanning technology to reconstruct 'fossil monster' that lived half a billion years ago. The creature's soft anatomy was well-preserved, allowing it to be imaged almost completely: It fills a gap in our understanding of the evolution of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans.