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Categories: Energy: Batteries, Paleontology: Dinosaurs
Published A new vibrant blue pottery pigment with less cobalt



Whether ultramarine, cerulean, Egyptian or cobalt, blue pigments have colored artworks for centuries. Now, seemingly out of the blue, scientists have discovered a new blue pigment that uses less cobalt but still maintains a brilliant shine. Though something like this might only happen once in a blue moon, the cobalt-doped barium aluminosilicate colorant withstands the high temperatures found in a kiln and provides a bright color to glazed tiles.
Published New water batteries stay cool under pressure



A global team of researchers has invented recyclable 'water batteries' that won't catch fire or explode. The team use water to replace organic electrolytes -- which enable the flow of electric current between the positive and negative terminals -- meaning their batteries can't start a fire or blow up -- unlike their lithium-ion counterparts.
Published Road to better performing batteries using less critical raw materials



Researchers are developing batteries that can charge faster, offer more stable storage and are made of sustainable materials that are widely available. In doing so, they offer a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries that consist of rare materials and have a high CO2 -footprint.
Published Discovery of new Li ion conductor unlocks new direction for sustainable batteries



Researchers have discovered a solid material that rapidly conducts lithium ions. Consisting of non-toxic earth-abundant elements, the new material has high enough Li ion conductivity to replace the liquid electrolytes in current Li ion battery technology, improving safety and energy capacity. The research team have synthesized the material in the laboratory, determined its structure and demonstrated it in a battery cell.
Published A lighthouse in the Gobi desert



A new study explores the weight great fossil sites have on our understanding of evolutionary relationships between fossil groups and quantified the power these sites have on our understanding of evolutionary history. Surprisingly, the authors discovered that the wind-swept sand deposits of the Late Cretaceous Gobi Desert's extraordinarily diverse and well-preserved fossil lizard record shapes our understanding of their evolutionary history more than any other site on the planet.
Published The hidden rule for flight feathers -- and how it could reveal which dinosaurs could fly



Scientists examined hundreds of birds in museum collections and discovered a suite of feather characteristics that all flying birds have in common. These 'rules' provide clues as to how the dinosaur ancestors of modern birds first evolved the ability to fly, and which dinosaurs were capable of flight.
Published Greenhouse gas repurposed



Cutting-edge research converted waste carbon dioxide into a potential precursor for chemicals and carbon-free fuel.
Published Smart earrings can monitor a person's temperature



Researchers introduced the Thermal Earring, a wireless wearable that continuously monitors a user's earlobe temperature. Potential applications include tracking signs of ovulation, stress, eating and exercise. The smart earring prototype is about the size and weight of a small paperclip and has a 28-day battery life.
Published EVs that go 1,000 km on a single charge: Gel makes it possible



Engineers apply electron beam technology to develop an integrated silicon-gel electrolyte system.
Published Dinosaurs' success helped by specialized stance and gait, study finds



Dinosaurs' range of locomotion made them incredibly adaptable, researchers have found.
Published Chemists decipher reaction process that could improve lithium-sulfur batteries



Lithium-sulfur batteries have exceptional theoretical capacity and performance in combination with an element in abundant supply. But the intricate reaction mechanism, particularly during discharge, has been challenging to solve. Researchers have identified the key pathways to a complex sulfur reduction reaction that leads to energy loss and reduced battery life span. The study's findings establish the whole reaction network for the first time and offer insight into electrocatalyst design for improved batteries.
Published Improving fuel cell durability with fatigue-resistant membranes



In hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyte membranes frequently undergo deformation and develop cracks during operation. A research team has recently introduced a fatigue-resistant polymer electrolyte membrane for hydrogen fuel cells, employing an interpenetrating network of Nafion (a plastic electrolyte) and perfluoropolyether (a rubbery polymer). This innovation will not only improve fuel cell vehicles but also promises advancements in diverse technologies beyond transportation, spanning applications from drones to desalination filters and backup power sources.
Published Scientists pinpoint growth of brain's cerebellum as key to evolution of bird flight



Evolutionary biologists report they have combined PET scans of modern pigeons along with studies of dinosaur fossils to help answer an enduring question in biology: How did the brains of birds evolve to enable them to fly?
Published Sound-powered sensors stand to save millions of batteries



Researchers are developing a new type of sensor that reacts to certain sound waves, causing it to vibrate. The sensor is a metamaterial that acquires its special properties through the structuring of the material. Passive sound-sensitive sensors could be used to monitor buildings, earthquakes or certain medical devices and save millions of batteries.
Published Polymer power: Researchers enhance the safety of lithium batteries



Lithium-ion batteries face safety concerns as a result of internal separator issues which often lead to short circuits. Scientists have now developed a method to improve the stability and properties of separators with a layer of silicon dioxide and other functional molecules. Batteries employing these separators demonstrated improved performance and reduced growth of disruptive root-like structures, paving the way for high-safety batteries that can aid the adoption of electric vehicles and advanced energy storage systems.
Published Liquid lithium on the walls of a fusion device helps the plasma within maintain a hot edge



Emerging research suggests it may be easier to use fusion as a power source if liquid lithium is applied to the internal walls of the device housing the plasma. Past experiments studied solid lithium coatings and found they could enhance a plasma. The researchers were pleased they could yield similar results with liquid lithium, as it's better suited for use in a large-scale tokamak.
Published Fast-charging lithium battery seeks to eliminate 'range anxiety'



Engineers have created a new lithium battery that can charge in under five minutes -- faster than any such battery on the market -- while maintaining stable performance over extended cycles of charging and discharging.
Published Major climate benefits with electric aircraft



Researchers have performed the world's first life cycle assessment (LCA) of an existing, two-seater, all-electric aircraft, with a direct comparison to an equivalent fossil fuel-powered one. According to the study, after just one quarter of the expected lifespan of the electric aircraft, the climate impact is lower than that of the fossil fuel-based aircraft, provided that green electricity is used. The downside, however, is increased mineral resource scarcity.
Published Student discovers 200-million-year-old flying reptile



Gliding winged-reptiles were amongst the ancient crocodile residents of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, researchers at the have revealed.
Published Self-powered sensor automatically harvests magnetic energy



Researchers have designed a self-powering, battery-free, energy-harvesting sensor. Using the framework they developed, they produced a temperature sensor that can harvest and store the energy from the magnetic field that exists in the open air around a wire.