Energy: Batteries
Published

Scientists convert waste paper into battery parts for smartphones and electric vehicles      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have developed a technique to convert waste paper, from single-use packaging and bags, and cardboard boxes, into a crucial component of lithium-ion batteries. Through a process called carbonisation which converts paper into pure carbon, the researchers turned the paper's fibers into electrodes, which can be made into rechargeable batteries that power mobile phones, medical equipment, and electric vehicles.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Fossils
Published

1,700-year-old spider monkey remains discovered in Teotihuacán, Mexico      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The complete skeletal remains of a spider monkey -- seen as an exotic curiosity in pre-Hispanic Mexico -- grants researchers new evidence regarding social-political ties between two ancient powerhouses: Teotihuacán and Maya Indigenous rulers. The remains of other animals were also discovered, as well as thousands of Maya-style mural fragments and over 14,000 ceramic sherds from a grand feast. These pieces are more than 1,700 years old.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Engineers solve a mystery on the path to smaller, lighter batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new discovery could finally usher the development of solid-state lithium batteries, which would be more lightweight, compact, and safe than current lithium batteries. The growth of metallic filaments called dendrites within the solid electrolyte has been a longstanding obstacle, but the new study explains how dendrites form and how to divert them.

Anthropology: Early Humans Archaeology: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Footprints claimed as evidence of ice age humans in North America need better dating, new research shows      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The preserved footprints found in New Mexico's Lake Otero Basin would upend scientific understanding of how, and when, humans first arrived in North America, if they are accurately dated. A new study brings the age claim into question.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Welsh 'weird wonder' fossils add piece to puzzle of arthropod evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

International team of researchers describe new fossil species discovered in fossil deposit near Llandrindod Wells in mid-Wales. The fossil, Mierridduryn bonniae, shares many features with Cambrian 'weird wonder' Opabinia, but is 40 million years younger. Robust phylogenetic analyses suggest that Mierridduryn is either the third opabiniid ever discovered, or is a distinct group that is key for understanding the evolution of the arthropod head.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Understanding a cerium quirk could help advance grid-scale energy storage      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An explanation for why flow batteries using the metal cerium in a sulfuric acid electrolyte fall short on voltage could pave the way for better battery chemistry.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Dinosaurs
Published

Prehistoric predator? Artificial intelligence says no      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Artificial intelligence has revealed that prehistoric footprints thought to be made by a vicious dinosaur predator were in fact from a timid herbivore.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Oldest evidence of the controlled use of fire to cook food, researchers report      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The remains of a huge carp fish mark the earliest signs of cooking by prehistoric human to 780,000 years ago, predating the available data by some 600,000 years, according to researchers.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Putting the brakes on lithium-ion batteries to prevent fires      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are used to power everything from smart watches to electric vehicles, thanks to the large amounts of energy they can store in small spaces. When overheated, however, they're prone to catching fire or even exploding. But recent research offers a possible solution with a new technology that can swiftly put the brakes on a Li-ion battery, shutting it down when it gets too hot.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Previously unseen processes reveal path to better rechargeable battery performance      (via sciencedaily.com) 

To design better rechargeable ion batteries, engineers and chemists have collaborated to combine a powerful new electron microscopy technique and data mining to visually pinpoint areas of chemical and physical alteration within ion batteries.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

New pterosaur species found in sub-Saharan Africa      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With wings spanning nearly 16 feet, a new species of pterosaurs has been identified from the Atlantic coast of Angola.

Anthropology: Cultures Archaeology: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

First sentence ever written in Canaanite language discovered: Plea to eradicate beard lice      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have unearthed an ivory comb from 1700 BCE inscribed with a plea to eradicate lice. The finding provides direct evidence for the use of the Canaanite alphabet in daily activities some 3700 years ago.

Geoscience: Geology Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Earth's oldest stromatolites and the search for life on Mars      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The earliest morphological traces of life on Earth are often highly controversial, both because non-biological processes can produce relatively similar structures and because such fossils have often been subjected to advanced alteration and metamorphism. Stromatolites, layered organo-sedimentary structures reflecting complex interplays between microbial communities and their environment, have long been considered key macrofossils for life detection in ancient sedimentary rocks; however, the biological origin of ancient stromatolites has frequently been criticized.

Anthropology: Cultures Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

A stone age child buried with bird feathers, plant fibers and fur      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Archaeological researchers have identified human remains as a child, who may have been laid on a bed of down in a Stone Age burial site discovered in Eastern Finland. There may also have been a canid at the child's feet. It reveals interesting details of how Stone Age humans buried their dead about 8000 years ago.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

500 million year-old fossils reveal answer to evolutionary riddle      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An exceptionally well-preserved collection of fossils discovered in eastern Yunnan Province, China, has enabled scientists to solve a centuries-old riddle in the evolution of life on earth, revealing what the first animals to make skeletons looked like.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Water for drinking? Nope, water for batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team develops aqueous rechargeable batteries based on zinc anodes. Polymeric artificial interphase to improve battery stability.

Energy: Batteries
Published

2D nanosheets as anodes in Li-ion batteries: The answer is in the sheets      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers use titanium diboride nanosheets as anode material in lithium-ion batteries to enable fast charging and extend battery life.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Batteries without critical raw materials      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The market for rechargeable batteries is growing rapidly, but the necessary raw materials are limited. Sodium-ion batteries, for example, could offer an alternative. Researchers have investigated new combinations of electrolyte solutions and electrode materials for this purpose.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Researchers design next-generation electrolytes for lithium metal batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team of researchers has discovered a new mechanism to stabilize the lithium metal electrode and electrolyte in lithium metal batteries. This new mechanism, which does not depend on the traditional kinetic approach, has potential to greatly enhance the energy density of batteries.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Limits of lithium extraction from thermal water      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Pumping up thermal water, separating lithium, and using it to produce batteries for electric mobility -- the idea of lithium as an environmentally compatible and regionally available by-product of geothermal energy plants appears highly promising. However, it has not been clear so far whether domestic lithium extraction is really worthwhile. A team of researchers has now summarized the state of the art, analyzed raw materials markets, and assessed technologies.