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Categories: Energy: Technology, Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published Edible electronics: How a seaweed second skin could transform health and fitness sensor tech
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have developed biodegradable algae-based hydrogels for strain sensing devices -- such as those used in health monitors worn by runners and hospital patients to track heart rate -- using natural elements like rock salt, water and seaweed, combined with graphene. As well as being more environmentally friendly than polymer-based hydrogels, commonly used in health sensor technology, the graphene algae sensors perform strongly in terms of sensitivity.
Published Super-fast insect urination powered by the physics of superpropulsion
(via sciencedaily.com) Tiny insects known as sharpshooters excrete by catapulting urine drops at incredible accelerations. By using computational fluid dynamics and biophysical experiments, the researchers studied the fluidic, energetic, and biomechanical principles of excretion, revealing how an insect smaller than the tip of a pinky finger performs a feat of physics and bioengineering -- superpropulsion.
Published Tiny new climbing robot was inspired by geckos and inchworms
(via sciencedaily.com) A tiny robot that could one day help doctors perform surgery was inspired by the incredible gripping ability of geckos and the efficient locomotion of inchworms.
Published Dinosaur claws used for digging and display
(via sciencedaily.com) Dinosaur claws had many functions, but now a team has shown some predatory dinosaurs used their claws for digging or even for display.
Published The rediscovery of an ethereal fairy lantern brightly illuminates their mysterious past
(via sciencedaily.com) After more than 30 years, botanists have rediscovered Thismia kobensis, a type of mysterious-looking rare plant commonly referred to as 'fairy lanterns'. Thismia kobensis was presumed extinct and the surprise rediscovery of this Japanese variety has illuminated hidden aspects of fairy lanterns that have puzzled and fascinated botanists for centuries.
Published Corralling ions improves viability of next generation solar cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have discovered that channeling ions into defined pathways in perovskite materials improves the stability and operational performance of perovskite solar cells. The finding paves the way for a new generation of lighter, more flexible, and more efficient solar cell technologies suitable for practical use.
Published New method creates material that could create the next generation of solar cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Perovskites, a family of materials with unique electric properties, show promise for use in a variety fields, including next-generation solar cells. A team of scientists has now created a new process to fabricate large perovskite devices that is more cost- and time-effective than previously possible and that they said may accelerate future materials discovery.
Published Reaching like an octopus: A biology-inspired model opens the door to soft robot control
(via sciencedaily.com) Octopus arms coordinate nearly infinite degrees of freedom to perform complex movements such as reaching, grasping, fetching, crawling, and swimming. How these animals achieve such a wide range of activities remains a source of mystery, amazement, and inspiration. Part of the challenge comes from the intricate organization and biomechanics of the internal muscles.
Published A new chip for decoding data transmissions demonstrates record-breaking energy efficiency
(via sciencedaily.com) A new chip called ORBGRAND can decode any code applied to data transmitted over the internet with maximum accuracy and between 10 and 100 times more energy efficiency than other methods.
Published Heterostructures support predictions of counterpropagating charged edge modes at the v=2/3 fractional quantum Hall state
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have tested models of edge conduction with a device built on top of the semiconductor heterostructure which consists of gold gates that come close together. Voltage is applied on the gates to direct the edge states through the middle of the point contact, where they are close enough that quantum tunneling can occur between the edge states on opposite sides the sample. Changes in the electrical current flowing through the device are used to test the theorists' predictions.
Published New design for lithium-air battery could offer much longer driving range compared with the lithium-ion battery
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have built and tested for a thousand cycles a lithium-air battery design that could one day be powering cars, domestic airplanes, long-haul trucks and more. Its energy storage capacity greatly surpasses that possible with lithium-ion batteries.
Published Ramping up domestic graphite production could aid the green energy transition
(via sciencedaily.com) Given the growing importance of graphite in energy storage technologies, a team of esearchers has conducted a study exploring ways to reduce reliance on imports of the in high-demand mineral, which powers everything from electric vehicles (EVs) to cell phones.
Published First transient electronic bandage speeds healing by 30%
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a small, flexible, stretchable bandage that accelerates healing by delivering electrotherapy directly to the wound site. The bandage also actively monitors the healing process and then harmlessly dissolves -- electrodes and all -- into the body after it is no longer needed.
Published New technology turns smartphones into RFID readers, saving costs and reducing waste
(via sciencedaily.com) Imagine you can open your fridge, open an app on your phone and immediately know which items are expiring within a few days. This is one of the applications that a new technology would enable.
Published Meteorite crater discovered in French winery
(via sciencedaily.com) Countless meteorites have struck Earth in the past and shaped the history of our planet. It is assumed, for example, that meteorites brought with them a large part of its water. The extinction of the dinosaurs might also have been triggered by the impact of a very large meteorite. It turns out that the marketing 'gag' of the 'Domaine du Météore' winery is acutally a real impact crater. Meteorite craters which are still visible today are rare because most traces of the celestial bodies have long since disappeared again.
Published Study offers details on using electric fields to tune thermal properties of ferroelectric materials
(via sciencedaily.com) New research sheds light on how electric fields can be used to alter the thermal properties of ferroelectric materials, allowing engineers to manipulate the flow of heat through the materials. Ferroelectric materials are used in a wide variety of applications, from ultrasound devices to memory storage technologies.
Published Sheep can benefit urban lawn landscapes and people
(via sciencedaily.com) About 25 woolly sheep who seasonally -- for the past two years -- leave barns to nibble on lawns at various central campus locations, are doing much more than mowing, fertilizing and improving the ecosystem. The sheep also are improving people's mental health.
Published Nanoparticles self-assemble to harvest solar energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers design a solar harvester with enhanced energy conversion capabilities. The device employs a quasiperiodic nanoscale pattern, meaning most of it is an alternating and consistent pattern, while the remaining portion contains random defects that do not affect its performance. The fabrication process makes use of self-assembling nanoparticles, which form an organized material structure based on their interactions with nearby particles without any external instructions. Thermal energy harvested by the device can be transformed to electricity using thermoelectric materials.
Published Researchers map mosquito cells that may help the insects choose tastiest humans
(via sciencedaily.com) In a bid to understand why mosquitoes may be more attracted to one human than another, researchers say they have mapped specialized receptors on the insects' nerve cells that are able to fine-tune their ability to detect particularly 'welcoming' odors in human skin.
Published Noble false widow spider found preying on pygmy shrew
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have published the first record of a noble false widow spider feeding on a pygmy shrew, a species of tiny mammal protected in Ireland. The pygmy shrew -- a protected mammal -- was captured on spider's web on a bedroom window, then paralyzed and hoisted to its doom by the invasive spider.