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Categories: Energy: Technology, Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published Move over, armadillos: There's a new bone-plated mammal in town
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Armadillos have long been considered to be the only living mammals that produce protective bony plates. But a new study unexpectedly shows that African spiny mice produce the same structures beneath the skin of their tails, which until now had gone largely undetected.
Published Breakthrough in computer chip energy efficiency could cut data center electricity use
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made a breakthrough toward reducing the energy consumption of the photonic chips used in data centers and supercomputers.
Published Engineers create bacteria that can synthesize an unnatural amino acid
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have engineered bacteria to synthesize an amino acid that contains a rare functional group that others have shown to have implications in the regulation of our immune system. The researchers also taught a single bacterial strain to create the amino acid and place it at specific sites within target proteins. These findings provide a foundation for developing unique vaccines and immunotherapies in the future.
Published Calcium rechargeable battery with long cycle life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With the use of electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage systems on the rise, the need to explore alternatives to lithium-ion batteries has never been greater. Researchers have recently developed a prototype calcium metal rechargeable battery capable of 500 cycles of repeated charge-discharge -- the benchmark for practical use. The breakthrough was made thanks to the development of a copper sulfide nanoparticle/carbon composite cathode and a hydride-based electrolyte.
Published Researchers examine cooling power plants with brackish groundwater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nontraditional water sources can be deployed to help cope with climate-induced water risks and tackle the increasing water demand for decarbonization of fossil fuel-fired power plants, but that could increase the cost of electricity generation by 8 percent to 10 percent.
Published Researchers build bee robot that can twist
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A robotic bee that can fly fully in all directions has been developed. With four wings made out of carbon fiber and mylar as well as four light-weight actuators to control each wing, the Bee++ prototype is the first to fly stably in all directions. That includes the tricky twisting motion known as yaw, with the Bee++ fully achieving the six degrees of free movement that a typical flying insect displays.
Published Effects of crypto mining on Texas power grid
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are working to understand how cryptocurrency mining impacts the power grid and how to use this information for further research, education and policymaking.
Published Fossils of a saber-toothed top predator reveal a scramble for dominance leading up to 'the Great Dying'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A tiger-sized saber-toothed creature called Inostrancevia has previously only been found in Russia. But scientists have discovered its fossils in South Africa, suggesting that it migrated 7,000 miles across the supercontinent Pangaea during the world's worst mass extinction 252 million years ago. Heading to South Africa allowed it to fill a gap in a faraway ecosystem that had lost its top predators.
Published Communities should reconsider walking away from curbside recycling, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers took a deep dive into the economic and environmental value of community recycling efforts and compared it to the value of other climate change mitigation practices, concluding it provides a return on investment.
Published New supply chain model to empower seabound hydrogen economy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has created a new supply chain model which could empower the international hydrogen renewable energy industry.
Published Demystifying vortex rings in nuclear fusion, supernovae
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Better understanding the formation of swirling, ring-shaped disturbances -- known as vortex rings -- could help nuclear fusion researchers compress fuel more efficiently, bringing it closer to becoming a viable energy source. A mathematical model linking these vortices with more pedestrian types, like smoke rings, could help engineers control their behavior in power generation and more.
Published Puppeteer fungus' targeted takeover of 'zombie' flies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers reveal the molecular and cellular underpinnings behind the parasitic fungus, Entomophthora muscae's (E. muscae), ability to manipulate the behavior of fruit flies.
Published Fossil of mosasaur with bizarre 'screwdriver teeth' found in Morocco
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered a new species of mosasaur, a sea-dwelling lizard from the age of the dinosaurs, with strange, ridged teeth unlike those of any known reptile. Along with other recent finds from Africa, it suggests that mosasaurs and other marine reptiles were evolving rapidly up until 66 million years ago, when they were wiped out by an asteroid along with the dinosaurs and around 90% of all species on Earth.
Published An electric vehicle battery for all seasons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a fluorine-containing electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries whose charging performance remains high in frigid regions and seasons. They also determined why it is so effective.
Published Driving on sunshine: Clean, usable liquid fuels made from solar power
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a solar-powered technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be added directly to a car's engine as drop-in fuel.
Published Watch these cells rapidly create protrusions for exploration and movement
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In order to move, cells must be able to rapidly change shape. A team of researchers show that cells achieve this by storing extra 'skin' in folds and bumps on their surface. This cell surface excess can be rapidly deployed to cover temporary protrusions and then folded away for next time.
Published Scales or feathers? It all comes down to a few genes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scales, spines, feathers and hair are examples of vertebrate skin appendages, which constitute a remarkably diverse group of micro-organs. Despite their natural multitude of forms, these appendages share early developmental processes at the embryonic stage. Researchers have discovered how to permanently transform the scales that normally cover the feet of chickens into feathers, by specifically modifying the expression of certain genes.
Published Is it an ant? Is it a plant? No, it's a spider!
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A species of tiny, colorful jumping spider employs two lines of defense to avoid being eaten: camouflaging with plants and walking like an ant. Researchers report that this combination of camouflage and movement mimicry helps the spiders evade spider-eating spiders but does not deter hungry praying mantises.
Published Rare tropical plant gains appetite for meat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Under certain circumstances, a rare tropical plant develops into a carnivore. A research team has now deciphered the mechanism responsible for this.
Published Researchers discover brain circuit underlying spontaneous synchronized movement of individuals in groups
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Individual fish in schools scatter in unison when a predator is in their midst. Such precisely coordinated group movements and immobility during threats have long been observed in insects and mammals. Now, a brain pathway has been discovered that enables individual animals to rapidly coordinate a unified response, with no rehearsal required.