Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Chance twists ordered carbon nanotubes into 'tornado films'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed two new methods to create ordered carbon nanotube films with either a left- or right-handed chiral pattern.

Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Climate change will increase wildfire risk and lengthen fire seasons      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Wildfires are some of the most destructive natural disasters in the country, threatening lives, destroying homes and infrastructure, and creating air pollution. In order to properly forecast and manage wildfires, managers need to understand wildfire risk and allocate resources accordingly.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

How ChatGPT could help first responders during natural disasters      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers train AI to accurately recognize addresses and other location descriptions in Hurricane Harvey social media posts.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Polaritons open up a new lane on the semiconductor highway      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

On the highway of heat transfer, thermal energy is moved by way of quantum particles called phonons. But at the nanoscale of today's most cutting-edge semiconductors, those phonons don't remove enough heat. That's why researchers are focused on opening a new nanoscale lane on the heat transfer highway by using hybrid quasiparticles called 'polaritons.'

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Bowtie resonators that build themselves bridge the gap between nanoscopic and macroscopic      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Two nanotechnology approaches converge by employing a new generation of fabrication technology. It combines the scalability of semiconductor technology with the atomic dimensions enabled by self-assembly.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

New implants linked to less infection and better recovery from orthopedic surgery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Superior knee and hip replacements are a step closer after researchers further test and develop a new orthopedic implant coating which has the strong ability to ward off infection -- as well as stimulate bone growth.   The technology consists of novel Silver-Gallium (Ag-Ga) nano-amalgamated particles that can be easily applied to medical device surfaces.  

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New study identifies the greatest threat to wildlife across North America and Canada: people      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A biology student studied more than 600,000 wildlife rehabilitation center records to look at the human impact on wild animals, from lead poisonings to window strikes to vehicle collisions.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Breakthroughs in nanosized contrast agents and drug carriers through self-folding molecules      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Self-folding polymers containing gadolinium forming nanosized complexes could be the key to enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and next-generation drug delivery. Thanks to their small size, low toxicity, and good tumor accumulation and penetration, these complexes represent a leap forward in contrast agents for cancer diagnosis, as well as neutron capture radiotherapy.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Artificial light is luring birds to cities and sometimes to their deaths      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists used weather radar data to map bird stopover density in the United States and found that artificial light is a top indicator of where birds will land. City lights lure birds into what can be an ecological trap -- with buildings that lead to collisions, less habitat, scarcer food, and more people and cats. The study provides the first continent-wide maps of migration stopover hotspots in the contiguous United States, and knowing these broadscale layover patterns can help in the development of conservation plans. 

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Quantum physics: Superconducting Nanowires Detect Single Protein Ions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international research team has achieved a breakthrough in the detection of protein ions: Due to their high energy sensitivity, superconducting nanowire detectors achieve almost 100% quantum efficiency and exceed the detection efficiency of conventional ion detectors at low energies by a factor of up to a 1,000. In contrast to conventional detectors, they can also distinguish macromolecules by their impact energy. This allows for more sensitive detection of proteins and it provides additional information in mass spectrometry.

Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Geoscience: Severe Weather Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Space Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

One of the largest magnetic storms in history quantified: Aurorae covered much of the night sky from the Tropics to the Polar Regions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international multidisciplinary team consisting of solar physicists, geophysicists, and historians from nine countries analysed observations of an extreme solar-terrestrial storm reported in historical records from February 1872. Their findings confirm that a moderate sunspot group triggered one of the largest magnetic storms ever recorded, almost covering the entire night sky with colourful aurorae in both hemispheres. If such an extreme storm occurred today, it would severely disrupt modern technological infrastructure. Their study emphasizes the importance of looking at historical records in light of modern scientific knowledge.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Photonic chip that 'fits together like Lego' opens door to semiconductor industry      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new semiconductor architecture integrates traditional electronics with photonic, or light, components could have application in advanced radar, satellites, wireless networks and 6G telecommunications. And it provides a pathway for a local semiconductor industry.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Physics: General
Published

Harvesting more solar energy with supercrystals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Hydrogen is a building block for the energy transition. To obtain it with the help of solar energy, researchers have developed new high-performance nanostructures. The material holds a world record for green hydrogen production with sunlight.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General
Published

Control over friction, from small to large scales      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Friction is hard to predict and control, especially since surfaces that come in contact are rarely perfectly flat. New experiments demonstrate that the amount of friction between two silicon surfaces, even at large scales, is determined by the forming and rupturing of microscopic chemical bonds between them. This makes it possible to control the amount of friction using surface chemistry techniques.

Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Being prepared for storm surges on the Baltic Sea coast      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The record storm surge in October 2023 caused severe damage to the German Baltic coast. Effective adaptation scenarios to rising sea levels are therefore becoming increasingly urgent. In two recent studies, researchers have modeled both the flooding extent along the Baltic Sea coastal areas and two possible upgrades for current dike lines in high resolution. They modeled various storm surge and sea level rise scenarios.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: Trees Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Severe Weather Paleontology: Climate
Published

600 years of tree rings reveal climate risks in California      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The San Joaquin Valley in California has experienced vast variability in climate extremes, with droughts and floods that were more severe and lasted longer than what has been seen in the modern record, according to a new study of 600 years of tree rings from the valley.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Geoscience: Severe Weather Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Solar activity likely to peak next year      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered a new relationship between the Sun's magnetic field and its sunspot cycle, that can help predict when the peak in solar activity will occur. Their work indicates that the maximum intensity of solar cycle 25, the ongoing sunspot cycle, is imminent and likely to occur within a year.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Giant sea salt aerosols play major role in Hawai'i's coastal clouds, rain      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study from atmospheric scientists revealed that the coastline can produce up to five times the concentration of giant sea salt aerosols compared to the open ocean and that coastal clouds may contain more of these particles than clouds over the open ocean -- affecting cloud formation and rain around the Hawaiian Islands. 

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

A fifth higher: Tropical cyclones substantially raise the Social Cost of Carbon      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Extreme events like tropical cyclones have immediate impacts, but also long-term implications for societies. A new study now finds: Accounting for the long-term impacts of these storms raises the global Social Cost of Carbon by more than 20 percent, compared to the estimates currently used for policy evaluations. This increase is mainly driven by the projected rise of tropical-cyclone damages to the major economies of India, USA, China, Taiwan, and Japan under global warming.