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Categories: Computer Science: General, Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published Protecting art and passwords with biochemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new molecular test method helps to prove the authenticity of works of art. The new method could also help to make passwords secure against quantum computers.
Published Using pulp and paper waste to scrub carbon from emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have come up with an innovative approach to improve the energy efficiency of carbon conversion, using waste material from pulp and paper production. The technique they've pioneered not only reduces the energy required to convert carbon into useful products, but also reduces overall waste in the environment.
Published Integrated dataset enables genes-to-ecosystems research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new dataset bridging molecular information about the poplar tree microbiome to ecosystem-level processes has been released. The project aims to inform research regarding how natural systems function, their vulnerability to a changing climate, and ultimately how plants might be engineered for better performance as sources of bioenergy and natural carbon storage.
Published eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The study underscores the crucial role of microbes in maintaining coral reef health, akin to the human gut microbiome. Hurricanes and disease outbreaks affect coral reef water microbial communities, leading to changes that may support further reef decline. Microbial analysis enables prompt assessment of disturbances' impacts on coral reefs, facilitating timely interventions to support reef ecosystems. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis offers a noninvasive approach to study coral microbial communities and diagnose reef health.
Published What four decades of canned salmon reveal about marine food webs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shown that levels of anisakid worms -- a common marine parasite -- rose in two salmon species in the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay over a 42-year period. The team discovered this by studying salmon caught, killed and canned from 1979 to 2021. Since anisakid worms have a complex life cycle involving multiple types of hosts, the researchers interpret their rising numbers as a potential sign of ecosystem recovery, possibly driven by rising numbers of marine mammals thanks to the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Published Researchers envision sci-fi worlds involving changes to atmospheric water cycle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Human activity is changing the way water flows between the Earth and atmosphere in complex ways and with likely long-lasting consequences that are hard to picture. Researchers enlisted water scientists from around the globe to write story-based scenarios about the possible futures humanity is facing but perhaps can't quite comprehend yet. The results are part of a creative pathway to understand atmospheric water research with an eye towards the potential economic and policy issues that may be just beyond the horizon.
Published Tracing the largest solar storm in modern times from tree rings in Lapland
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research group was able to measure a spike in radiocarbon concentration of trees in Lapland that occurred after the Carrington flare. This discovery helps to prepare for dangerous solar storms.
Published New privacy-preserving robotic cameras obscure images beyond human recognition
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a bid to restore privacy, researchers have created a new approach to designing cameras that process and scramble visual information before it is digitized so that it becomes obscured to the point of anonymity.
Published Out of the park: New research tallies total carbon impact of tourism at Yellowstone
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research makes a case study of Yellowstone National Park -- calculating surplus carbon that visitors from across the world add to the atmosphere each year as a direct result of a park visit.
Published 'Tug of war' tactic enhances chemical separations for critical materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lanthanide elements are important for clean energy and other applications. To use them, industry must separate mixed lanthanide sources into individual elements using costly, time-consuming, and waste-generating procedures. An efficient new method can be tailored to select specific lanthanides. The technique combines two substances that do not mix and that prefer different types of lanthanides. The process would allow for smaller equipment, less use of chemicals, and less waste production.
Published Computer scientists show the way: AI models need not be SO power hungry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The development of AI models is an overlooked climate culprit. Computer scientists have created a recipe book for designing AI models that use much less energy without compromising performance. They argue that a model's energy consumption and carbon footprint should be a fixed criterion when designing and training AI models.
Published Unleashing disordered rocksalt oxides as cathodes for rechargeable magnesium batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made a groundbreaking advancement in battery technology, developing a novel cathode material for rechargeable magnesium batteries that enables efficient charging and discharging even at low temperatures.
Published Water-based paints: Less stinky, but some still contain potentially hazardous chemicals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Choosing paint for your home brings a lot of options: What kind of paint, what type of finish and what color? Water-based paints have emerged as 'greener' and less smelly than solvent-based options. And they are often advertised as containing little-to-no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). But, according to new research, some of these paints do contain compounds that are considered VOCs, along with other chemicals of emerging concern.
Published New step in tectonic squeeze that turns seafloor into mountains
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers describe zircons from the Andes mountains of Patagonia. Although the zircons formed when tectonic plates were colliding, they have a chemical signature associated with when the plates were moving apart. The researchers think that the unexpected signature could be explained by the mechanics of underlying tectonic plates that hasn't yet been described in other models.
Published A new estimate of U.S. soil organic carbon to improve Earth system models
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Emory environmentals scientist combined field-level data with machine-learning techniques to estimate soil organic carbon at the U.S. scale, another step toward providing more accurate baseline data to improve Earth system models for climate change.
Published Chemistry researchers modify solar technology to produce a less harmful greenhouse gas
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are using semiconductors to harvest and convert the sun's energy into high-energy compounds that have the potential to produce environmentally-friendly fuels.
Published 100 kilometers of quantum-encrypted transfer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have taken a big step towards securing information against hacking. They have succeeded in using quantum encryption to securely transfer information 100 kilometers via fiber optic cable -- roughly equivalent to the distance between Oxford and London.
Published New method reveals hidden activity of life below ground
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have refined an innovative method for measuring the activity level of microbes and linking that to their individual genetic code, providing new insights into the microbial communities that thrive in extreme environments.
Published I spy with my speedy eye: Scientists discover speed of visual perception ranges widely in humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using a blink-and-you'll-miss-it experiment, researchers have discovered that individuals differ widely in the rate at which they perceive visual signals. Some people perceive a rapidly changing visual cue at frequencies that others cannot, which means some access more visual information per timeframe than others. This discovery suggests some people have an innate advantage in certain settings where response time is crucial, such as in ball sports, or in competitive gaming.
Published Engineers 'symphonize' cleaner ammonia production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Among the many chemicals we use every day, ammonia is one of the worst for the atmosphere. The nitrogen-based chemical used in fertilizer, dyes, explosives and many other products ranks second only to cement in terms of carbon emissions, due to the high temperatures and energy needed to manufacture it. But by improving on a well-known electrochemical reaction and orchestrating a 'symphony' of lithium, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms, engineers have developed a new ammonia production process that meets several green targets.