Chemistry: General Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Electrifying heavy-duty vehicles could reduce environmental inequalities      (via sciencedaily.com) 

If the region surrounding Chicago -- North America's largest freight hub -- shifted just 30% of its current on-road heavy-duty vehicles to electric versions, it would substantially reduce pollution and save hundreds of lives per year, with the benefits largely concentrated in disadvantaged communities, according to a new study. The study authors highlight that neighborhoods with predominantly Black, Hispanic and Latinx residents would benefit the most -- potentially reducing disproportionate pollution and health burdens in historically marginalized areas.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Bit by bit, microplastics from tires are polluting our waterways      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Urban stormwater particles from tire wear were the most prevalent microplastic a new study has found. The study showed that in stormwater runoff during rain approximately 19 out of every 20 microplastics collected were tire wear particles with anywhere from 2 to 59 particles per liter of water. Tire rubber contains up to 2500 chemicals with the contaminants that leach from tires considered more toxic to bacteria and microalgae than other plastic polymers.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Batteries Engineering: Graphene Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Efficient and mild: Recycling of used lithium-ion batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) provide our portable devices like tablets and mobiles -- and increasingly also vehicles -- with power. As the share of volatile renewable energy needing electricity storage increases, more and more LIBs are needed, lithium prices rise, resources dwindle, and the amount of depleted batteries that contain toxic substances increases. Researchers introduce a novel approach for the recovery of lithium from used LIBs.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

3D-printed 'living material' could clean up contaminated water      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A 'living material,' made of a natural polymer combined with genetically engineered bacteria, could offer a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to clean pollutants from water. Researchers developed their living material using a seaweed-based polymer and bacteria that have been programmed to produce an enzyme that transforms various organic pollutants into harmless compounds. In tests, heir material decontaminated water solutions tainted with a pollutant from textile manufacturing: indigo carmine, a blue dye that is used to color denim.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Blowing snow contributes to Arctic warming      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Atmospheric scientists have discovered abundant fine sea salt aerosol production from wind-blown snow in the central Arctic, increasing seasonal surface warming.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

New research explains 'Atlantification' of the Arctic Ocean      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research by an international team of scientists explains what's behind a stalled trend in Arctic Ocean sea ice loss since 2007. The findings indicate that stronger declines in sea ice will occur when an atmospheric feature known as the Arctic dipole reverses itself in its recurring cycle. The many environmental responses to the Arctic dipole are described in a recent article. This analysis helps explain how North Atlantic water influences Arctic Ocean climate. Scientists call it Atlantification.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Toxic molds, fossil fuels, antibiotics linked to chemical intolerance      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Toxic mold left behind by Hurricane Idalia could initiate chemical intolerance (CI) in some individuals, experts said. In a survey of thousands of Americans, mold exposure was the most frequently cited initiating cause of CI, according to a recently published study.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

A system to keep cloud-based gamers in sync      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new technique can synchronize media streams from different networks to multiple devices with less than 10 milliseconds of delay. The technique was demonstrated on cloud gaming, but could also be applied in AR/VR applications.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Microbiology Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Newly discovered fungus helps destroy a harmful food toxin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Patulin is a harmful mycotoxin produced by fungi typically found in damaged fruits, including apples, pears, and grapes. In a recent breakthrough, researchers identified a new filamentous fungal strain that can degrade patulin by transforming it into less toxic substances. Their findings provide important insights into the degradation mechanisms for patulin found in nature, and can lead to new ways of controlling patulin toxicity in our food supplies.

Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Volcanoes
Published

Two out of three volcanoes are little-known. How to predict their eruptions?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What is the risk of a volcano erupting? To answer this question, scientists need information about its underlying internal structure. However, gathering this data can take several years of fieldwork, analyses and monitoring, which explains why only 30% of active volcanoes are currently well documented. A team has developed a method for rapidly obtaining valuable information. It is based on three parameters: the height of the volcano, the thickness of the layer of rock separating the volcano's reservoir from the surface, and the average chemical composition of the magma.

Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology
Published

Tiny mineral inclusions picture the chemical exchange between Earth's mantle and atmosphere      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using synchrotron techniques, scientists have unveiled important information on The Great Oxidation Event by studying apatite inclusions in zircon crystals from old magmas.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Arctic soil methane consumption may be larger than previously thought and increases in a drier climate      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recent study finds that Arctic soil methane uptake may be larger than previously thought, and that methane uptake increases under dry conditions and with availability of labile carbon substrates.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Direct formation of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In the atmosphere, gaseous sulfuric acid can form particles that influence the physical properties of clouds. Thus, the formation of sulfuric acid in the gas phase directly affects the radiative forcing and Earth's climate. In addition to the known formation from sulfur dioxide, researchers have now been able to demonstrate through experiments that there is another formation pathway that has been speculated about for decades. Sulfuric acid in the atmosphere can also be formed directly by the oxidation of organic sulfur compounds. This new production pathway can be responsible for up to half of the gaseous sulfuric acid formation over the oceans and is thus of high importance for climate projections -- especially over the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Do measurements produce the reality they show us?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The measurement values determined in sufficiently precise measurements of physical systems will vary based on the relation between the past and the future of a system determined by its interactions with the meter. This finding may explain why quantum experiments often produce paradoxical results that can contradict our common-sense idea of physical reality.

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Arrays of quantum rods could enhance TVs or virtual reality devices      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Using scaffolds of folded DNA, engineers assembled arrays of quantum rods with desirable photonic properties that could enable them to be used as highly efficient micro-LEDs for televisions or virtual reality devices.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Modified virtual reality tech can measure brain activity      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The research team at The University of Texas at Austin created a noninvasive electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor that they installed in a Meta VR headset that can be worn comfortably for long periods. The EEG measures the brain's electrical activity during the immersive VR interactions.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Improving urban planning with virtual reality      (via sciencedaily.com) 

What should the city we live in look like? How do structural changes affect the people who move around it? Cartographers use virtual reality tools to explore these questions before a great deal of money is spent on building measures. Using the Unity3 game engine, they recreate scenarios in 3D where people can experience potential changes through immersion. They were able to prove that the physical reaction to this experience is measurable.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Researchers develop approach that can enable inexpensive mass manufacturing of micro-LED displays      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research describes a continuous roller printing approach that can precisely transfer thousands of microscopic semiconductor devices in a single shot. This method paves the way to creating large-scale arrays of optical components and could be used to rapidly manufacture micro-LED displays.