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Categories: Geoscience: Geology, Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published Why the day is 24 hours long: Astrophysicists reveal why Earth's day was a constant 19.5 hours for over a billion years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astrophysicists have revealed how the slow and steady lengthening of Earth's day caused by the tidal pull of the moon was halted for over a billion years. They show that from approximately two billion years ago until 600 million years ago, an atmospheric tide driven by the sun countered the effect of the moon, keeping Earth's rotational rate steady and the length of day at a constant 19.5 hours. Without this billion-year pause in the slowing of our planet's rotation, our current 24-hour day would stretch to over 60 hours. The paper offers a new perspective on how global warming will affect the length of our day and validates global circulation models as a climate modelling tool.
Published Researchers create highly conductive metallic gel for 3D printing
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a metallic gel that is highly electrically conductive and can be used to print three-dimensional (3D) solid objects at room temperature.
Published Artificial cells demonstrate that 'life finds a way'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study using a synthetic 'minimal cell' organism stripped down to the 'bare essentials' for life demonstrates the tenacity of organism's power to evolve and adapt, even in the face of an unnatural genome that would seemingly provide little flexibility.
Published Earth's Inner Core: Earth's solid metal sphere is 'textured'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists used seismic data discovered Earth's inner core displays a variety of textures that it acquired will it formed from within the fluid outer core. The data set was generated over the past 27 years by a network of seismometers set up to enforce the nuclear test ban treaty.
Published Growing bio-inspired polymer brains for artificial neural networks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new method for connecting neurons in neuromorphic wetware has been developed. The wetware comprises conductive polymer wires grown in a three-dimensional configuration, done by applying square-wave voltage to electrodes submerged in a precursor solution. The voltage can modify wire conductance, allowing the network to be trained. This fabricated network is able to perform unsupervised Hebbian learning and spike-based learning.
Published Water storage capacity in oceanic crust slabs increases with age, researchers find
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research team has discovered that a subduction zone's age affects the ability for it to recycle water between the Earth's surface and its inner layers. The more mature the subduction zone, the bigger the water storage capacity.
Published Displays controlled by flexible fins and liquid droplets more versatile, efficient than LED screens
(via sciencedaily.com) Flexible displays that can change color, convey information and even send veiled messages via infrared radiation are now possible, thanks to new research. Engineers inspired by the morphing skins of animals like chameleons and octopuses have developed capillary-controlled robotic flapping fins to create switchable optical and infrared light multipixel displays that are 1,000 times more energy efficient than light-emitting devices.
Published Turning old maps into 3D digital models of lost neighborhoods
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imagine strapping on a virtual reality headset and 'walking' through a long-gone neighborhood in your city -- seeing the streets and buildings as they appeared decades ago. That's a very real possibility now that researchers have developed a method to create 3D digital models of historic neighborhoods using machine learning and historic Sanborn Fire Insurance maps.
Published NeuWS camera answers 'holy grail problem' in optical imaging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have demonstrated full-motion video camera technology that can 'see' through light-scattering media. The research could potentially be used in cameras that peer through fog, smoke, driving rain, murky water and parts of the body that hide tumors and other lesions.
Published Research reveals sources of CO2 from Aleutian-Alaska Arc volcanoes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have wondered what happens to the organic and inorganic carbon that Earth's Pacific Plate carries with it as it slides into the planet's interior along the volcano-studded Ring of Fire. A new study suggests a notable amount of such subducted carbon returns to the atmosphere rather than traveling deep into Earth's mantle.
Published Climate change will increase impacts of volcanic eruptions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Volcanic disasters have been studied since Pompeii was buried in 79 A.D., leading the public to believe that scientists already know why, where, when and how long volcanoes will erupt. But a volcanologist said these fundamental questions remain a mystery.
Published Researchers unearth the mysteries of how Turkey's East Anatolian fault formed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team has, for the first time, accurately determined the age of the East Anatolian fault, allowing geologists to learn more about its seismic history and tendency to produce earthquakes.
Published 'Electronic skin' from bio-friendly materials can track human vital signs with ultrahigh precision
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used materials inspired by molecular gastronomy to create smart wearables that surpassed similar devices in terms of strain sensitivity. They integrated graphene into seaweed to create nanocomposite microcapsules for highly tunable and sustainable epidermal electronics. When assembled into networks, the tiny capsules can record muscular, breathing, pulse, and blood pressure measurements in real-time with ultrahigh precision.
Published What are the characteristics of foreshocks for large earthquakes?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Seismologists agree that foreshocks are the most widely identified signal of an upcoming mainshock earthquake. But do these foreshock sequences have distinctive characteristics that separate them from aftershock sequences, and could these characteristics be used to help forecast mainshocks?
Published Researchers make a quantum computing leap with a magnetic twist
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists and engineers have announced a significant advancement in developing fault-tolerant qubits for quantum computing. In a pair of articles, they report that, in experiments with flakes of semiconductor materials -- each only a single layer of atoms thick -- they detected signatures of 'fractional quantum anomalous Hall' (FQAH) states. The team's discoveries mark a first and promising step in constructing a type of fault-tolerant qubit because FQAH states can host anyons -- strange 'quasiparticles' that have only a fraction of an electron's charge. Some types of anyons can be used to make what are called 'topologically protected' qubits, which are stable against any small, local disturbances.
Published Research in a place where geological processes happen before your eyes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Taiwan experiences some of the world's fastest rates of mountain building -- they are growing at a faster rate than our fingernails grow in a year. The mountains also see frequent and significant earthquakes, the region experiences about four typhoons per year on average, and in some places, it receives upwards of several meters of rain annually.
Published Study of deep-sea corals reveals ocean currents have not fuelled rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Pioneering analysis of deep-sea corals has overturned the idea that ocean currents contributed to increasing global levels of carbon dioxide in the air over the past 11,000 years.
Published Sinking seamount offers clues to slow motion earthquakes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first ever 3D seismic imaging of a subducting seamount shows a previously unknown sediment trail in Earth's crust off the coast of New Zealand. Scientists think the sediment patches help release tectonic pressure gradually in slow slip earthquakes instead of violent tremors. The findings will help researchers search for similar patterns at other subduction zones like Cascadia in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
Published Physicists discover a new switch for superconductivity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study sheds surprising light on how certain superconductors undergo a 'nematic transition' -- unlocking new, superconducting behavior. The results could help identify unconventional superconducting materials.
Published Vastly more sustainable, cost-effective method to desalinate industrial wastewater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers are developing a cutting-edge process that can reduce energy consumption and cost of water desalination.