05 Sci-Tech

Go to Article
Excerpt from www.eastman.com

Longview facility key to sustainability goals

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program. The Longview project is part of Eastman’s commitment to invest more than $2 billion in molecular recycling facilities that process hard-to-recycle plastics. Eastman began operating the world’s largest material-to-material molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, earlier this year.

The Longview facility will have the capacity to process approximately 110,000 metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastic waste, and both the Kingsport and Longview plants will put Eastman on the path to achieving ambitious goals of recycling 250 million pounds of plastic annually by 2025 and double that volume by 2030.

Go to Article
Excerpt from news.vt.edu

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences researchers at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center are working with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on a six-year grant to investigate runoff quality and quantity downstream from utility-scale solar sites.

“The study is intended to improve design guidance for modeling and monitoring of solar power sites across Virginia,” said David Sample, professor in biological systems engineering. “This is the first study to rely on runoff data collected in the field during storm events.”

During a storm, rain gathers on the solar panels, then falls to the ground, infiltrating vegetation below and raising this question: Should solar panel sites be considered impervious, such as a parking lot, or pervious, such as a grass field?

Go to Article
Excerpt from interestingengineering.com

Researchers at the University of Vienna led by Philip Walther just pioneered the field of quantum mechanics and general relativity by measuring “the effect of the rotation of Earth on quantum entangled photons,” as stated in a press release.

In the Vienna experiment, they used an interferometer, which is the most sensitive to rotations. Their unparalleled precision makes them the ultimate tool for measuring rotational speeds, limited only by the boundaries of classical physics.

Interferometers employing quantum entanglement have the potential to break those bounds. If two or more particles are entangled, only the overall state is known, while the state of the individual particle remains undetermined until measurement.

Go to Article
Excerpt from www.sciencedaily.com

In the movie “Jurassic Park,” scientists extracted DNA that had been preserved in amber for millions of years, and used it to create a population of long-extinct dinosaurs.

Inspired partly by that film, MIT researchers have developed a glassy, amber-like polymer that can be used for long-term storage of DNA, whether entire human genomes or digital files such as photos.

Most current methods for storing DNA require freezing temperatures, so they consume a great deal of energy and are not feasible in many parts of the world. In contrast, the new amber-like polymer can store DNA at room temperature while protecting the molecules from damage caused by heat or water.

The researchers showed that they could use this polymer to store DNA sequences encoding the theme music from Jurassic Park, as well as an entire human genome. They also demonstrated that the DNA can be easily removed from the polymer without damaging it.

Go to Article
Excerpt from scitechdaily.com

 

A new study has discovered that both ferns and flowering plants evolved nectaries simultaneously around 135 million years ago, suggesting a parallel evolution in their mutualistic relationships with ants, which has significant implications for understanding plant evolution and interspecies interactions. Credit: University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Researchers discovered that ferns, like flowering plants, evolved nectaries to attract ant bodyguards around 135 million years ago. This evolutionary adaptation occurred as ferns moved from the forest floor to tree canopies, demonstrating parallel evolutionary paths with flowering plants.

Collaborations between different research fields can result in surprising breakthroughs and discoveries. Similarly, collaborations between species can drive unexpected evolutionary developments that are mutually beneficial.

Go to Article
Excerpt from crypto.news

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial.

The scientific method has been our guiding light for centuries, illuminating the path to countless theoretical breakthroughs and practical innovations. However, while the core principles of the scientific method remain true, the structures supporting this discovery process—particularly today’s academic publication models and research funding mechanisms—are increasingly seen as relics of a bygone era.

The rise of decentralized science, or DeSci, offers a promising avenue to modernize these systems, providing new solutions for a wide range of scientific stakeholders. By providing new ways to connect, share, and discover the next frontiers of scientific knowledge, web3-enabled DeSci projects are working to fix today’s flawed incentive structures and foster more effective forms of scientific discovery that meet the demands of our time.

Go to Article
Excerpt from timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

NEW DELHI: A study published by marine biologists specializing in deep-sea habitats have shed new light on the mysterious phenomenon of bioluminescence. Their research reveals that at least 94 different organisms possess the ability to produce their own light through internal chemical reactions.
Despite its widespread occurrence, the origins and original function of bioluminescence remains unknown.
The by Danielle DeLeo focuses on octocorals, which are soft-bodied corals like sea fans with tree-like structures found in oceans worldwide. This comprises approximately 3,500 species, with many exhibiting bioluminescent capabilities.

Go to Article
Excerpt from english.cctv.com

A significant leap forward in quantum computing technology has been achieved by researchers in China, as Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center announced that a high-performance anti-interference ruthenium oxide thermometer had been successfully developed by Chinese scientists, Science and Technology Daily reported on Sunday.

The thermometer developed by QuantumCTek, which boasts a starting temperature close to 6 millikelvin (mK), not only set a new record within China but also marked a crucial step which places China’s ultra-low temperature measurement technology for superconducting quantum computing at the forefront of global advancements.

Go to Article
Excerpt from www.techspot.com

Why it matters: Solar panels are meant to last for decades, with an estimated operational lifespan of 20 to 40 years. However, their efficiency and the ability to generate power will degrade over time. Surprisingly though, a new long-running test in France paints a positive picture of the longevity of solar panels in the wild.

In 1992, a small 1-kilowatt solar array called Phébus 1 was connected to the French grid by Hespul, a nonprofit renewable energy association based in Lyon, France. Over 30 years later, that same installation is still pumping out watts. After dismantling the vintage 10 square meter array last year, technicians ran the panels through rigorous lab testing per international standards and found astonishing results.

An average of 79.5 percent of the initial rated power output was still being achieved after 31 years of service. Solar panel manufacturers typically guarantee only 80 percent of original performance for up to 25 years. Phébus 1 blew right past that metric, with the decline coming in at just 0.66 percent per year on average over its 31-year lifetime.

Go to Article
Excerpt from www.realclearscience.com

Neanderthals, the closest cousins of modern humans, lived in parts of Europe and Asia until their extinction some 30,000 years ago.

Genetic studies are revealing…

Go to Article
Excerpt from www.verticalfarmdaily.com

Aquaponics facilities are generally more profitable than the recirculation aquaculture systems (RASs) that have sprung up in the US in the past decades.

So point out Daniel Grosse and Geri Unger, who have recently published an extensive piece of research comparing the fortunes of the two sectors in the US and beyond, on behalf of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.”The major hurdles are long-term investment, overpromising, and underdelivering – especially initially,” she says.

Many of the aquaponics producers were making more money from plants than from seafood. And some of the plants are grown to be smoked, not eaten. “Businesses that were turning a profit tended to be in aquaponics and their profits came not from the fish or the shrimp, but from plants – lettuces and cannabis in particular,” reflects Grosse.

During their research, the largest aquaponics producer they visited was Superior Fresh – which grows leafy greens in water fertilized by salmon waste in Wisconsin. “Superior Fresh do not make their money from salmon – it’s a loss leader – the salmon are there to provide the nutrients for the plants,” says Grosse.

Read more at thefishsite.com

 

Go to Article
Excerpt from scitechdaily.com

 

Two types of technique for making microblade were recognized at ND3 site: the wedge-shaped core technique and the semi-conical core technique. The stone artifacts uncovered by ND3 illustrate the complete process of producing microbaldes using these methods. Credit: Jin Yingshuai

New research uncovers the earliest microblade technology site on the Tibetan Plateau, showing how this technology, originating from southern North China, spread across the plateau around 11,000-10,000 years ago and significantly influenced the ancestry of modern Tibetans.

A research team led by Prof. Zhang Xiaoling from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently reported the discovery of the earliest microblade technology site in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau. Their study identifies ND3, a site located on the shores of Silin Lake, at an altitude of approximately 4,600 meters (15000 feet), as a significant location for understanding microblade adaptations in remote, high-altitude regions.

Go to Article
Excerpt from www.livescience.com

A hoard of 1,700-year-old coins found in Israel provides new evidence about the last known Jewish revolt against Roman rule.

Archaeologists found the hidden coins while conducting excavations inside the remains of a newly discovered public building dating to the Late Roman-Early Byzantine period in Lod (also known as Lydda), a city in what is now central Israel that the Romans renamed “Diospolis,” according to a statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

Despite the building having “suffered violent destruction” at the time of the revolt, its surviving foundation protected 94 silver and bronze coins dating to between A.D. 221 and 354. Whoever’s stash it was, they likely “deliberately placed” it inside the building in hopes of returning to collect it when the situation calmed down, according to the statement.

Go to Article
Excerpt from timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Facebook-parent Meta is reportedly looking to cut short some of vice president-level staff as the company continues its cost-cutting measures to balance the books. A report has said that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is continuing efforts to simplify the company’s reporting structure, which includes implementing a stack ranking system and stricter performance evaluations for some high-level executives.

Citing three people with knowledge of the situation, a report by Business Insider says that Meta is looking to reduce the number of VP-level executives.

The “year of efficiency” initiative – in which more than 20,000 Meta employees were laid off – includes implementing stricter performance evaluations for some high-level executives, leading to additional team cuts on top of the layoffs.