World’s Smallest Solar Sensor Could Run Forever
A low-power, sensor system is 1,000 times smaller than comparable commercial counterparts.
A 9-cubic millimeter solar-powered sensor system developed at the University of Michigan is the smallest that can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually.
The U-M system’s processor, solar cells, and battery are all contained in its tiny frame, which measures 2.5 by 3.5 by 1 millimeters. It is 1,000 times smaller than comparable commercial counterparts.
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Woman Brings a Bit of Color to Snowfall
Pinking up the snow. That old white is just too common.
While Fargo resident Stevie Famulari’s front yard currently is pink, the landscape architecture professor at North Dakota State University is eyeing purplish blue snow for the next snowfall.
Famulari’s color scheme, which includes darker colours as winter progresses, is intended to unveil a colorful rainbow when the snow finally melts.
Internal Body Clock Shaped By Weather and Seasons
In a discovery that could help tackle sleep disorders, scientists found that our internal body clocks are shaped by the weather as well as by the seasons and environmental signals.
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Disappearing Seagrass Threatening Future Of Coastal Ecosystems Globally
New research shows that 58 percent of world’s seagrass meadows are currently declining.
An international team of scientists warns that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems. The team has compiled and analyzed the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass observations and found that 58 percent of world’s seagrass meadows are currently declining.
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Sebastien Wiernick’s OnSite Installations Sculptured Furniture
Temporary installation at the gallery Into Art&Furniture, Berlin, Germany
Since 2002, Belgian designer Sebastien Wierinck has been creating his installations of sculptural furniture made of flexible polyethylene tubes. From public benches to cafe seating to temporary installations, his pieces always challenge the way people view and interact with environmental space. (Pics)
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Land Rising In Alaska As Glaciers Melt
Glaciers around Juneau are receding 30 feet or more each year.
Global warming conjures images of rising seas that threaten coastal areas. But in Juneau, as almost nowhere else in the world, climate change is having the opposite effect: As the glaciers here melt, the land is rising, causing the sea to retreat.
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‘Rocket Fuel’ Ingredient Found in Baby Food Declared “Safe”
Beware of EXTREMELY Explosive Diarrhea!
A chemical used in rocket fuel and explosives has been found in 15 baby foods tested by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though no one appears too worried.
The US watchdog said the unnamed formulas contained traces of perchlorate, a salt derivative used in fireworks and rocket fuel and to treat thyroid gland disorders.
The US Environmental Working Group said a high level of the chemical could interfere with thyroid hormone production….
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Study Shows The Human Heart Can Grow New Cells
Heart muscle cells can be grown from human embryonic stem cells, but new research suggests the adult heart can grow new cells, too.
The human heart has a notorious reputation for being unable to heal itself, but new research suggests it is capable of at least some self-repair. Using carbon dating to gauge the age of heart cells, scientists have found that low numbers of new heart cells are continuously being created throughout a person’s life. This raises the possibility that we may one day be able to use drugs to directly stimulate this regenerative capacity to patch up damaged hearts, rather than relying on cell-transplantation therapies.
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Fossil Fuel Use Could Be Cut By Tapping Into Industrial Heat
Waste heat from industries could cut down fossil fuel use
Tapping waste heat from industries could cut down fossil fuel use and improve efficiency of countless manufacturing processes, says a study.
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Electronic Gadgets Could One Day Be Powered By Blood Flow
This image show an experimental test of piezoelectric nanowires that harness a hamster’s wheel-turning energy into usable power.
Power generated from flowing blood, simple body movements or a gentle breeze could one day be converted to electricity to charge iPods, cell phones and other personal electronic devices.
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Europe’s Biggest Oceanarium Will Be Located In Moscow
Duman Oceanarium
It is expected that the proposed enormous oceanarium in Moscow will form part of an amusement complex complete with a cinema, hotel, business center, shopping mall and many restaurants. According to news sources, the Eurasian country of Kazakhstan, which is the world’s largest landlocked country, is financing the construction of one of the new oceanarium.
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