Zapping Microbes With Electricity Could Cut Chemical Use in Wastewater by 50%

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Changing the face of mining?

The mining industry requires significant amounts of water, and the water used becomes polluted with toxins including arsenic, mercury and sulfates. Typically, the water is cleaned with microbes which do their job by adding or removing electrons from the soup, but they need to be supplemented with chemical additives. But a new process could change that, feeding microbes with electric charges instead, and cutting the need for chemicals by half, or possibly even more…

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FDA to Reexamine Risks of Mercury Fillings

silver fillings

Amalgam fillings

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is going to review the risks mercury-containing dental fillings called amalgams pose to patients, officials say.  Mercury is a known toxin and many experts concern that vapors released from the mercury fillings would increase the risk of developing brain and kidney damage especially in children and the fetus of pregnant women.

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Using A Wiimote As An Alternative To Scientific Sensors

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The new science Wii!

Laboratory-grade measuring instruments can be pricey, but some enterprising scientists are finding that the Nintendo Wii controller can serve as an alternative:

The Wiimote can track just about anything: All that’s needed is an LED light. Hydrologist Willem Luxemburg of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands demonstrated a hacked water-level sensor made from a Wiimote and a plastic boat at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union here Monday.

“Just switch it on and make sure it doesn’t get wet,” Luxemburg said…

 

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MESSENGER Spacecraft Reveals More Hidden Territory On Mercury

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the Mercury Surface

A NASA spacecraft gliding over the battered surface of Mercury for the second time this year has revealed more previously unseen real estate on the innermost planet. The probe also has produced several science firsts and is returning hundreds of new photos and measurements of the planet’s surface, atmosphere and magnetic field.

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Future of Light Bulbs May Be ESL’s

 vu1esl

Vu1’s conceptual design for its R-30 bulb.

While compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are currently the primary alternative to incandescent light bulbs, a company from Seattle predicts that its own novel light bulbs will eventually replace CFLs and LEDs. Vu1 (“view one”) Corporation has been working on its electron stimulated luminescence (ESL) bulbs, and has recently released a demo video (below).

 

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Planets Could Collide With Earth As They Spin Out Of Control

Planets Could Collide With Earth As They Spin Out Of Control

Disruption of planetary oribits could lead to collision with Earth

The solar system’s clockwork motion is by no means guaranteed, for new computer simulations suggests a slight chance that a disruption of planetary orbits could lead to a collision of Earth with Mercury, Mars or Venus in future.

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How Mercury Emissions Reach Tuna And It’s Future Impact On Seafood

Study: How Mercury Emissions Reach Tuna And It’s Future Impact

Tuna school 

 A new landmark study documents for the first time the process in which increased mercury emissions from human sources across the globe, and in particular from Asia, make their way into the North Pacific Ocean and as a result contaminate tuna and other seafood. Because much of the mercury that enters the North Pacific comes from the atmosphere, scientists have predicted an additional 50 percent increase in mercury in the Pacific by 2050 if mercury emission rates continue as projected.

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