9 December 2022
Story 1: Scientists propose using plankton to help capture CO2 from the atmosphere
Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Newsroom
Link: https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/fertilizing-ocean-store-carbon-dioxide
- The scientists at the Lab in Richland, Washington recently proposed using plankton in the Earth’s oceans to speed up the capture of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.
- Here’s a quick background on plankton: There are two main types of plankton: phytoplankton, which are plants, and zooplankton, which are animals. Zooplankton and other small marine creatures eat phytoplankton and then become food for fish, crustaceans, and other larger species.
- In specific, the idea is to feed phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants that are a key part of an ocean’s ecosystem, with iron-rich fertilizer nanoparticles to greatly accelerate growth and, as a result, carbon dioxide absorption.
- In nature, nutrients from the land reach oceans through rivers and blowing dust to fertilize plankton.
- The team says that by adding specific combinations of carefully engineered materials could effectively fertilize the oceans, encouraging phytoplankton to act as a carbon sink.
- The researchers reviewed 123 published studies to find numerous non-toxic metal-oxygen materials that could safely enhance plankton growth.
- The researchers are now evaluating numerous abundant, and easy to create, non-toxic metal-oxygen materials that could safely boost phytoplankton growth.
- The stability, Earth abundance, and ease of creation of these materials make them viable options as plankton fertilizers.
- As plants, the microscopic phytoplankton would absorb CO2 from the atmosphere as a result of photosynthesis.
- Then, as they die, the phytoplankton would sink deep into the ocean, taking the carbon dioxide they absorbed with them, effectively removing CO2 from the atmosphere for thousands of years!
Story 2: New micro-thin smart bandage can quickly heal and monitor wounds
Source: Popular Science Story by Andrew Paul
Link: https://www.popsci.com/technology/smart-bandage-monitoring-healing/
- Researchers at Stanford University have designed a smart bandage capable of monitoring wounds and heal them in real time.
- The new smart bandage also helps accelerate tissue growth, increase blood flow, and reduce scar severity.
- The team’s new material will ultimately be only 100 microns thick (equivalent to a single layer of latex paint), yet will contain a radio antenna, electrical stimulator, biosensors, and other components resting atop a skin-like polymer known as a hydrogel.
- Once applied to a patient’s injury, the smart bandage monitors temperature and other biometric readings, and then transmits that data to a smart phone app.
- If the wound is found to be healing too slowly or if an infection is detected, the smart bandage device emits small electrical stimulations across the wound site to boost tissue growth and reduce inflammation.
- Electrical stimulation, also known as galvanotaxis, has been shown to accelerate a multitude of wound healing processes, although researchers note there is much to still learn regarding its influences—something the smart bandage’s eventual deployment could also help accomplish.
- The Stanford team does stress, however, their invention remains in its early proof-of-concept stage, alongside unresolved issues involving scalability, cost reduction, and data storage.
Story 3: New, tiny, autonomous smart robots will soon help monitor and repair hard to access underground water and sewer pipes
Source: Frontiers Science News Story by Mischa Dijkstra
Source: University of Leeds
- Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK have developed a tiny robot, nicknamed Joey, which is the world’s first mini robot that can autonomously inspect nearly impossible to access underground pipes.
- Measuring only 7.5 centimeters wide [about 2.59 inches] the little Joey bot can find its own way through networks of narrow pipes underground to look for damage or leaks, and relay images back to human operators.
- Along the left and right sides of the robot’s body are 3D-printed ‘wheel-legs’ with 3 spokes that propel it over challenging debris obstacles.
- It’s equipped with a range of energy-efficient sensors that measure its distance to pipe walls, junctions, and corners.
- It also features navigational tools, a microphone, and a camera with ‘spotlights’ to film faults in the pipe network and save the images.
- A demonstration of the Joey robot confirmed it can autonomously travel through a test network of pipes including a T-junction, a left and right corner, a dead-end, three straight sections, and a variety of other obstacles. On average, Joey managed to explore about one meter of pipe network in just over 45 seconds.
- And to test Joey’s ability to navigate through muddy or slippery water or sewer pipes, they also added sand and gooey dishwashing liquid to the test pipe network. The test showed that it can move through pipes inclined at a slope or over slippery or muddy sediment at the bottom of the pipes.
- The idea is to have future versions of the Joey robots operating in swarms, with their mobile home base on a larger ‘mother’ robot named Kanga which will be equipped with arms and tools for repairs to the pipes.
- And here’s what could accelerate the wide deployment of the little Joey robots – they’re relatively cheap to produce [about $360 each].
Story 4: Good Housekeeping’s science and tech education toy recommendations
Source: Good Housekeeping Story by Marisa Lascala and Rachel Rothman
Link: https://tinyurl.com/unbuju7d
- I had a great response to last week’s story about science and tech toy ideas for the holidays, so I decided we should share more!
- The folks at Good Housekeeping magazine have 10 science and technology toy recommendations that would be wonderful gifts.
- On my website I’ll have a link to see all 10.
- AND to find my website, just Google my name, Ralph Bond.
- Here’s Good Housekeeping’s “Best Toy Winner” for this year: Snap Circuits SC-100 Jr. Electronics Exploration Kit – for ages 8 and up.
- Kids will get hands-on experience in electricity and circuitry with this kit, which lets them build machines without a soldering iron (the pieces just snap together).
- The kit can make more than 100 projects, including everything from a photo sensor to a light-controlled lamp, but the Good Housekeeping Institute testers really loved the flying saucer project.
- Snap Circuits Jr. Electronics Exploration Kit is available at Amazon, Walmart, and Wayfair for about $50.
- Here’s another: GeoSafari Jr. Talking Kids Microscope
- This interactive toy is all about science — magnifying animals, plants and household items times five — and with 100 facts and quizzes and more than 60 colorful slides (all of which go in built-in storage containers). The voice of Bindi Irwin narrates the facts. Ages 5+
- Available on Amazon, Walmart and QVC. Price on Amazon $33.99