Show Notes 29 November 2024
Story 1: Bye bye microplastics new plastic is ocean degradable and recyclable
Source: SpaceDaily.com Story by Riko Seibo
See also: https://phys.org/news/2024-11-durable-supramolecular-plastic-fully-ocean.html#google_vignette
- Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan have introduced a novel plastic that offers durability and biodegradability while addressing a pressing global concern – microplastic pollution in oceans.
- Unlike conventional materials, this innovative new plastic dissolves in seawater, providing a sustainable solution for reducing microplastics in marine ecosystems, soils, and food chains. Their findings were published on November 22 in ‘Science’.
- Traditional plastics have long been recognized as a major environmental threat due to their non-biodegradability and accumulation in ecosystems. Although some biodegradable options, such as PLA [Polylactic Acid plastic], exist, their resistance to seawater degradation allows microplastic formation, harming marine life and infiltrating human food systems.
- Side note reminder – PLA (Polylactic Acid) plastic is a type of biodegradable and bioactive thermoplastic made from renewable resources like cornstarch or sugarcane. It’s commonly used in 3D printing, food packaging, and disposable tableware due to its environmentally friendly properties. PLA plastic decomposes in industrial composting facilities, making it a more sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics.
- The Riken team tackled this issue by engineering supramolecular plastics – polymers bound by reversible interactions.
- Side note, what are supramolecular plastics? Supramolecular plastics are a type of polymer with structures held together by reversible interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, or ionic interactions. These plastics are designed to be environmentally friendly and sustainable.
- One of the key features of supramolecular plastics is their ability to break down under specific conditions, such as exposure to seawater or certain chemicals. This makes them a potential solution to the problem of microplastic pollution, as they can degrade into non-toxic, biodegradable components1.
- Researchers are exploring various applications for supramolecular plastics, including their use in packaging, coatings, and even medical devices. The goal is to create materials that are strong, durable, and recyclable, while also being less harmful to the environment
- The new RIKEN Center experimental plastic’s structure is created by combining two ionic monomers, forming robust salt bridges that provide strength and flexibility.
- One of the monomers, sodium hexametaphosphate, is a food additive, while the other is a guanidinium ion-based compound. Both can be metabolized by bacteria, ensuring environmental biodegradability.
- Side note, what are ionic monomers? Ionic monomers are small molecules that contain ionic groups, such as carboxylates, sulfonates, or quaternary ammonium groups. These monomers can participate in polymerization reactions to form polymers with ionic functionalities, known as ionomers. The presence of ionic groups in the polymer structure can impart unique properties, such as enhanced mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and thermal stability.
- The research team leader [Takahisa Arima] noted, “While the reversible nature of the bonds in supramolecular plastics have been thought to make them weak and unstable, our new materials are just the opposite.”
- The researchers achieved stability through selectively irreversible cross-links in salt bridges, activated only in the presence of seawater electrolytes.
- Side note, what are seawater electrolytes? Seawater electrolytes refer to the various ions present in seawater that enable it to conduct electricity. The primary electrolytes in seawater are:
- Chloride (Cl⁻)
- Sodium (Na⁺)
- Sulfate (SO₄²⁻)
- Magnesium (Mg²⁺)
- Calcium (Ca²⁺)
- Potassium (K⁺)
- These ions make up about 99% of all sea salts and contribute to the physical and chemical properties of seawater.
Story 2: Hyundai’s Futuristic Hydrogen Battle Tank Is Fit for A Video Game
Source: Carscoops.com Story by Brad Anderson
- No, the futuristic-looking tank you’re looking at isn’t a prop from a Hollywood movie set, nor has it been lifted from a video game. Instead, this is Hyundai’s vision for a next-generation main battle tank, which will eventually use a complex hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. This could very well be the future of warfare.
- This isn’t our first time seeing this intriguing tank. Officially dubbed the Main Battle Tank, but also known as the K3, this concept tank was first unveiled 12 months ago at the Seoul International Aerospace & Design Exhibition. It’s since been showcased by Hyundai Rotem – the carmaker’s heavy industry company – at several other events in Korea and Europe.
- Visually, there’s no mistaking this tank from any other. The exterior is clad in honeycomb-shaped panels, and it would look right at home in Halo.
- Slim LED headlights are visible and there’s an absolutely massive 130 mm smoothbore main gun. The body is made from modular steel, ceramic, and composite armor and is expected to hit the battlefield with autonomous driving functions.
- My note – as noted in the video [see link] the tank offers nearly silent operation due to its hydrogen engine! And uses AI.
- Last year, it was suggested the K3 tank could be completely unmanned and controlled exclusively by a remote operator, but current reports suggest it can support a crew of three.
- It can also deploy drones, which could be quite handy in reconnaissance missions. Hyundai Rotem says radar-absorbent paint has been used to help ensure the K3 avoids detection.
- As compelling as the K3 is, it’s still a long way off reaching reality. In fact, development isn’t expected to be completed until 2030 and it may not be deployed by the Korean military until 2040.
Story 3: MIT researchers say nanoscale 3D transistors made from ultrathin semiconductor materials promise more efficient electronics; quantum mechanics offers a path beyond silicon limits
Source: TechRadar.com Story by Wayne Williams
See also: https://news.mit.edu/2024/nanoscale-transistors-could-enable-more-efficient-electronics-1104
- MIT researchers have developed a nanoscale transistor that could potentially pave the way for electronics more efficient than silicon-based devices.
- Reminder – The term nanoscale refers to dimensions and tolerances in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers. Just to give you some perspective, one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter!
- My comment – this is some really geeky stuff, but what we’ll learn is the MIT team have come up with something that with the potential to replace silicon!
- Traditional silicon transistors, critical in most electronic devices, face a physical constraint known as “Boltzmann tyranny,” which prevents them from operating below a certain voltage. My insert and you can dive deeper in the side notes below – In simpler terms, it means that there’s a minimum amount of energy needed to operate a transistor, which limits how much you can reduce power consumption in electronic devices.
- Side note, what is Boltzmann tyranny? “Boltzmann tyranny” refers to a fundamental limit in semiconductor physics that restricts the energy efficiency of transistors. Named after the physicist Ludwig Boltzmann, it describes the minimum gate voltage required to switch a transistor on and off. This limit, known as the subthreshold swing, is about 60 millivolts per decade at room temperature.
- Okay, wait, what’s the “decade” bit? The “60 millivolts per decade” means that for every tenfold (decade) increase in the drain current, the gate voltage needs to increase by 60 millivolts. This is an ideal value at room temperature for a silicon MOSFET, indicating a steep and efficient transition from the off state to the on state.
- In simpler terms, it means that there’s a minimum amount of energy needed to operate a transistor, which limits how much you can reduce power consumption in electronic devices. This is a significant challenge in the development of more energy-efficient electronics, especially as we move towards technologies like artificial intelligence that require faster and more power-efficient computation.
- This limitation restricts energy efficiency, especially as modern applications like AI push for faster and more powerful computation.
- To address these limitations, the MIT team created a new three-dimensional transistor using ultrathin semiconductor materials, including gallium antimonide and indium arsenide.
- Gallium antimonide (GaSb) is a fascinating semiconductor material that boasts a unique combination of properties. It’s a compound made up of gallium and antimony. GaSb has a narrow bandgap, making it particularly useful for infrared detectors and thermophotovoltaic systems. Its ability to efficiently convert infrared light into electricity also makes it a prime candidate for use in night vision technology, laser diodes, and photovoltaic devices.
- Indium arsenide (InAs) is another intriguing semiconductor material. It’s composed of indium and arsenic. Known for its narrow bandgap, InAs is effective in high-speed electronics and infrared optoelectronic devices. This material exhibits high electron mobility, which makes it advantageous for use in advanced electronic applications, such as high-frequency and high-speed transistors. Additionally, its sensitivity to infrared light makes it useful in infrared detectors and sensors
- The design leverages a quantum mechanical phenomenon known as quantum tunneling, allowing electrons to travel through an energy barrier rather than over it.
- This structure, consisting of vertical nanowires just a few nanometers wide, allows these transistors to operate at much lower voltages while maintaining performance on par with state-of-the-art silicon transistors.
- The lead author of the study at MIT noted, “This is a technology with the potential to replace silicon, so you could use it with all the functions that silicon currently has, but with much better energy efficiency. By relying on tunneling transistors, the device achieves a sharp transition between “off” and “on” states with lower voltage, something silicon transistors cannot do as efficiently”.
- The transistors are engineered using quantum confinement, where electrons are controlled within a tiny space, enhancing their ability to tunnel through barriers. MIT’s advanced facility, MIT.nano, allowed researchers to craft the precise 3D geometry necessary for this effect, creating vertical nanowire heterostructures with diameters as small as 6 nanometers, the tiniest 3D transistors reported to date.
- Side note – Quantum confinement is a phenomenon that occurs when the dimensions of a material are reduced to a size comparable to the quantum mechanical wavelength of the electrons within it. This restriction alters the electronic and optical properties of the material significantly. In simpler terms, it’s like putting particles in a very small box, so small that their behavior changes drastically. This effect is especially notable in semiconductor materials when they are transformed into nanostructures like quantum dots, nanowires, or thin films.
Story 4: Liquid crystal glasses filter out epileptic-seizure-triggering light
Source: New Atlas Story Michael Irving
Link: https://newatlas.com/medical-devices/epilepsy-seizure-light-filtering-glasses-liquid-crystal/
- It’s estimated that about one in 4,000 people have photosensitive epilepsy, and as the name suggests their seizures are triggered by light. Flashing and alternating patterns, such as those in clubs, emergency vehicles, television, movies and video games, can all be triggers if they have just the right mix of brightness, frequency and wavelength.
- Here’s the good news – People with photosensitive epilepsy could soon be able to watch TV without worry. Scientists in the UK have created glasses that can block out specific wavelengths of light known to cause seizures.
- Scientists at the Universities of Glasgow and Birmingham have developed a pair of glasses that could help reduce the risk. The lenses are designed to block out almost all light with wavelengths between 660 and 720 nanometers – a region of red light that was implicated in the infamous Pokémon incident in 1997, which triggered seizures in hundreds of viewers.
- These lenses developed by the Universities of Glasgow and Birmingham researchers contain liquid crystals that change their optical properties in response to heat. In this case, the frames of the glasses have a small circuit that heats the lenses up to 36.5 °C (97.7 °F), which causes them to reflect those particular wavelengths of red light.
- The idea is that people could wear them out and about with normal vision most of the time but could switch them on when they want to watch TV or play video games without worrying about having a reaction.
- In its current form, the glasses can only work in environments of up to 26 °C (78.8 °F), so this is something that the team plans to continue working on. In addition, they want to reduce the time it takes to activate them.
Honorable Mentions – Holiday STEM Gifts special this week!
Product 1: Klutz LEGO Gear Bots – Ages 8+
Price: $24.95
Sample Link: https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/scholastic/klutz_lego_gear_bots.cfm
- Build your own automata with punch-out paper shapes and LEGOs!
Easy, step-by-step instructions guide kids along as they fold the unique paper characters and connect them to the LEGO gears, axles, cams, and cranks.
There’s a pterodactyl with wings that flap, an octopus DJ that’s always groovin’ to the beat, a monkey with arms that crawl as you roll it along, a yeti with arms that punch up and down, and more.
Turn the cranks and watch as the mechanical movements bring them to life!
Real engineering becomes playful art with the LEGO Gear Bots kit.
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Product 2: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Amazing Chemistry Set – Chemistry Kit with 45 Science Experiments Including Crystal Growing and Reactions, Science Kit for Kids, STEM Gift for Boys and Girls (Amazon Exclusive)
Price: $39.99
Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093CPZYR8
- INSPIRING SCIENCE FOR KIDS – You’ve come to the right place for a kids science kit with massive variety! Your kids will make bubbling, color-changing solutions, glowing test tubes, a colorful bouncy ball, glowing worms, and a whole lot more.
- A TOTAL OF 45 SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS – The chemistry set itself comes with more than 15 experiments, but there’s also a bonus guide with 30 additional activities using common household items! This science kit for kids is a great STEM resource!
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Product 3: Newton’s Laws Engineering Kit
Price: $44.95
Sample Link: https://www.mindware.orientaltrading.com/stem-newtons-laws-engineering-kit-a2-13755678.fltr
- This build-and-discover kit is designed to help kids learn the basics of classical mechanics in a playful way. Newton’s Laws Engineering Kit helps builders transform potential energy to kinetic energy with eight working models including a ballistic catapult, a balloon-powered plane and a dragster car. Set includes 121 pieces with easy-to-follow illustrated building instructions, detailed explanations of the relevant scientific principles and experimental activities for hands-on learning.
- Age Recommendation: Ages 8 and up
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Product 4: Actually, a great roundup article – 30 Best STEM Toys for Kids, Approved by Experts and Tested for Kids
Link: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/childrens-products/g5162/best-stem-toys/
Example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083T5G5ZK $63 at Amazon
- No phone or tablet is required to practice coding with Botley! In our testing, kids took to this coding robot immediately without even realizing they were learning to code. Kids can program Botley to do a sequence of up to 150 steps to complete coding challenges, having him follow paths and avoid or reach obstacles. Ages 5+
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