Show Notes 10 January 2025
Story 1: A new catalyst can turn methane into something useful – MIT chemical engineers have devised a way to capture methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and convert it into polymers.
Source: MIT News Story by Anne Trafton
Link: https://news.mit.edu/2024/new-catalyst-can-turn-methane-into-something-useful-1204
See the research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41929-024-01251-z
- Although it is less abundant than carbon dioxide, methane gas contributes disproportionately to global warming because it traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, due to its molecular structure.
- Methane is produced by bacteria known as methanogens, which are often highly concentrated in landfills, swamps, and other sites of decaying biomass. Agriculture is a major source of methane, and methane gas is also generated as a byproduct of transporting, storing, and burning natural gas. Overall, it is believed to account for about 15 percent of global temperature increases.
- MIT chemical engineers have now designed a new catalyst that can convert methane into useful polymers, which could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ***In a moment we’ll learn how these polymers play a role in the ultimate production of useful products such as particle boards, textiles and other products.
- The new catalyst works at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, which could make it easier and more economical to deploy at sites of methane production, such as power plants and cattle barns.
- At the molecular level, methane is made of a single carbon atom bound to four hydrogen atoms. In theory, this molecule should be a good building block for making useful products such as polymers. However, converting methane to other compounds has proven difficult because getting it to react with other molecules usually requires high temperature and high pressures.
- To achieve methane conversion without that input of energy, the MIT team designed a hybrid catalyst with two components: a zeolite and a naturally occurring enzyme. Zeolites are abundant, inexpensive clay-like minerals.
- Note – the article goes on to provide lots of details about how MIT’s new process can be used to ultimately produce formaldehyde – which, in turn, sets the stage for the creation of urea-formaldehyde, which then can be used in a variety of useful products.
- The author notes: Once formaldehyde is produced, the researchers showed they could use that molecule to generate polymers by adding urea, a nitrogen-containing molecule found in urine. This resin-like polymer, known as urea-formaldehyde, is now used in particle boards, textiles and other products.
Story 2: Balloon system can produce localized solar electricity for the ground below
Source: TechXplore.com Story by Bob Yirka
Link: https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-balloon-localized-solar-electricity-ground.html
See also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S036054422403500X?via%3Dihub
- A team of engineers and environmental scientists from Mälardalen University, in Sweden, Southwest Jiaotong University, in China and Guizhou University, also in China, has developed a balloon system for producing and delivering electricity to the ground below.
- Some places are not very conducive to the production of solar power, especially in the northern latitudes where snow can periodically cover solar cells. In this recent study, the research team has developed a decentralized way to produce solar power almost anywhere.
- They call it a balloon-integrated photovoltaic system (BIPVS). A balloon is sent aloft with a solar collector, and it sends the electricity produced down to the ground via an electrical cord.
- The balloon is a hybrid—it stays aloft with a mix of air and helium. Its top half is made of transparent material that captures sunlight and concentrates it using its refractive properties.
- The bottom half of the balloon is made of a material that further concentrates the light and in so doing reduces the installation area of the solar cell that hangs below, without sacrificing harvesting efficiency.
- Situating the photovoltaic cells on the bottom of the balloon protects them from rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- The system also has an exhaust valve for gas exchange to maintain the desired pressure inside the balloon.
- Next to the solar cells are storage and control modules to manage electric power flow.
- Four cables are used to stabilize the balloon, and a rope and an electrical cord are attached to the ground. The balloon is meant to be positioned just high enough to avoid shade from trees or buildings.
- The team has tested their system locally and have used simulations to study the likely performance characteristics of the balloon-integrated photovoltaic system in five major cities across the globe. They found the average monthly production of one of their balloons to be between 3.5 and 4 gigawatt-hours of power. They also note that, if desired, multiple balloons could be sent aloft to generate as much power as is needed for a given site.
- Note: 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity can power about 750,000 homes for an hour, or approximately 25,000 homes for an entire month.
Story 3: Future robots could one day tell how you’re feeling by measuring your sweat, scientists say
Source: LiveScience.com Story by Owen Hughes
See also: https://www.shiningscience.com/2024/12/future-robots-could-one-day-tell-how.html
- Scientists at the Tokyo Metropolitan University say a phenomenon called “skin conductance”, which changes when you sweat, is a surprisingly accurate method for detecting emotions — with future robots that detect this able to tell your emotions.
- In a new study from Tokyo Metropolitan University, scientists used skin conductance — a measure of how well skin conducts electricity — to assess the emotions of 33 participants who were shown emotionally evocative videos.
- Because skin conductance changes when you sweat, they found a correlation between these measurements and videos that elicited feelings of fear, surprise and “family bonding emotions,” making skin conductance an accurate method for detecting changes in emotion in real time.
- For the study, the scientists attached probes to the fingers of 33 participants and showed them a variety of emotionally charged clips, including horror movie scenes, comedy sketches and family reunion videos. As they watched, the team measured how quickly participants’ skin conductance peaked and how long it took to return to normal.
- Side note, why fingers? – fingertips have a lot of sweat glands! In fact, they are one of the areas with the highest concentration of sweat glands on the body. This is because fingertips play a critical role in touch and grip. The moisture from sweat helps to increase friction between the skin and surfaces, which is essential for holding objects securely.
- When used in conjunction with other physiological signals, like heart rate monitoring and brain activity, skin conductance could play a central role in the development of emotionally intelligent devices and services.
- Although the study didn’t specifically explore integrating the technology with robotics, systems that can respond to human emotions hold several promising applications. These could, hypothetically, include smart devices that play soothing music when you are stressed or streaming platforms that tailor content recommendations to your mood.
Story 4: World’s first 3D-printed microneedles pave way for hearing loss treatments
Source: Interesting Engineering via MSN Story by Kapil Kajal
See also: https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/most-interesting-needle-world
- In a groundbreaking effort to enhance medical treatments for hearing loss and other inner ear conditions, a dedicated team of physicians and engineers has collaborated for over a decade to develop an innovative microneedle.
- This ultrathin and ultrasharp device is poised to change the precision medicine landscape for the inner ear.
- The creators of this cutting-edge needle, ENT surgeon Anil Lalwani and mechanical engineer Jeffrey Kysar from Columbia University, believe their invention will be a game-changer in delivering therapies to previously inaccessible areas within the cochlea—the spiral-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear responsible for hearing.
- Researcher Lalwani remarked, “It’s not an exaggeration to say our microneedle could be key to precision medicine for the inner ear.”
- The development of this microneedle comes at a critical time when gene therapy can potentially restore hearing by regenerating cells damaged by loud noises.
- However, accurately and safely delivering these therapies has proven challenging due to the cochlea’s complex anatomy.
- Accessing the necessary cells requires navigating through a roughly 2 mm wide delicate membrane of the cochlea that often tears when traditional surgical instruments are used.
- This tearing can lead to irreversible hearing loss and balance issues.
- One of the primary objectives of this microneedle is to introduce treatments into the cochlea without damaging this fragile membrane.
- Additionally, the needle will enable fluid extraction from the cochlea, aiding in diagnosing inner ear disorders like Meniere’s disease, which causes dizziness, nausea, and hearing loss.
- Analyzing this fluid could enhance understanding of these conditions and facilitate the development of more effective treatments.
Honorable Mentions
Story: Launches, moon landings and more: Here’s the top spaceflight missions to watch in 2025
Source: Space.com Story by Andrew Jones
- 2025 is set to dazzle with a wide array of exciting and spectacular space missions.
- On tap are a flurry of moon landing attempts, high-profile test launches of SpaceX’s Starship megarocket, human spaceflight adventures and asteroid sampling missions.
- January alone promises to be spectacular for spaceflight, as the year is set to kick off with an armada of robotic moon lander missions.
- Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is set to launch from Florida in mid-January on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Carrying 10 NASA payloads, Blue Ghost’s 60-day-long mission will target a landing in the Mare Crisium impact basin, where it aims to conduct science for nearly two weeks. Aboard the same rocket will be the Hakuto-R Mission 2 lander for Japanese space exploration firm ispace. That mission will take a low-energy path to the moon, with a landing planned in the Mare Frigoris region four to five months after launch. The ispace lander also carries a minirover named Tenacious.
- Intuitive Machines, which landed on the moon with its robotic IM-1 mission in February 2024, will be launching IM-2 as soon as January, also on a Falcon 9. The mission is optimized for the lunar south pole — including a payload to hunt for water — and will aim to set down in an area of Shackleton Connecting Ridge.
- IM-2 also carries rovers and hoppers from U.S., Japanese and Finnish partners and payloads for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. IM-3, a third Nova-C lander from Intuitive Machines, could launch later in 2025. Blue Origin could also launch its MK1 Lunar Lander pathfinder mission in 2025, while Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission 1 is also slated for 2025, following its failed attempt with the Peregrine lunar lander in 2024.
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Story: JPL Offers Sneak Peek at Ingenuity Helicopter’s Possible Successor
Source: ExtremeTech.com Story by Ryan Whitwam
- Almost one year ago, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter performed its final flight on Mars. The drone was designed only as a technology demonstration, but its incredible success has made aerial exploration a key part of the agency’s plans for the red planet. We’re now getting a glimpse of the successor to Ingenuity, an aircraft dubbed the Mars Chopper. It’s bigger and more capable than Ingenuity, but it’s only a concept for now.
- Ingenuity rode to Mars attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover, aiming to complete just five flights. It ended up making 72 flights before a navigation glitch caused it to land hard and damage the rotors.
- Now that we know a rotorcraft can efficiently explore Mars, the work to design the next Mars helicopter has begun. At a recent meeting of the US Geophysical Union, Teddy Tzanetos from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) talked about the early work on the Mars Chopper. There’s a video (below) showing how the aircraft might look when complete.
- This vehicle scales up everything about Ingenuity. The Mars Chopper would be about the size of an SUV, putting it closer to the Perseverance rover than Ingenuity. Ingenuity didn’t have capacity for any science payloads, but the Chopper would be able to carry up to 11 pounds of scientific instruments. That’s nothing compared to rovers like Perseverance, but the Chopper could cover much more distance on Mars. The team estimates this design could travel up to 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) each day.
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Story: Future wearable devices could draw power through your body using background 6G cellphone signals
Source: LiveScience.com Story by Roland Moore-Colyer
- Your body could become a battery for wearable devices, thanks to a breakthrough in harvesting waste energy from 6G wireless communication.
- Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that waste radio frequency (RF) energy given off by visible light communication (VLC), if used to deliver 6G, can be harvested with small, inexpensive copper coils and transmitted to power other devices via the human body. 6G is a future wireless communication technology that is currently in development and is set to be deployed before the end of the decade.
- As outlined in a 2022 research paper, the crux of this mechanism lies with VLC — which transmits data through extremely fast flashes of visible light from sources such as LEDs. VLC is one method through which 6G signals might hypothetically be transmitted in the future. But LEDs also emit side-channel RF signals, as a form of leaked energy. The researchers found that this could be harvested by a coiled copper wire, whose energy recycling efficiency is boosted when touching human skin.
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Story: The Key to Creating Blood Stem Cells May Lie in Your Own Blood
Source: ScienceAlert via MSN Story by Russell McLendon
- The development of blood stem cells relies on a seemingly unrelated microbe-sensing protein receptor, according to a new study.
- The discovery could break new ground in the ongoing quest to produce blood stem cells from a person’s own blood – thereby negating the need for bone marrow transplants.
- The protein receptor in question, called Nod1, is already known for its role in helping recognize bacterial infections in the body and rallying an immune response, the study’s authors note.
- But according to their research, Nod1 also seems to serve a different purpose much earlier in life, when an embryo’s vascular system is still developing.
- Led by Raquel Espin Palazon, a geneticist at Iowa State University, the study suggests this microbial sensor helps embryos force some of their vascular endothelial cells to become blood stem cells.
- That could be valuable information, given its potential for shedding light on how an embryo makes blood stem cells – and perhaps how we can grow them much later in life, too.
- “This would eliminate the challenging task of finding compatible bone marrow transplant donors and the complications that occur after receiving a transplant, improving the lives of many leukemia, lymphoma, and anemia patients,” Espin Palazon says.
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