Show Notes 7 February 2025
Story 1: More Sustainable Tires in Sight as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bridgestone Team Up
Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Story by JoAnna Wendel
Link: https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/more-sustainable-tires-sight-pnnl-and-bridgestone-team
- In the near future, tires for cars, trucks, airplanes and more could incorporate synthetic rubber made from plant matter, waste, and even recycled tires thanks to a new eco-friendly technology innovation.
- Side note: About 60-70% of the rubber in a modern tire is synthetic. Synthetic rubber is favored due to its durability, consistency in quality, and lower cost compared to natural rubber.
- The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is teaming up with Bridgestone, one of the world’s largest tire makers, to scale up a new, groundbreaking chemical process that converts ethanol into butadiene – synthetic rubber’s most important ingredient.
- Reminder – Ethanol is produced through the fermentation of sugars by yeast with raw materials that contain fermentable sugars or carbohydrates.
- Common sources include corn, sugarcane, wheat, and barley. Ethanol can also be produced from other types of biomasses, like algae and food scraps.
- Researchers have also explored using human waste (in the form of wastewater treatment sludge) and industrial wastes as ethanol feedstocks. Even rubber tires can be recycled to produce ethanol.
- Traditionally, butadiene is created as a by-product of a process called steam cracking.
- In a refinery, crude oil (made of long chains of hydrocarbon molecules) is heated and combined with steam to destroy chemical bonds and create smaller hydrocarbons.
- Further refinement of the smaller hydrocarbons produces ingredients needed for a host of products, such as plastic food packaging, synthetic fabrics, fuel for cars, trucks, and rubber tires.
- The result of this research and development collaboration between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bridgestone is a catalyst for the production of butadiene that cuts out the need for heat [and the use of crude oil] which, in turn, reduces the carbon dioxide emissions of current production methods.
Story 2: Scientists Develop Printable Droplet Laser Displays
Source: Photonics Spectra
Link: https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Scientists_Develop_Printable_Droplet_Laser/a70594
- My comment – Key potential trend to monitor – could laser displays be potentially the next big thing in consumer display technology?
- When it comes to brightness and color reproducibility, laser displays have the potential to overcome the intrinsic limitations of conventional light-emitting devices, such as OLEDs and liquid crystals.
- Side note – Laser display technology uses laser beams to create bright, vibrant images and videos.
- Unlike traditional displays that use LEDs [light emitting diodes] or other light sources, laser displays produce sharper images with higher contrast and a broader color spectrum.
- This technology is often used in high-end projectors, digital signage, and large-scale event displays.
- One of the key advantages of laser displays vs. OLED and LED is wide-angle of viewing.
- However, to be effectively used as displays [my insert – for a wider array of commercial and consumer displays – in other words to make it more affordable and practical for smaller displays], the laser display components must be miniaturized beyond current levels and laid out in high density and large quantities.
- Side note – I did a quick search on Amazon for home theater laser projectors that support 4k. You’re looking at $2,000 and up.
- Researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan have developed a method for rapidly creating laser light sources in large quantities using an inkjet printer that ejects laser-emitting droplets.
- By applying an electric field to these droplets, the researchers demonstrated that switching the emission of light on and off is possible.
- Furthermore, they successfully created a compact laser display by arranging these droplets on a circuit board.
- The researchers found that droplets of a specific organic liquid, deposited by an inkjet printer, emit laser light.
- These droplets are extremely small (ONLY 30 millionths of a meter) and can be densely arranged in large quantities over areas as large as several centimeters.
- When an electric field is applied to the droplet by positioning it between electrodes, the spherical droplet deforms into an ellipsoidal shape, causing the laser light emission to cease. This demonstrates that the droplet functions as an electrically switchable “laser pixel.”
- Ultimately, the researchers were able to deposit the inkjet-printed droplets with high precision, scalability, and the ability to switch electric fields using the electrodes, though they did identify some areas where the method and design would need to improve.
- The researchers at the University of Tsukuba say that once these needed improvements have all been achieved, the device’s novel configuration should contribute to future advancements in laser displays and that its liquid droplets offer potential for next-generation optoelectronic devices since the droplets can be integrated into existing organic electronics that are characterized by flexibility, adaptability, and biocompatibility.
Story 3: US firm to bury nuclear reactors 1-mile underground to power data centers
Source: InterestingEngineering.com Story by Aman Tripathi
Link: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/bury-nuclear-reactor-1-mile-underground
See also: https://deepfission.com/
- Berkely, California-based Deep Fission and Australia-based Endeavour Energy [an electricity network company] have announced a strategic partnerships that will offer a unique approach to powering data centers through nuclear energy.
- Their goal is to bury small modular nuclear reactors a mile underground.
- Side note – a key trend to watch is the development worldwide of small nuclear reactors – specifically to power energy hungry data centers.
- Here’s some of the companies working on small scall reactors today [from a Co-Pilot AI inquiry]:
- NuScale Power: Known for their NuScale Power Module, which is a scalable system that can be deployed in units of up to 12 modules, each with a capacity of 60 MW.
- Holtec International: Developing the SMR-160, a pressurized water reactor (PWR) design with a capacity of 160 MW.
- GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy: Working on the BWRX-300, a boiling water reactor (BWR) design with a capacity of 300 MW.
- Rosatom: Their KLT-40S is a PWR design primarily used for marine propulsion but also suitable for electricity generation.
- TerraPower: Developing the Natrium reactor, which combines traditional sodium-cooled fast reactor designs with advanced storage systems.
- Westinghouse Electric Company: Working on the eVinci Micro Reactor, emphasizing simple designs and ease of deployment.
- Rolls-Royce: Developing a small modular reactor design aimed at providing low-carbon electricity.
- X-energy: Working on the Xe-100, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) design.
- Oklo: Developing the Aurora Ultra, a compact molten salt reactor (CMSR).
- Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation: Working on the Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR).
- Deep Fission, a nuclear energy company, is pioneering this new approach. They have designed small nuclear reactors that can be lowered into 30-inch boreholes drilled a mile deep.
- This method takes advantage of the natural geological properties at that depth as the earth provides robust containment and constant pressure. This eliminates the need for the concrete structures typically used for containment in aboveground nuclear reactors – which significantly reduces the cost of construction and minimizes the environmental impact.
- Elizabeth Muller, Co-Founder and CEO of Deep Fission noted, “Our technology not only ensures the highest levels of safety but also positions us to deliver zero-carbon continuous power at a cost of just 5-7 cents per kWh.”
Story 4: New biomaterial offers treatment for central nervous system injuries
Source: ScientistLive.com
- This news is all about how a new electrically active transplantable material -a material that can help to regrow cells in the brain and spinal cord – could redefine the recovery prospects of patients who sustain life-altering injuries or suffer from neurodegenerative diseases.
- A new 3D piezoelectric cellulose composite, invented by experts at two universities in the UK [the University of Bath and Keele University], can be used to make a ‘scaffold’ custom made for a specific individual.
- The research team has demonstrated that neural stem cells [derived from an individual patient] can be precision-delivered to injury sites, helping to effectively repair and regenerate neurons and associated tissues crucial for recovery.
- Side note – The term “piezoelectric” refers to the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress.
- The team of engineers, chemists and neuroscientists from the two universities say the material offers the potential to create new treatments to help restore the motor, sensory or cognitive functions of people who have suffered central nervous system injuries, or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
- The composite material is made of cellulose and potassium sodium niobate piezo-ceramic particles.
- The ‘scaffold’ implants that can be created with this new composite material look like small, paper-like tubes, which could be custom made for individual patients.
- Key to the composite’s clinical potential is its versatile, multifunctional nature, and the use of cellulose, a widely available structural component of plants and algae, which means it is highly sustainable.
Honorable Mentions
Story: Open-World Games Like Zelda Can Boost Your Mental Health, Study Says
Source: ScienceAlert.com Story by David Nield
Link: https://www.sciencealert.com/open-world-games-like-zelda-can-boost-your-mental-health-study-says
See also: https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e63760
- Many modern video games fall into the open-world category, giving players vast, detailed worlds to explore – and a new study shows these expansive digital playgrounds have benefits for our mental health.
- Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Graz in Austria asked more than 600 postgraduate students about their experiences playing open-world games and how these sessions left them feeling.
- They found these video games – including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – significantly boost cognitive escapism (taking breaks from thinking about real life), relaxation levels, and overall mental well-being.
- Based on a total of 32 interviews and 609 surveys, participants expressed feelings of increased “inner peace”, as well as being able to “forget my daily worries” and “switch off” from whatever else is happening. One participant described open-world gaming as “my form of meditation”.
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Story: Achieving bone regeneration and adhesion with harmless visible light
Source: Worldhealth.net
Link: https://worldhealth.net/news/bone-regeneration-adhesion-visible-light/
See also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0142961224004836?via%3Dihub
- Bone defects, which arise from various causes such as trauma, infection, and congenital abnormalities, are becoming increasingly common in aging societies. Conventional treatments often involve bone grafts combined with serum or bioadhesives to fill the defect. However, existing injectable hydrogels face challenges such as difficulty in maintaining their shape within the body and limited adhesive strength. Moreover, traditional methods using bone grafts with adhesive materials often fail to achieve simultaneous “bone regeneration” and “adhesion.”
- A research team at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea has developed an innovative injectable adhesive hydrogel for bone regeneration.
- This new hydrogel system employs visible light — safe for the human body — to facilitate cross-linking, where the main components of the hydrogel bond and harden, and to simultaneously boost mineralization where bone-building minerals like calcium and phosphate form within the hydrogel.
- In experiments using animal models with femoral bone defects, the hydrogel was successfully injected, adhered accurately, and effectively delivered components essential for bone regeneration.
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Story: ‘World-1st’ sci-fi electric motorcycle could fly for 40 mins at 62 mph, land vertically
Source: InterestingEngineering.com via MSN Story by Chris Young
- Is that a flying pig? No, but it’s not too far off. It’s Rictor’s Skyrider X1, a hybrid moped-quadcopter (or motorcycle) that will, according to its creators, allow commuters to fly to avoid traffic as soon as next year.
- To date, the company has one e-bike on the market, the Rictor K1. However, it claims to have “emerged as a formidable player with robust innovation capabilities and a visionary approach to comprehensive air, land, and sea mobility solutions.”
- A concept version of the Rictor Skyrider X1 is on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 in Las Vegas.
- The Rictor Skyrider X1 will feature an eight propeller system for stability and redundancy. According to a Rictor press statement, it will be able to fly at a maximum speed of 62 mph (100 km/h) and it will have a flight duration of up to 40 minutes. However, this depends on the configuration.
- The X1 SL, with a 10.5kWh battery, will be able to fly for 25 minutes, while the X1 SX, with the larger 21kWh battery, will fly for the whole 40 minutes.
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Story: Meanings of Words Have Been Detected in The Flicker of Individual Brain Cells
Source: ScienceAlert.com Story by Tessa Koumoundouros
- From conveying precise instruction to evoking entire new worlds, words and their meanings are central to our existence as humans. But how the multitude of cells making up a human brain take abstract noises or symbols and convert them into something with meaning has long been a mystery.
- New techniques that can track brain activity down to a single neuron are now revealing exactly where this sound translation takes place within our minds.
- Harvard University neuroscientists Mohsen Jamali and Benjamin Grannan and their colleagues used tungsten ‘lab-on-a-chip’ microelectrode arrays and neuropixels to record brain activity on a cellular level in the prefrontal cortex of 13 participants while they listened to individual sentences and stories.
- It took recording surprisingly few neurons in this part of the brain – one involved in speech formation and working memory – for the researchers to be able to loosely ‘mind read’ general meanings in the patterns of cellular activity.
- The recordings revealed words that share similar meanings like noodles and pizza create similar patterns of activity within participants’ brains and that these patterns differ substantially when hearing words that have disparate meanings such as duck and coffee.
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