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Aug 6, 2018

Ammonia synthesis—the greatest innovation of the 20th century

Posted by in category: innovation

In addition to being a well-known cleaning product, ammonia is essential in the manufacture of fertilizers. The chemical process to synthesize ammonia has hardly changed in 100 years, and is still essential, although scientists do not know how to mitigate its negative consequences on the environment.

When, during the summer of 1909, the German chemist Fritz Haber achieved the synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen, little could he foresee the enormous significance of his innovation. Years later, his countryman Carl Bosch was able to produce it at industrial scale by using catalysts and high pressure reactors.

Haber and Bosch, who were awarded the Nobel Prize for their research, gave their names to the ammonia production process that been in use since then. In fact, the Haber-Bosch process is perhaps the most significant innovation of the 20th century.

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Aug 6, 2018

Europe bakes again in near-record temperatures

Posted by in categories: climatology, sustainability

Europe baked in near-record temperatures on Monday but hopes were for some respite after weeks of non-stop sunshine as people come to terms with what may prove to be the new normal in climate change Europe.

Here is a roundup of recent developments:

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Aug 6, 2018

Here’s how many times you actually need to reuse your shopping bags

Posted by in category: materials

The plastic bag ban by the major supermarkets (and Coles’ pivot away from its ban after backlash, then pivot back to the ban after a backlash to the backlash) has left plenty of people scratching their heads.

What are the best replacements for single-use plastic bags? Given that are much sturdier, how many times must we use them to compensate for their larger environmental impact?

The simple answer is that there is no simple answer. However, a kind of research called “life cycle assessment” can help us work out the impact of common types of reusable bags.

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Aug 6, 2018

Building the backbone of a smarter smart home

Posted by in categories: habitats, information science, robotics/AI

The state of artificial intelligence (AI) in smart homes nowadays might be likened to a smart but moody teenager: It’s starting to hit its stride and discover its talents, but it doesn’t really feel like answering any questions about what it’s up to and would really rather be left alone, OK?

William Yeoh, assistant professor of computer science and engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, is working to help smart-home AI to grow up.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Yeoh a $300,000 grant to assist in developing smart-home AI algorithms that can determine what a user wants by both asking questions and making smart guesses, and then plan and schedule accordingly. Beyond being smart, the system needs to be able to communicate and to explain why it is proposing the schedule it proposed to the user.

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Aug 6, 2018

Power Worth Less Than Zero Spreads as Green Energy Floods the Grid

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

Wind and solar farms are glutting networks more frequently, prompting a market signal for coal plants to shut off.

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Aug 6, 2018

Quantum Computing Will Create Jobs. But Which Ones?

Posted by in categories: computing, employment, quantum physics

A new bill aims to support a growing quantum industry by training a new cross-disciplinary workforce.

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Aug 6, 2018

New class of drug compounds puts cancer in a sleeper hold

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Cancer isn’t some foreign illness invading your body – it’s essentially just regular cells dividing out of control. Current cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy are designed to kill tumors, but they often take down healthy cells as well. An emerging technique could provide a more targeted approach, stopping tumorous cells from proliferating and effectively putting the cancer to sleep.

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Aug 6, 2018

Physicists Tied Laser Beams into Knots

Posted by in categories: futurism, physics

The technology could improve future precision light sources. But right now the biggest surprise is how many holes there are in a laser figure-eight.

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Aug 6, 2018

Lyme disease now found in all 50 states

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

If you thought you were safe from Lyme disease because you don’t live in New England, where the tick-borne illness first appeared, think again. Now, all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have residents who have tested positive for Lyme, a bacterial infection that can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including joint aches, fatigue, facial palsy and neck stiffness.

This news comes from a report from the clinical laboratory Quest Diagnostics, which analyzed the results of 6 million blood tests doctors had ordered to diagnose Lyme disease in their patients. The report found that Pennsylvania had the most positive cases last year: 10,001.

The Pennsylvania tally, along with that of the six New England states — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — accounted for about 60 percent of the country’s Lyme disease cases. Positive results grew by 50 percent in New England and by 78 percent in Pennsylvania from 2016 to 2017.

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Aug 6, 2018

Researchers Turn Cellular Senescence Against Cancer

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Cellular senescence used against cancer.


Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Cancer Therapeutics CRC have developed a new type of drug that harnesses cellular senescence as a weapon against cancer [1].

Study abstract

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