Scientists use a blueprint of photosynthesis to produce greener, renewable productsMcGill University Drawing inspiration from natural photosynthesis, scientists have developed a technique that uses sunlight to convert two major greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals for fuel and industrial applications. Researchers from McGill University have created a novel process called photo-driven oxygen-atom-grafting. This method employs gold,...
Mingyang's enormous 20-MW offshore wind turbineMingyang Smart Energy Mingyang Smart Energy announced last week that it has installed "the world’s largest single-capacity offshore wind turbine" in a project in Hainan, China. This turbine generates up to 20 MW, surpassing the company’s earlier 18 MW model from 2023. Mingyang describes the MySE18.X-20MW turbine as lightweight, modular, and...
The 18650-format potassium-ion battery was launched at the 14th annual Beyond Lithium Conference at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in TennesseeGroup1 Most portable electronics and the latest electric vehicles rely on lithium batteries. Texas-based startup Group1 has introduced a more sustainable option with the world’s first 18650 potassium-ion battery. Group1, established in 2021 by experienced battery...
An exceptionally well-preserved, "freeze-dried" mammoth has allowed scientists to reconstruct its genome in three dimensions for the first time, including its chromosomes. Credit: Pixabay Scientists have created the most complete 3D reconstruction of the woolly mammoth genome, thanks to a remarkably well-preserved specimen that was "freeze-dried" immediately after death. With its DNA preserved in a...
Artist Gabriel Lio's depiction of Gaiasia jennyae, a massive amphibious predator from the Permian era. Long before dinosaurs dominated the Earth, another formidable predator thrived in its environment. Gaiasia, resembling a large salamander, roamed the Permian swamps. Unlike the cute axolotl, Gaiasia jennyae was a massive amphibian measuring approximately 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in length,...
Credit: Pixabay While trees and green spaces are often celebrated for their contributions to cleaner air and a healthier environment, recent research has highlighted a surprising drawback: they can also be significant sources of air pollution. A study mapping volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over Los Angeles revealed that botanical emissions, particularly from trees, are responsible...
Lokiceratops rangiformis is a distant cousin of the TriceratopsFabrizio Lavezza/The Museum of Evolution, Knuthenborg CC BY-NC-ND The Natural History Museum of Utah has unveiled a previously undiscovered species of horned, herbivorous dinosaur, an ancestor of the Triceratops. Its distinctive and impressive headgear has led to it being named after a deity. Paleontologists discovered fragments of the dinosaur's...
Researchers claim that Homo naledi, a small-brained human relative, buried its dead and made art long before our own species did.MARK THIESSEN/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Three papers that were presented at a meeting today and put online laid out an astounding situation. It is suggested that approximately 240,000 years ago, a large network of limestone caves in South...
A small fern, found only on a few Pacific islands, contains over 100 meters of DNA in each cell, more than any known organism. "The fern, known as Tmesipteris oblanceolata, has round structures that produce spores", says Oriane Hidalgo. A printed version of the entire human genome would fill 220 large books. However, printing the...
President Joe Biden speaks at an Earth Day event on April 22, 2024 in Triangle, VA. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA) The US government is aiming to support carbon offsets by endorsing industry-led efforts to reform a market that has faced increasing criticism. The Biden administration has introduced a set of principles to define “high-integrity” carbon...
