Search Results - environmental

Consuming Good Food Triggers the Brain to Release Feel-Good Serotonin

Consuming food with nutrient value triggers the release of a feel-good chemical by the brainDepositphotos Researchers have uncovered an intriguing connection between the gut and brain: consuming nutritious food triggers the release of the feel-good chemical serotonin. This discovery paves the way for potential new treatments for eating disorders. Recent studies have highlighted the significant link...

Wood and Metal Bonded Using Sound and 3D Printing

In Ultrasonic Joining, two materials like wood and metal are joined by heat produced from the friction of sound wavesWolf/TU Graz New Bonding Techniques Revolutionize Manufacturing Manufacturing could undergo a major transformation thanks to two new techniques developed by scientists in Austria to bond materials in an extremely strong way, eliminating the need for environmentally harmful...

Our Gut Microbiomes may be Hiding Promising New Antibiotics

Credit: Pixabay Bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics more quickly than new drugs can be created, so scientists are exploring the human gut—a highly competitive environment with about 100 trillion microbes—to find potential components for combating diseases. Researchers in the US examined the gut microbiomes of 1,773 individuals, analyzing 444,054 proteins that had been previously identified...

Fungus Figures Out How to Steer Biohybrid Robots

A spider-shaped biohybrid robot is driven by natural impulses from a fungusCornell University Autonomous vehicles are often considered safer than human drivers, but would you feel comfortable with a mushroom in control? A new type of "biohybrid" robot is designed to move based on signals from a fungus's nervous system. A few decades of human engineering...

Diet and Exercise Can Outsmart Genetic Diabetes Risk

Credit: Depositphotos Although genetics play a significant role in the development of type 2 diabetes, genes don't determine everything in life. Lifestyle Changes Can Defy Genetic Predisposition A new study suggests, for the first time, that even those who are genetically predisposed to diabetes can prevent the disease with the right lifestyle choices. A three-year intervention in Finland...

New Living Plastic Breaks Down After Disposal

Credit: Depositphotos Scientists have developed a 'living plastic' that self-destructs when it starts to erode. During composting, this innovative material breaks down in just a month, whereas conventional plastics can take up to 55 days to decompose under similar conditions. This promising technology is inspired by plastic-degrading proteins, naturally produced by a type of bacteria discovered...

Physics Discovery Predicts When a System Is Nearing a Critical Point

(DrPixel/Getty Images) As the myth goes, lemmings sometimes follow each other off cliffs to their doom. Imagine joining your fellow lemmings on a sunny mountain hike, enjoying the day—until suddenly, you plunge into the air, and everything goes black. The cliff's edge represents what scientists refer to as a "critical point," where a system's behavior (like...

Water-Skimming Ocean-of-Things Bugbots use Bacteria-Powered Fuel Cells

The self-powered aquatic robot skims on the water's surface like a water striderBinghamton University Researchers have created prototype robot bugs equipped with sensors that replicate biological digestive systems to generate energy, use a Janus interface for a continuous nutrient supply, and glide across water like water striders. In 2017, DARPA introduced a program to develop and...

Cylinder Sails May Cut Cargo Ship Fuel use by Up to 90%

Artist's concept of a ship with the CoFlow systemCoFlow Jet A new wind-driven system by startup CoFlow Jet, resembling a set of bridge supports mistakenly placed on a cargo ship, claims to reduce ship fuel costs by up to 90% using stationary cylinders without any moving parts. With the dual pressures of rising fuel costs and...

Seawater-Powered Hydrogen Reactor can Fuel a Submarine for 30 Days

MIT researchers Aly Kombargi (left) and Niko Tsakiris (right) with their new hydrogen reactorTony Pulsone MIT scientists have found an intriguing new method to produce hydrogen fuel using soda cans, seawater, and coffee grounds. They believe this chemical reaction could power engines or fuel cells in marine vehicles that use seawater. Hydrogen plays a crucial role...