Charles Darwin and conspicuous consumption: Why bling is blingy
Luxury brands are a prominent feature of modern society. Thorstein Veblen coined the term "conspicuous consumption" to describe how the upper classes showcased expensive goods without inherent practical benefits to demonstrate their economic power......»»
Why some of Darwin"s finch nestlings have yellow beaks
Carotenoids are the underlying pigment for much of the enormous variety of color found across birds and form the basis for the colors red, yellow and orange. In a study published in Current Biology, researchers from Uppsala University and Princeton U.....»»
OSATs to see strong backend orders for car-use MCUs in 2022-2023
International IDMs are set to raise quotes for automotive MCUs in 2022, and their backend partners in Taiwan are all expected to sustain robust backend momentum through 2022-2023 due to long-term capacity consumption commitments by the IDMs, accordin.....»»
Breaking trade-off problem that limits thermoelectric conversion efficiency of waste heat
In recent years, energy consumption in developed countries has been rather wasteful. Nearly two-thirds of the total energy is typically discarded as "waste heat," which ends up contributing to global warming. Finding a way to productively use this he.....»»
Storing data as mixtures of fluorescent dyes
As the world's data storage needs grow, new strategies for preserving information over long periods with reduced energy consumption are needed. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed a data storage approach based on mixtures.....»»
Study: COVID-19 creates a new marketplace for contract cheating
A new study by Charles Darwin University (CDU) academics explores the extent and impact of contract cheating in the global academic community during COVID-19. CDU Associate Professor in Education Dr. Jon Mason and Senior Business Law Lecturer Dr. Guz.....»»
Explaining Electronics
“People think of electronics as a field that changes fast, but the fundamentals don’t change,” said Charles Platt, author of Make: Electronics. “Everything is still made out of transistors; the only difference since 1975 is that.....»»
Research gives new insight into capitalizing on momentum investing
Every investor is chasing the answer to one question: When should I buy stocks and when should I sell them? It's the elusive formula for timing the market. New research co-authored by Albert "Pete" Kyle, the Charles E. Smith Chair Professor of Finan.....»»
Eliminating microplastics on farmland
In many countries, farmers and gardeners use mulch films to increase their crop yields. The films are often made of polyethylene and can be used to control weed growth, soil temperature and water consumption. Unfortunately the petroleum-based materia.....»»
Thermal storage for energy transition
In Germany, 55 percent of final energy consumption goes towards heating and cooling. However, a lot of heat dissipates unused because it is not generated as and when required. Thermal storage using zeolite material allows heat to be stored for long p.....»»
Several Apple, Tesla, and Qualcomm suppliers halt production amid China energy use restrictions
China isn't just cracking down on transactions that involve cryptocurrencies. The country's next target is industrial energy consumption, which has surged amid a global crunch to satisfy demand for a variety of products, including electronics and car.....»»
Uncertainty in China power reduction policy haunting supply chains
A number of Chinese provinces are enforcing power cuts in line with the country's energy consumption and carbon reduction goals, catching many firms off guard, and it remains unknown whether the policy will become a long-term one......»»
Old Coal Plant Is Now Mining Bitcoin For a Utility Company
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Bitcoin's massive power consumption is the cryptocurrency's dirty secret. To mine bitcoin, computers across the globe chew through enough electricity to power a medium size country, somewhere on.....»»
Old coal plant is now mining bitcoin for a utility company
Bitcoin is breathing new life into another ailing power plant. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty) Bitcoin’s massive power consumption is the cryptocurrency’s dirty secret. To mine bitcoin, computers across the globe chew through enoug.....»»
Darwin"s short-beak enigma solved: Mutation in the ROR2 gene is linked to beak length in domestic pigeons
Charles Darwin was obsessed with domestic pigeons. He thought they held the secrets of selection in their beaks. Free from the bonds of natural selection, the 350-plus breeds of domestic pigeons have beaks of all shapes and sizes within a single spec.....»»
Magnon blocking effect and magnonic skin effect shown in antiferromagnetically coupled heterojunction
Spin waves, or magnons, as the elementary excitation of the magnetic system, can transfer spin angular momentum, which provides wide prospects for the Non-volatile, low-energy-consumption, high-speed and small-size microelectronic devices in the post.....»»
Study provides basis to evaluate food subsectors" emissions of three greenhouse gases
A new, location-specific agricultural greenhouse gas emission study is the first to account for net carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions from all subsectors related to food production and consumption. The work, led by University of Ill.....»»
Efficient buildings could save thousands of lives in US every year
Buildings in the U.S. are responsible for 40% of the country's total energy consumption. By improving the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, the emissions generated from heating and cooling them could be reduced—preventing thousands o.....»»
Highly durable biomimetic nanotrough electrodes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Membrane electrode assembly is the core part of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the high consumption of platinum and poor durability of carbon supported platinum nanoparticles (Pt/C) in the conventional cathode prohibit the lar.....»»
Growing demand for smart metering and asset tracking: Q&A with UnaBiz Taiwan managing director Carter Ho
The demand for smart metering and asset tracking solutions is growing. Many countries are adopting many smart techs, especially IoT solutions, to optimize energy consumption and to well manage buildings and facilities. In light of these trends, IoT s.....»»
Google infringed on five Sonos patents, according to preliminary ruling
Way back in January 2020, Sonos sued Google over patent infringement. Today, the streaming speaker company scored an early victory with the U.S. International Trade Commission. A preliminary ruling penned by ITC chief administrative law judge Charles.....»»