Producing palm oil substitute from corn waste
Is a sustainable, local alternative to palm oil possible? The research consortium NextVegOil from Aachen, Bochum, Düsseldorf and Münster is aiming to develop a commercial-scale process for producing a microbial oil similar to palm oil from agricult.....»»
3D imaging allows researchers to observe degradation of micro- and nanoplastics with unprecedented detail
In a global first, University of Waterloo researchers have used 3D imaging technology to understand the fine details of microplastics, paving the way for more effective methods of plastic waste recycling......»»
Composite plastic degrades easily with bacteria, offers environmental benefits
Billions of tons of plastic waste clutter our world. Most of it has accumulated on the ground and in the oceans or disintegrated into tiny particles known as microplastics that pollute the air and the water, penetrating vegetation and the bloodstream.....»»
Boosting glycerol"s value: A new process makes biodiesel more profitable
Biodiesel, a green alternative to conventional diesel, has been shown to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 74%. Biodiesel is produced through transesterification, converting triglycerides into biodiesel and producing glycerol as a low-value by.....»»
AirTags key to discovery of Houston"s plastic recycling deception
One Houston resident was suspicious of the city's "all plastic accepted" recycling program, and used AirTags to discover where the plastic waste actually ended up.Apple employs an advanced robot named Daisy to disassemble old iPhones.Brandy Deason, w.....»»
Using fungal mycelium as the basis for sustainable products
Fungi have more to offer than meets the eye. Their thread-like cells, which grow extensively and out of sight underground like a network of roots, offer huge potential for producing sustainable, biodegradable materials. Researchers at the Fraunhofer.....»»
Strange Noises Are Coming from Inside Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft
Speakers inside the spacecraft are producing a pulsing noise, and neither astronauts nor Mission Control can identify its cause......»»
How thinking about death—mortality salience—drives early Halloween shopping and retail trends
It's becoming as much of a tradition as costumed trick-or-treaters and skeletons crawling across lawns studded with cardboard gravestones: candy corn and jumbo bags of Snickers start popping up on grocery store shelves a few weeks after Independence.....»»
FAA lets SpaceX get back to launches, but Polaris Dawn awaits good weather
SpaceX got the OK to fly again from the Federal Aviation Administration and didn't waste any time knocking out launches from both Florida and California early Saturday, but the crewed Polaris Dawn launch remains on hold because of weather......»»
Saturday Citations: Corn sweat! Nanoplastics! Plus: Massive objects in your area are dragging spacetime
It's the last day of August, which means that in the Northern Hemisphere, tomorrow will be 50 degrees and cloudy; conditions are expected to be hot and humid south of the equator. In science news this week, we reported on nanoplastic contamination, s.....»»
Catalytic process vaporizes plastic bags and bottles, yielding gases to make new, recycled plastics
A new chemical process can essentially vaporize plastics that dominate the waste stream today and turn them into hydrocarbon building blocks for new plastics......»»
Nanoplastics put stress on trees and impair photosynthesis
It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. It remains unclear how and to what extent they are able to enter living org.....»»
Can fungi turn food waste into the next culinary sensation?
Chef-turned-chemist Vayu Hill-Maini has a passion: to turn food waste into culinary treats using fungi......»»
Sweaty corn is making it even more humid
Barb Boustead remembers learning about corn sweat when she moved to Nebraska about 20 years ago to work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and found herself plunked down in an ocean of corn. The term for the late-summer spike in.....»»
Most food waste happens at home—new research reveals the best ways to reduce it
The EU and UK pledged to reduce food waste, in line with the UN's goal to halve global food waste by 2030. With most (approximately 53%) of total food waste in European countries occurring in homes, this stage of the food chain presents the most sign.....»»
Researchers develop near-infrared spectroscopy models to analyze corn kernels and biomass
In the agricultural and food industry, determining the chemical composition of raw materials is important for production efficiency, application, and price. Traditional laboratory testing is time-consuming, complicated, and expensive. New research fr.....»»
Algorithm raises new questions about Cascadia earthquake record
The Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest has a history of producing powerful and destructive earthquakes that have sunk forests and spawned tsunamis that reached all the way to the shores of Japan......»»
Researchers dig into food waste in Canada using data-driven model
Skyrocketing food costs are uniting Canadians, as families scrutinize their budgets and try to keep grocery bills in check. A new report from the Ivey Centre for Building Sustainable Value and Western's Human Environments Analysis Laboratory (HEAL) r.....»»
Don’t waste your money on an OLED gaming monitor
OLED provides the best gaming experience money can buy, but buying in too early can effectively be a waste of money......»»
How particles of light may be producing drops of the perfect liquid
The world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator may be producing the world's tiniest droplets of liquid, right under scientists' noses. Researchers are digging into this subatomic enigma......»»
Astronomers think they’ve found a plausible explanation of the Wow! signal
Magnetars could zap clouds of atomic hydrogen, producing focused microwave beams. Enlarge / The Wow! signal, represented as "6EQUJ5," was discovered in 1977 by astronomer Jerry Ehman. (credit: Public domain) An unusually.....»»