Month: September 2016

Nanostructured Honeycomb Creates Electricity from Light New Technologies Physics 

Nanostructured Honeycomb Creates Electricity from Light

Science Connected

By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic Zoom in to the nanometer scale—less than the width of a human hair—and you might think the new device designed by a team of scientists led by Lei Zhang is a honeycomb. Upon closer inspection, you would find that the hexagonal structure is made of gold and that a long string of organic molecules winds up and down through each hexagonal space. And one more thing: this device, so perfectly structured in the world of atoms and molecules, can create electricity from light. These researchers from…

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New Futuristic Fabrics to Keep Cool Engineering New Technologies 

New Futuristic Fabrics to Keep Cool

Science Connected, , ,

By Katherine Lindemann Inspired by lithium batteries and kitchen plastic wrap, engineers at Stanford University have developed a plastic material that helps the body radiate heat, lowering skin temperature and cooling the wearer. To be suitable for clothing, the material is flexible and—importantly—opaque. The teams are now working on a woven version of the textile. Po-Chun Hsu contributed to the research as a member of the Yi Cui research group. We asked him to tell us more. ResearchGate: Where did the idea for this material come from? Po-Chun Hsu: The…

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Old Threats Cause New Harm to Endangered Right Whales Environment Oceanography Zoology 

Old Threats Still Endangering Right Whales

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By Emily Rhode @riseandsci After decades of recovery from the brink of extinction, the North Atlantic right whale is once again under serious threat from human activity. But this time the decline is not due to overhunting the animals (once prized for being the “right” whales because of their slow speed and tendency to float on the surface when killed). After a long struggle to recover, injury or death from entanglement in fishing gear and a dramatic decrease in whale births have turned this once hopeful success story into a…

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Can Sunny Days Prevent Sleepless Nights? Biology Health 

Can Sunny Days Prevent Sleepless Nights?

Science Connected,

Sleepless nights? If you spend evenings in front of a screen, be sure to get plenty of sunlight, or your sleep may suffer. By Shayna Keyles If you’re like most people these days, you’re glued to a screen for a good portion of your waking life. I know I’m guilty: I’m on the computer all day for work, on my phone to fuel my Instagram addiction, and in front of the TV in the evenings for a hearty dose of Netflix. Work, entertainment, and necessary services are all available on…

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Simon's Cat Logic: Feeding Time Science Videos Zoology 

Simon’s Cat Logic: What You Didn’t Know about Meal Time

Science Connected,

By the Simon’s Cat Logic Team@SimonsCat Watch this episode and find out all the things you didn’t know about your cat’s feeding time! Simon’s Cat Logic is a fun new series where we ask a cat behavior expert at Cats Protection why cats do the silly things they do and how we can help our cats lead happy and healthy lives. Simon’s Cat Logic Credits Directed by: Chris Gavin Producer: Emma Burch Cat Expert: Nicky Trevorrow Animation and Graphics: Simon Tofield Junior Designer: Liza Nechaeva Production Manager: Rebecca Warner-Perry Associate…

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