Improved solar cells and electronics thanks to copper nanowires

Copper nanowiresAs much as we would like it, solar energy still isn’t competitive with fossil fuels, mostly because one of the main materials used in their production is the incredibly expensive metal indium.

But that might change in the near future as Duke University researchers have found a way to replace indium with copper nanowires. And the nanowires will decrease the cost of touchscreens to boot.

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All-natural nano-sponge absorbs CO2

All natural MOFsA new method of developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has made them completely environmentally friendly. They are not only capable of detecting, capturing and storing CO2, but are largely made of it as well.

They are in fact so green that you could eat them, if you’d want to.

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Quantifying the invasive species problem, Florida´s case: 137 non-native reptiles & amphibians

Invasive species in FloridaLast week we took a look at the slowness of species migration before the age of the 747. Today we speed up time by a thousand – to get to the ecological reality of globalisation.

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Bionic bacterium to produce biofuels and drugs

Bionic bacteriumA bionic bacterium, would that be the bacterial equivalent of the six million dollar man from the equally named 70’s tv show, with enhanced strength, speed and vision? Unfortunately the answer is no.

With man-made amino acids in its DNA it can however, in theory, make an endless supply of synthetic chemicals, like biofuels and medicine.

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Biomaterials should be more important than biofuels

Petroleum usesWhen talking about a biobased economy, most people think biofuel. And who can blame them, since gasoline alone is good for about half of global petroleum use? A transition from petroleum to biomass as a source for fuel would put a serious dent in CO2 emissions, not to mention decrease our dependency on often politically unstable countries.

Gasoline however can also be replaced in other ways than by biomass, like hydrogen or electricity. This does not hold true for the petroleum-based raw materials used in the chemical industry.

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Biodiversity feedback: loss of amphibian species further increases threat of deadly fungus infections

Worldwide amphibians are the most threatened class in the animal kingdom. In recent years Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a fungal pathogen, has caused havoc among many species of frogs, toads and salamanders, decreasing populations and wiping out others.

Biodiversity decline fungus infections amphibians
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Anti-cancer supplements need plant-based proteins to be effective

Plant protein helps against cancerAccording to the UN next month the world’s 7 billionth human inhabitant will be born. We have a feeling it’s gonna be a girl and we hope her metabolism will show some similarity to that of a lab rat.

If so and if she chooses to consume plant proteins rather than animal proteins that would of course be nice for the climate and the forests – but it may also help her onto a long and healthy life. Because somehow dietary plant proteins seem to work synergistically with anti-oxidants from supplements [so also with your daily apple, onion and cup of tea we presume].

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Cheap, limitless hydrogen from wastewater

WaterAn inexhaustible source of hydrogen without the need for electricity and completely carbon neutral. It sounds too good to be true, but in this case it appears it is not, as Penn State engineers have developed a method to do just that.

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Dinosaurs not struck by Baptistina asteroid – search on for other cause C-T extinction

Dinosaurs Baptistina asteroidWe’re now one hypothesis down and know one thing more: tens of millions of years ago there was an enormous piece of floating rock that did not cause the dinosaurs to die out at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, NASA scientists say.

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