Lifeboat Foundation

Researchers at the University of Maryland genetically modified poplar trees to produce high-performance, structural wood without the use of chemicals or energy-intensive processing. Made from traditional wood, engineered wood is often seen as a renewable replacement for traditional building materials like steel, cement, glass and plastic. It also has the potential to store carbon for a longer time than traditional wood because it can resist deterioration, making it useful in efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

But the hurdle to true sustainability in engineered wood is that it requires processing with volatile chemicals and a significant amount of energy, and produces considerable waste. The researchers edited one gene in live poplar trees, which then grew wood ready for engineering without processing.

The research was published online on August 12, 2024, in the Journal Matter.

SOM, the architecture firm behind some of the world’s tallest buildings, is working to develop gravity energy storage solutions for skyscrapers and other buildings.

We identify 182 flares on 158 stars within 100 pc of the Sun in both the near-ultraviolet (NUV; |$1750\!-\!2750$| Å) and far-ultraviolet (FUV; |$1350\!-\!1750$| Å) using high-cadence light curves from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer. Ultraviolet (UV) emission from stellar flares plays a crucial role in determining the habitability of exoplanetary systems. However, whether such UV emission promotes or threatens such life depends strongly on the energetics of these flares. Most studies assessing the effect of flares on planetary habitability assume a 9,000 K blackbody spectral energy distribution that produces more NUV flux than FUV flux (⁠|mathcal R \equiv F_rm FUV / F_rm NUV \approx \frac16$|⁠). Instead, we observe the opposite with the excess FUV reaching |mathcal R \approx \frac12\!-\!2$|⁠, roughly |$3\!-\!12$| times the expectation of a 9,000 K blackbody. The ratio of FUV to NUV time-integrated flare energies is 3.0 times higher on average than would be predicted by a constant 9,000 K blackbody during the flare. Finally, we find that the FUV/NUV ratio at peak tentatively correlates (⁠|sim 2 \sigma$| significance) both with total UV flare energy and with the G − RP colour of the host star. On average, we observe higher FUV/NUV ratios at peak in |$E_text{UV}\gt 10³²$| erg flares and in flares on fully convective stars.

Impulse Space will use the upgraded Mira on LEO missions as well, with its first mission slated to launch in late 2025. Among the customers for Mira is in-space refueling company Orbit Fab, which will host a fuel depot on a Mira vehicle in 2026 as part of a mission to refuel the U.S. Space Force’s Tetra-5 satellite in GEO.

As it rolls out the upgraded Mira vehicle, Impulse Space is moving into development of Helios, including preparing to begin tests of the powerpack for the engine that will power the stage as well as working on tanks for the vehicle. Helios will also reuse avionics created for Mira.

“Last year was mostly about Mira and getting that LEO Express 1 mission up,” Mueller said. “This year is mostly about Helios.”

A catalyst that significantly enhances ammonia conversion could improve wastewater treatment, green chemical and hydrogen production.

New cooling technologies that incorporate energy storage could help by charging themselves when renewable electricity is available and demand is low, and still providing cooling services when the grid is stressed.

“We say, take the problem, and turn it into a solution,” says Yaron Ben Nun, founder and chief technology officer of Nostromo Energy.

One of Nostromo Energy’s systems, which it calls an IceBrick, is basically a massive ice cube tray. It cools down a solution made of water and glycol that’s used to freeze individual capsules filled with water. One IceBrick can be made up of thousands of these containers, which each hold about a half-gallon, or roughly two liters, of water.

Researchers at Penn State are working on advanced electronics using something called kink states, which are special pathways for electrons in materials. These paths could help create networks for quantum information, which is essential for the next generation of electronics. Credit: SciTechDaily.com.

Researchers at Penn State are developing advanced quantum electronics using kink states, which are unique electron pathways in semiconducting materials.

These states could potentially form the backbone of a quantum interconnect network, crucial for transmitting quantum information efficiently. The team has made significant advancements in controlling these states through innovative material combinations and device designs, enhancing the potential for scalable quantum electronics.

We are constantly surrounded by electromagnetic waves such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals. What if we could turn the unused excess into usable energy? Researchers at Tohoku University, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Messina developed a novel technology to efficiently harvest ambient low-power radiofrequency (RF) signals into direct-current (DC) power. This ‘rectifier’ technology can be easily integrated into energy harvesting modules to power electronic devices and sensors, enabling battery-free operation.

The results were published in Nature Electronics (“Nanoscale spin rectifiers for harvesting ambient radiofrequency energy”).

Schematic illustration of a wireless network with energy-harvesting modules. RF signals that are unused by electronic gadgets and would otherwise go to waste are used to generate usable DC power to drive sensors and devices. (Image: Shunsuke Fukami & Hyunsoo Yang)

The wearables market has been dominated, so far, by smartwatches and fitness trackers. The first Apple Watch was launched in April 2015, and wearable technology now includes jewelry that tracks your steps and notifies you of an incoming call, VR headsets for gamers, earbuds, smart glasses with Internet access, smart clothing integrated with electronic devices and a range of health monitors.

But the world’s first eyelid wearable device opens up a whole new world of opportunity.

Blink Energy’s device weighs just 0.4 grams (0.014 ounces) — less than half the weight of a paperclip – and is fitted to one eyelid. You barely notice it, says Bar-On. “After two minutes you forget it’s there.”