Neat News - Neat things do happen

Capacitors can be charged much faster and have a much longer lifetime than traditional batteries, but they are still comparatively big. A new technology called spin coating may now offer an angle to bring the size down to a comparative level.

related: #battery #capacitor

In a proof of principle, a history and culture of modernity class was based almost entirely on the Minecraft game server for instructions, in-class communication, and course work, offering a new medium for teaching.

related: #teaching #Minecraft

A new study states significant differences between vitamin D2 and D3 and concludes that vitamin D3 has a strong impact on the immune system, whereas D2 has not.

related: #vitamin_D

A new study finds that eating no meat or only some is associated with a reduced cancer risk.

related: #vegetarianism

A new study finds that people who live in neighbourhoods with easy access to parks and other outdoor activities are more active and as a consequence have a reduced risk of developing diabetes or obesity.

related: #green_neighbourhood

In spite of global warming, a coral reef in Tahiti in the South Pacific shows no sign of disease or dying corals. If understood how the corals cope, this may give hope for other reefs.

related: #reef

While running or brisk walking is an activity that is associated with a healthy heart, in particular for older people, a new study has found that doing daily routine activities such as housework, gardening, cooking, or showering should also be associated with cardiovascular health.

related: #home_work #health

In experiments involving more than one million people it was found that in the age range between 20 and 60 the mental speed of people remains largely unchanged, deteriorating only at higher ages.

related: #mental_speed

Using an immersive virtual reality environment, scientists studied fruit flies and found that their cognitive capabilities such as attention, conscious awareness, and ability to learn go beyond what was previously believed they could do with their tiny brains.

related: #fruit_fly

Using a technique called wavelength holography it is possible to use the information in scattered light to conclude what can be found on the other side of obstacles. The new technique has possible applications in technology and medicine.

related: #holography #light

Studying the brains of nine people with electrodes implanted, scientists found that there are particular neurons in the brain that fire during particular mathematical operations. For instance, some fire during additions, others during subtractions.

related: #neuron #maths

Studying untrained orangutans in a zoo, scientists found that they can use a sharp tool to cut though a rope without being taught. When shown they can even make such tools.

related: #orangutan

For the first time a patient has been cured of HIV using stem cell transplants from umbilical cord blood. The approach may be suitable more widely and may have fewer side effects than previous attempts.

related: #HIV #umbilical_blood

Every day there are globally about a million sexually transmitted infections. Governments spend a lot of money to prevent them promoting condoms. A new study found that projects promoting pleasure as well as the use of condoms are more successful than those focusing on the safe-sex message.

related: #condom #safe_sex #pleasure

A 91 year old engineer has designed a huge wind turbine with a height of 250 metres and is to transfer the energy of the rotors via a belt to the ground. It is hoped that the construction makes the maintenance much easier than that of current wind turbines.

related: #wind_turbine

In phage therapy, patients are treated with cocktails of viruses that infect bacteria in order to kill them. However, the bacteria know to protect themselves, making the approach less effective. Now there is a better understanding how this works, potentially opening a door for disabling the protective mechanism.

related: #phage_therapy

Alcohol free often lacks aroma from hops compared to their alcoholic counterparts, since the aroma is partly destroyed when the alcohol is removed from the beer. Now a new method has been developed in which the aroma is added after the removal of the alcohol, making the beer much tastier.

related: #alcohol_free_beer

In many applications in computer science random numbers are needed. However, since they cannot be computed a physical method outside of traditional computers is needed. Now a method using anomalies in tiny magnets in two-dimensional materials can be used to generate true random numbers.

related: #true_random_number

Some 250 years ago the so-called Leidenfrost effect was detected that water droplets can hover over a hot surface for a while, insulated by a vapour layer. Scientists managed now to reproduce a similar effect with ice and a hotter surface. There may be applications in metallurgy and fire fighting.

related: #levitation #ice

Young adults in the U.S. can extend their life expectancy by more than ten years if they go for a diet with a lot of vegetables, whole grain, and nuts, but less processed meat, a new study finds. For older people the effect is smaller but still substantial.

related: #diet #vegetable

Surveying the damage of the large wildfire in Oregon in 2021, researchers found an area with pristine green woods in the vicinity of eight active beaver dams. While upstream from the dams there were no fish, downstream the water was crystal clear with fish in it, filtered by the beaver dams.

related: #beaver

A man whose spinal cord was completely severed in an accident five years ago had an electrical implant attached to his spine. He is now the first person who is able to walk freely again after such an injury.

related: #spinal_cord #paralysis #implant

A major issue with a long term use of electric cars is to be able to recycle the lithium in their batteries. Now, a new method has been developed that makes it possible to recycle them without losing performance.

related: #lithium #battery #recycling

Fuel cells produce electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. Current ones have an operation temperature of 60-80 degrees Celsius. A new one has now been developed that operates at 80-160 degrees Celsius and does not overheat easily, making fuel cells operational in heavy duty application such as trucks and buses.

related: #fuel_cell

Measuring activity of the hippocampus region of the brains of animals, researchers found that during sleep or anaesthesia the activity remained abnormally high in animals that were to develop Alzheimer's disease. The insight may lead to a new diagnosis approach, many years before the first symptoms show up.

related: #Alzheimer #diagnosis

Last year, the number of breeding pairs of common cranes is at its highest for 400 years in the UK. This is due to conservation efforts such as restoring peatlands and floodplains to deliver habitats for the big birds.

related: #crane #habitat #conservation

A new approach has been developed to take renewable carbon sources such as sewage, food crops, and algae and convert them to valuable chemicals and hydrogen using electrocatalytic oxidation. The approach has the potential to be carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative.

related: #bio_fuel

Certain non degradable chemicals that we make are accumulating in the environment and in humans, causing health concerns. Now a heat- and pressure-based technique can destroy almost all of them in a water sample by so-called supercritical water oxidation.

related: #forever_chemicals