Important Innovations

  Big Discovery by MIT Engineers                                                                           Source:  MIT No Wires or Battery Needed MIT engineers have discovered a brand new way of generating electricity.  They're using tiny carbon particles that create an electric current by interacting with their liquid environment of an organic solvent.  The particles are made of crushed carbon nanotubes (blue in the image) coated with a teflon-like polymer (green). The MIT researchers say the current can power micro or nanoscale robots and can also be used to trigger chemical reactions.  Their process of generating electricity is completely new and innovative.  All that is necessary is to surround the carbon particles with the solvent.  It generates an electrical current with no wires needed. Pulling Energy From the Environment Electrical engineering experts are hailing this discovery as leading the way to a generic methodology that can be easily expanded to the use of different

  Big Discovery by MIT Engineers                                                                           Source:  MIT No Wires or Battery Needed MIT engineers have discovered a brand new way of generating electricity.  They're using tiny carbon particles that create an electric current by interacting with their liquid environment of an organic solvent.  The particles are made of crushed carbon nanotubes (blue in the image) coated with a teflon-like polymer (green). The MIT researchers say the current can power micro or nanoscale robots and can also be used to trigger chemical reactions.  Their process of generating electricity is completely new and innovative.  All that is necessary is to surround the carbon particles with the solvent.  It generates an electrical current with no wires needed. Pulling Energy From the Environment Electrical engineering experts are hailing this discovery as leading the way to a generic methodology that can be easily expanded to the use of different

  Journey into the Heart of the Milky Way Source:  Milky Way Stock Image Space Mysteries and Wonders Astronomers have discovered a fossil galaxy buried deep inside the Milky Way.  They've named the fossil galaxy Heracles and believe that it collided with the Milky Way 10 billion years ago.  It is very large and accounts for 1/3 of the Milky Way's spherical halo.  So, why wasn't it discovered before now? Scientists say it wasn't discovered before because it is so deeply buried inside the Milky Way.  Highly advanced technology was utilized to make the discovery. APOGEE Technology Highly advanced technology known as APOGEE was used to discover the fossil galaxy.  The team, led by astronomer Ricardo Schiavon of the Liverpool John Moores University in the UK worked with data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment, or APOGEE. A Needle in a Haystack APOGEE provided the scientists with 10 years worth of tracking tens of th

Archaeology Find: Humans in N.A 17K Yrs Before Believed Source:  Mexico Cave Archaeologists Excavated  Big Archaeology Find An incredibly fascinating archaeology discovery.  In a cave in Mexico, archaeologists have found human made stone tools dating back at least 30,000 years.  The scientists found the tools in the massive Chiquihuite Cave in northwestern Mexico.  Two, separate, new archaeological studies date humans living on the North American continent at least 30,000 years ago.  The lead researcher and director of the excavation in the Chiquihuite Cave is Ciprian Ardelean, an archaeologist at the Autonomous University of Zacatecas.   Last Glacial Maximum The discovery means humans were here before the Last Glacial Maximum when ice covered most of the northern US and Canada.  The findings prove that humans were in North America much earlier than previously thought.  In fact, at least 17,000 years earlier than believed. Several New Archaeology Discoveries and Studies

Surprise:  It's Not the Center of the Sun Source: Stock image of Solar System International Astronomers Nail It An international team of astronomers have narrowed down the center of the Earth's Solar System to within 328 feet. It is not dead center in the Sun as had been commonly thought. Instead, it's located just outside the surface of the Sun.  The astronomers pinpointed the surprising location by monitoring the emissions of pulsars. Join Prime Video Channels Free Trial   Pulsar Monitoring This finding was not an easy task.  There are a lot of gravitational forces influencing the calculation.  The team used specially designed software to monitor pulsars.  Pulsars are highly magnetized dead stars that emit electromagnetic radiation.  Through the North American Observatory for Gravitations Waves, they were able to observe regular pulses from the pulsars and gravitational waves.  Using that data, they were able to locate the center of the Solar System.  Books

60,000 Year Old Cyprus Forest Off Alabama Coast Source:  Northeastern U scientist with ancient tree wood Scientists Say: Potential for New Medicines Off the coast of Alabama in Mobil Bay,  scientists have discovered a 60,000 year old forest of cypress trees.  The forest  is  now 60 feet underwater.  It once grew along the banks of a river. The team of scientists from Northeastern University in Boston and the University of Utah believe the trees may help forward the creation of new medicines.   Diving Back 60,000 Years The trees were buried under water, sediment and eventually the seabed for 60,000 years.  Powerful storms, including hurricanes that hit Alabama, blew open the seabed and exposed the forest.  NOAA funded the scientists diving expedition to document  the underwater forest and bring back samples of the wood. Surprising Findings Back in the lab, the scientists found 300 different types of organisms buried in the

A First:  Extremely High Winds Tracked  on a Huge Object Outside of Our Solar System Source:  NASA Winds on a "Failed Star" of 1,450 MPH NASA has achieved yet another first in space.   NASA scientists have clocked winds of 1,450 mph on a huge "brown dwarf" or failed star, that  is 33.2 light years away and outside of  our solar system.  The object is the size of Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, and 40 times Jupiter's mass. The winds are extremely fierce. This discovery is a first for astronomers. Previously they were only able to measure winds speeds on planets and objects within our solar system. Whole New Worlds The scientists say this discovery opens the way to understand atmospheres unlike anything in our solar system. The technique they used to make this discovery is also a first. The discovery was made by combining the detection  of radio and infrared emissions from the brown dw

Rains Liquid Molten Iron Source:  Image of Planet Raining Molten Iron Exoplanet WASP-76 B Some scientists are calling WASP-76 B the exoplanet from Hell.  It was just discovered in another solar system and is therefore an exoplanet.  The exoplanet is so exotic that even the weather conditions are extremely bizarre.  On WASP-76 B it's usually cloudy with a chance of rain.  But the rain drops are hot liquid molten iron that are boiling hot.  European scientists and astronomers just spotted it using the planet hunting instrument EXPRESSO on a huge international telescope based in Chile.  The weather conditions on this exoplanet are so severe there is molten iron rain! It's a unique finding in the Universe. And despite the extremely harsh environment, you have to wonder about the value of the mineral deposits on such a far away frontier in space. Ultra Hot Gas Giant 640 Light Years From Earth This very hot exoplanet is 640 light years away from the Earth.  An

Genetics Bear Down on DNA of Loch Ness Monster Source:   Loch Ness The Monster May Be a Giant Eel The famed Loch Ness Monster has been the stuff of fiction and news reports from observers for 16 centuries.  The mystery of Nessie dates back to 565 AD when St. Columbia reportedly had an encounter with a monster on the River Ness.  It turns out that the monster may be fact and not fiction.  Scientists from New Zealand have done extensive analysis of DNA in Loch Ness's waters.  Their conclusion is the Loch Ness Monster may be a giant eel. New Science My favorite detective Sherlock Holmes would love this. An animated version of  the Loch Ness Monster was featured in an episode of the Private Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  Now 21st  century science is nailing it. It looks like the Loch Ness Monster exists but it may be a huge eel that is keeping the legacy going. The New Zealand scientists believe that the lake's eels hail from the Bahamas and migrate to the Loch Ness wat

China's Lunar Rover Makes Surprise Discovery Source:  China Lunar Exploration Project Mystery Substance on Far Side of the Moon China's historic exploration of the far side of the Moon has resulted in a remarkable discovery.  China's Yutu-2 lunar rover spotted an unusually colored, gel-like substance in a small crater on the lunar surface.  Chinese experts have not yet come up with an explanation of what it is.  For more details go to Important Innovations Collection: Exciting Discovery on Moon's Far Side : China's Chang'e 4 Lunar Rover Find Source:  China Lunar Exploration Project Unusual, Gel-Like Substance China's Chang&#3...

NASA Spots Electric Soccer Balls in Space Source:  NASA/JPL - CALTECH Tiny Carbon Buckyballs The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered electrically charged carbon molecules shaped like soccer balls in interstellar space.  They're called buckyballs and are an important discovery.  According to NASA they shed light on the formation of stars and planets and provide a greater understanding of the gas and dust that compose the atmosphere of interstellar space.  For more details go to Important Innovations Collection: NASA Spots Electric Soccer Balls in Space : Tiny, Carbon Buckyballs that Start Stars & Planets Source:  NASA/JPL - CALTECH Interstellar Presence The Hubble Space Telescope ...

Researchers from UK and Spain Identify Eco-friendly Solid for Cooling Source:  University of Cambridge Air Conditioners  Replaces Polluting Gases Scientists at the University of Cambridge UK and Universität Politecnica de Catalunya in Spain have come up with a breakthrough in refrigeration/cooling technology.  Plastic crystals of neopentylglycol (NPG) that when put under pressure is competitive with conventional coolants.  The conventional coolants in refrigerators and air-conditioners are toxic and when released into the air are pollutants. Our Appliances: A Global Energy and Environmental Issue Refrigerators and air-conditioners use 20% of the energy produced globally.  The vast majority of these appliances use hydrocarbons and hydrofluro-carbons in the cooling system that are toxic, flammable and when released into the air add to global warming. Materials Science To solve this cooling problem, materials scientists have sought an alternative solid refrigerant.  UK and S

Bronze Age Board Game Discovered Source:  Archeologist Walter Crist  Game On Chiseled in Stone A fascinating archeological discovery.  A dot pattern chiseled into stone in a rock shelter in Azerbaijan.  Archeologist Walter Crist, who discovered it, says it shows that an ancient Near Eastern game called 58 holes or Hounds and Jackals, spread to a population of herders in Azerbaijan.  That region is 1000 to 2000 kilometers away. Roll of the Dice Hounds and Jackals was thought to exist only in Egypt, Mesopotamia and other Near Eastern regions during the Bronze Age.  Dr. Crist, of the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, says the Azerbaijan herders must have had contact with the Near Eastern world more than 1200 miles away.  The archeologist says ancient games often passed across cultures.  In this case, players are thought to have rolled the dice to move pebbles and get to the top first.  4000 years ago, someone created a new piece of innovation -  a game and a roll of t

The Fountain of Youth in Fruits and Vegies Natural Substance Fisetin University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have discovered a natural substance that intervenes and halts the aging process.  The substance is called Fisetin and is found in many fruits and vegetables.  It gives you all the more reason to eat lots of them. Their Research Findings The scientists treated aging mice with Fisetin.  It has significant positive effects on health and lifespan.  They published their study in EBioMedicine. Healthspan Expansion Their results suggest that the natural substance can extend the period of health called healthspan even late into life.  But they do have a lot of questions to address such as proper dosage for individuals. Science of Aging As people age, they accumulate damaged cells.  A younger person's immune system clears the cells.  As people age, the cells aren't cleared as effectively.  The accumulation results in deteriorating tissue and aging.  The

Promise of New & Better Blood Pressure Treatments Source:  OSHU Breakthrough Research by Oregon Health and Science University New research by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland reveals the 3-dimensional structure of a membrane that controls blood pressure.  The membrane is called the human epithelial sodium channel.  It has never been so precisely isolated and detailed as that done by the OHSU researchers. Membrane Is Critical to Human Health Using a cyro-electron microscope, the researchers generated a 3D model of the channel.  Besides being critical to controlling blood pressure, it's also impactful on other functions in the body. The channel enables sodium ions to be absorbed into tissue throughout the body including the kidney.  As such it's critical to human health by regulating sodium balance, blood volume and blood pressure. Great Potential for New Therapies This discovery is expected to lead to new and better blood pressu

Surprise Find by WHOI Photo by WHOI Underwater Discovery Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute scientists have discovered a massive cold water coral reef in the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern US.  The scientists believe it's been there for thousands of years. They discovered it last week. Submersible Alvin Spots a Thriving Ecosystem  Using their submersible Alvin that's deployed by the research vessel Atlantis, they collected samples of the coral.  The reef is massive. It's 85 miles long and at a depth of 1/2 mile.  It's about 160 miles off of Charleston, SC.  Cameras onboard Alvin captured the sight of the dense, cold water coral reef.  WHOI scientists say it's a thriving underwater ecosystem. Mountains of Coral According to the scientists, the site is covered with mountains of living coral.  It's growing on top of dead coral that they believe dates back thousands of years.  They found large amounts of a coral called Lophelia pentusa, a whitish,