https://www.scivillage.com/ Fri, 22 May 2026 22:45:58 +0000 MyBB https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20487.html Fri, 22 May 2026 18:37:36 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20487.html https://www.popularmechanics.com/science...-possible/

EXCERPTS: In a surprising paper from 2021, scientists Alexey Bobrick and Gianni Martire suggested that they’d nailed down a physical model for a warp drive, which flew in the face of what we’ve long thought about the crazy concept of warp speed travel: that it requires exotic, negative forces. The paper proposed a broader way to classify warp-drive spacetimes.

In some subluminal cases, the authors argued, a warp bubble could be described using positive energy rather than the exotic negative energy that has haunted the idea since Miguel Alcubierre’s famous 1994 proposal. To best understand what the breakthrough means, you’ll need a quick crash course on the far-out idea of traveling through folded space—because warp drive has always sounded cleaner in science fiction than it does in general relativity.

[...] Essentially, an Alcubierre drive would expend a tremendous amount of energy—likely more than what’s available within the universe and, more awkwardly, negative energy—to contract and twist space-time in front of it and create a bubble. ... For years, the negative-energy requirement was the bugaboo. Alcubierre’s original concept was mathematically allowed, but it demanded the kind of matter and energy budget no one knows how to supply.

[...] That’s why Bobrick and Martire’s 2021 paper drew so much attention. ... While newer research hasn’t killed the idea of a physical warp drive, it’s certainly thrown some cold water on it. ... Finally, there’s still the problem of stability... So, none of this gives engineers a warp drive. The concept is still in the “far future” zone of possibility, made of ideas that scientists still don’t know how to construct in any sense... (MORE - missing details)]]> https://www.popularmechanics.com/science...-possible/

EXCERPTS: In a surprising paper from 2021, scientists Alexey Bobrick and Gianni Martire suggested that they’d nailed down a physical model for a warp drive, which flew in the face of what we’ve long thought about the crazy concept of warp speed travel: that it requires exotic, negative forces. The paper proposed a broader way to classify warp-drive spacetimes.

In some subluminal cases, the authors argued, a warp bubble could be described using positive energy rather than the exotic negative energy that has haunted the idea since Miguel Alcubierre’s famous 1994 proposal. To best understand what the breakthrough means, you’ll need a quick crash course on the far-out idea of traveling through folded space—because warp drive has always sounded cleaner in science fiction than it does in general relativity.

[...] Essentially, an Alcubierre drive would expend a tremendous amount of energy—likely more than what’s available within the universe and, more awkwardly, negative energy—to contract and twist space-time in front of it and create a bubble. ... For years, the negative-energy requirement was the bugaboo. Alcubierre’s original concept was mathematically allowed, but it demanded the kind of matter and energy budget no one knows how to supply.

[...] That’s why Bobrick and Martire’s 2021 paper drew so much attention. ... While newer research hasn’t killed the idea of a physical warp drive, it’s certainly thrown some cold water on it. ... Finally, there’s still the problem of stability... So, none of this gives engineers a warp drive. The concept is still in the “far future” zone of possibility, made of ideas that scientists still don’t know how to construct in any sense... (MORE - missing details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20439.html Thu, 14 May 2026 16:59:14 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20439.html https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/...print.html

PRESS RELEASE: As the world works to alter the trajectory of climate change, most attention focuses on reducing humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Yet a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) is cement production, which accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions.

Now, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have manufactured cement that lowers input energy demand by 70% and reduces CO2 emissions by 98% compared with traditional production methods. Curtis Berlinguette: "This work defines an electrified path for cement production that could reduce the industry’s massive carbon footprint by as much as 98% when using waste cement as a feedstock.”

“Our team was motivated to address cement production emissions at the source,” says Curtis Berlinguette, the corresponding author of the study. “We used electricity and recycled cement to make precursors that formed a type of cement called belite at lower temperatures than were previously known. Belite-rich cement is important for massive structures like dams.”

Cement is an essential ingredient for making concrete a durable construction material, because when mixed with water, it strongly binds sand and gravel. And the starting material for cement is typically limestone. However, producing cement traditionally demands a great deal of energy as limestone (made of calcium carbonate, or CaCO3) and silica-containing minerals are heated in two stages to more than 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,450 degrees Celsius). These processes release significant amounts of CO2 as a by-product when limestone breaks down.

Taking a different approach, Berlinguette and a research team at the University of British Columbia used electricity to lower the energy requirements of the chemical conversion of limestone and silica into a cement precursor. The electrochemistry approach allowed the reaction to take place at 140 F (60 C). The product of this reaction was then converted into belite in a kiln at 1,200 F (650 C). The lower temperatures of this new method reduced the thermal energy required by 70% as well as cut CO2 emissions compared to the traditional processes.

To further reduce emissions, the team tested the electrochemistry process on recycled waste cement, using it instead of limestone. This demonstration dropped emissions of the new method to 20 kilograms CO2 per ton — a 98% reduction in emissions compared to the 800 kilograms CO2 per ton cement released during conventional processes.

The researchers note that the electrochemical reactions produced hydrogen, which could be burned to provide the thermal energy for the second step of cement production, thus replacing fossil fuels.]]> https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/...print.html

PRESS RELEASE: As the world works to alter the trajectory of climate change, most attention focuses on reducing humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Yet a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) is cement production, which accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions.

Now, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have manufactured cement that lowers input energy demand by 70% and reduces CO2 emissions by 98% compared with traditional production methods. Curtis Berlinguette: "This work defines an electrified path for cement production that could reduce the industry’s massive carbon footprint by as much as 98% when using waste cement as a feedstock.”

“Our team was motivated to address cement production emissions at the source,” says Curtis Berlinguette, the corresponding author of the study. “We used electricity and recycled cement to make precursors that formed a type of cement called belite at lower temperatures than were previously known. Belite-rich cement is important for massive structures like dams.”

Cement is an essential ingredient for making concrete a durable construction material, because when mixed with water, it strongly binds sand and gravel. And the starting material for cement is typically limestone. However, producing cement traditionally demands a great deal of energy as limestone (made of calcium carbonate, or CaCO3) and silica-containing minerals are heated in two stages to more than 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,450 degrees Celsius). These processes release significant amounts of CO2 as a by-product when limestone breaks down.

Taking a different approach, Berlinguette and a research team at the University of British Columbia used electricity to lower the energy requirements of the chemical conversion of limestone and silica into a cement precursor. The electrochemistry approach allowed the reaction to take place at 140 F (60 C). The product of this reaction was then converted into belite in a kiln at 1,200 F (650 C). The lower temperatures of this new method reduced the thermal energy required by 70% as well as cut CO2 emissions compared to the traditional processes.

To further reduce emissions, the team tested the electrochemistry process on recycled waste cement, using it instead of limestone. This demonstration dropped emissions of the new method to 20 kilograms CO2 per ton — a 98% reduction in emissions compared to the 800 kilograms CO2 per ton cement released during conventional processes.

The researchers note that the electrochemical reactions produced hydrogen, which could be burned to provide the thermal energy for the second step of cement production, thus replacing fossil fuels.]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20330.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:53:46 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20330.html https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/9...chresult=1

INTRO: A quantum material’s bizarre properties have been explained for the first time, opening the door to next-generation technologies.

Uranium ditelluride (UTe2) is a superconductor – a material which, at low enough temperatures, allows electric current to flow without any resistance. It is also part of a special class of “unconventional superconductors” which display superconductivity not explained by the quantum Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory which is normally used to describe the physics of superconductors.

For example, the theory explains that superconductors lose their zero-resistance state in the presence of magnetic fields. Even among unconventional superconductors, UTe2 is unique. It is the only superconductor known to have a special superconducting state which reappears at extremely high magnetic fields.

UTe2 loses its superconductivity at magnetic fields of about 10 Telsa. It re-enters a superconducting state at fields between 40 and 70T. For comparison, 1T is strong enough to lift a car. Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) sought to understand what is happening when UTe2 is exhibiting this “re-entrant superconductivity” phenomenon.

Their findings are published in Nature Communications. UTe2 was discovered in 2019. Its properties have had materials scientists scratching their heads ever since... (MORE -details)]]> https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/9...chresult=1

INTRO: A quantum material’s bizarre properties have been explained for the first time, opening the door to next-generation technologies.

Uranium ditelluride (UTe2) is a superconductor – a material which, at low enough temperatures, allows electric current to flow without any resistance. It is also part of a special class of “unconventional superconductors” which display superconductivity not explained by the quantum Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory which is normally used to describe the physics of superconductors.

For example, the theory explains that superconductors lose their zero-resistance state in the presence of magnetic fields. Even among unconventional superconductors, UTe2 is unique. It is the only superconductor known to have a special superconducting state which reappears at extremely high magnetic fields.

UTe2 loses its superconductivity at magnetic fields of about 10 Telsa. It re-enters a superconducting state at fields between 40 and 70T. For comparison, 1T is strong enough to lift a car. Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) sought to understand what is happening when UTe2 is exhibiting this “re-entrant superconductivity” phenomenon.

Their findings are published in Nature Communications. UTe2 was discovered in 2019. Its properties have had materials scientists scratching their heads ever since... (MORE -details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20270.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:42:50 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20270.html https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/...ar-travel/

KEY POINTS: With the successful Artemis II mission now complete, humanity has traveled farther from Earth than ever before: to beyond the far side of the Moon at its most distant, by thousands of kilometers. But if our goal is to eventually extend our reach not just to the other worlds of our Solar System, but to exoplanets around other stars, we’ll need a different, more efficient method of propulsion than chemical-based rockets can supply. The most efficient form of energy generation, theoretically, is to reach 100%, and only one fuel is capable of doing that: matter-antimatter annihilation. Here’s why that’s the ultimate dream, and how we might conceivably get there.

EXCERPT: Three main challenges arise in the endeavor to use antimatter as rocket fuel, all of which must be overcome if we actually want to have humans embark on an interstellar journey.

The creation of antimatter. We know how to do this one in laboratory settings, and although it does require much more energy to make the antimatter than we eventually release from its annihilation, that’s not really a problem. What is a problem is that we would have to make antimatter in large amounts. If you add up all the antimatter ever made in all the labs in the history of Earth, you end up with just about a microgram’s worth of antimatter. We’d need many millions of times more to power an interstellar journey.

The storage of antimatter. The very thing that makes antimatter such a fantastic fuel source — its propensity for annihilating with any normal matter that it contacts — makes it a liability for use as a fuel source. Somehow, we have to store this antimatter in a safe, stable way, and then transport it into a place where it undergoes a controlled annihilation with an equal-and-opposite amount of normal matter.

The usability of energy derived from matter-antimatter annihilation. Assuming we can overcome these first two problems, we then have to turn that energy of annihilation into useful thrust: ideally by shunting the post-annihilation particles in the opposite direction we want the spacecraft to accelerate.

Let’s look at these problems a little more in depth, one at a time... (MORE - details)]]> https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/...ar-travel/

KEY POINTS: With the successful Artemis II mission now complete, humanity has traveled farther from Earth than ever before: to beyond the far side of the Moon at its most distant, by thousands of kilometers. But if our goal is to eventually extend our reach not just to the other worlds of our Solar System, but to exoplanets around other stars, we’ll need a different, more efficient method of propulsion than chemical-based rockets can supply. The most efficient form of energy generation, theoretically, is to reach 100%, and only one fuel is capable of doing that: matter-antimatter annihilation. Here’s why that’s the ultimate dream, and how we might conceivably get there.

EXCERPT: Three main challenges arise in the endeavor to use antimatter as rocket fuel, all of which must be overcome if we actually want to have humans embark on an interstellar journey.

The creation of antimatter. We know how to do this one in laboratory settings, and although it does require much more energy to make the antimatter than we eventually release from its annihilation, that’s not really a problem. What is a problem is that we would have to make antimatter in large amounts. If you add up all the antimatter ever made in all the labs in the history of Earth, you end up with just about a microgram’s worth of antimatter. We’d need many millions of times more to power an interstellar journey.

The storage of antimatter. The very thing that makes antimatter such a fantastic fuel source — its propensity for annihilating with any normal matter that it contacts — makes it a liability for use as a fuel source. Somehow, we have to store this antimatter in a safe, stable way, and then transport it into a place where it undergoes a controlled annihilation with an equal-and-opposite amount of normal matter.

The usability of energy derived from matter-antimatter annihilation. Assuming we can overcome these first two problems, we then have to turn that energy of annihilation into useful thrust: ideally by shunting the post-annihilation particles in the opposite direction we want the spacecraft to accelerate.

Let’s look at these problems a little more in depth, one at a time... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20211.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:31:25 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20211.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7ejC4ACB78]]>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7ejC4ACB78]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20110.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:37:57 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20110.html https://bigthink.com/science-tech/the-fi...-be-alive/

EXCERPTS: Off-world construction runs into one overwhelming constraint: the upmass problem.

[...] Though reusable rockets are driving down the cost of sending cargo into space, it is still incredibly high. With every extra kilogram of payload adding to mission costs, astronauts are severely limited in what they can bring. “The whole idea of bricks and cinder blocks isn’t going to fly,” says Jim Head, a planetary geologist at Brown University who played an integral role in NASA’s Apollo program.

Mushroom-forming fungi are master decomposers, capable of breaking down woody fibers that few other organisms can touch — they can then turn that tough, dead material into nutrients that fuel their growth. Mycelium also turns out to be a remarkably useful, sustainable material: As it spreads, it naturally binds together whatever it grows through, forming a tough, lightweight biological scaffold. In recent years, startups like Ecovative and MycoWorks have concocted fungi-based replacements for wood, packing material, and even leather.

Some fungi even show remarkable resistance to radiation. In 1997 and 1998, scientists exploring the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovered black, blue, and brown fungal molds growing on the inner walls and ceilings of contaminated buildings, seemingly indifferent to the gamma radiation in the area. In the contaminated soil just outside, they found fungal filaments growing toward radioactive particles, similar to the way a plant’s leaves will reach toward sunlight.

A few scientists suggested that these dark fungi might actually harness radiation as an energy source — a still-controversial claim — but one thing is clear: They can tolerate intense radiation. The melanin pigments that they produce — distantly related to the melanin that colors human skin — can absorb and mitigate not only UV radiation, but also far more potent gamma rays.

Taken together, these traits make fungi more than a scientific curiosity. For a small group of researchers at NASA, they’ve begun to look like a lifeline for survival beyond Earth.

[...] The goal of the Mycotecture Off Planet project is to develop a lightweight fabric structure with an interior divided into compartments, seeded with dehydrated fungal spores and starter nutrients. The structure could then be folded like origami, packed into a rocket, and flown to the Moon or Mars. Once unfolded, water — potentially mixed with local dirt — would be flushed through the compartments. As the fungi grow, they would expand to fill the compartments, inflating the building into a squarish dome in which humans could work and sleep.

[...] Rothschild has already moved on to growing her fungi with synthetic dirts that mimic lunar and Martian mineral compositions. Maikel Rheinstädter, an astrobiologist at McMaster University in Canada, is testing how well these fungi tolerate the high radiation levels and extreme temperature swings they would experience during the lunar day-night cycle. The fungi blocks and sheets that they’ve produced are already good thermal insulators — critical for a human habitat on the Moon or Mars.

Given the remarkable radiation tolerance displayed by the molds discovered at Chernobyl, fungi might also provide radiation shielding — Maurer imagines growing thin layers of them inside the inflated buildings to shield the astronauts living within. Another team, led by Radames Cordero and Arturo Casadevall, biologists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is developing composite materials made with fungal melanin and mycelia, which they have tested as radiation shields on the International Space Station.

[...] The work is still early, and significant engineering hurdles remain, but the promise is clear: Fungi thrive in harsh environments, tolerate extremes that would destroy most organisms, and can continually grow and repair themselves over time. If that resilience can be harnessed for off-world construction, it could reduce the need to haul massive quantities of building material across space — bringing the dream of long-term habitats on the Moon or Mars closer to reality... (MORE - missing details)]]> https://bigthink.com/science-tech/the-fi...-be-alive/

EXCERPTS: Off-world construction runs into one overwhelming constraint: the upmass problem.

[...] Though reusable rockets are driving down the cost of sending cargo into space, it is still incredibly high. With every extra kilogram of payload adding to mission costs, astronauts are severely limited in what they can bring. “The whole idea of bricks and cinder blocks isn’t going to fly,” says Jim Head, a planetary geologist at Brown University who played an integral role in NASA’s Apollo program.

Mushroom-forming fungi are master decomposers, capable of breaking down woody fibers that few other organisms can touch — they can then turn that tough, dead material into nutrients that fuel their growth. Mycelium also turns out to be a remarkably useful, sustainable material: As it spreads, it naturally binds together whatever it grows through, forming a tough, lightweight biological scaffold. In recent years, startups like Ecovative and MycoWorks have concocted fungi-based replacements for wood, packing material, and even leather.

Some fungi even show remarkable resistance to radiation. In 1997 and 1998, scientists exploring the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovered black, blue, and brown fungal molds growing on the inner walls and ceilings of contaminated buildings, seemingly indifferent to the gamma radiation in the area. In the contaminated soil just outside, they found fungal filaments growing toward radioactive particles, similar to the way a plant’s leaves will reach toward sunlight.

A few scientists suggested that these dark fungi might actually harness radiation as an energy source — a still-controversial claim — but one thing is clear: They can tolerate intense radiation. The melanin pigments that they produce — distantly related to the melanin that colors human skin — can absorb and mitigate not only UV radiation, but also far more potent gamma rays.

Taken together, these traits make fungi more than a scientific curiosity. For a small group of researchers at NASA, they’ve begun to look like a lifeline for survival beyond Earth.

[...] The goal of the Mycotecture Off Planet project is to develop a lightweight fabric structure with an interior divided into compartments, seeded with dehydrated fungal spores and starter nutrients. The structure could then be folded like origami, packed into a rocket, and flown to the Moon or Mars. Once unfolded, water — potentially mixed with local dirt — would be flushed through the compartments. As the fungi grow, they would expand to fill the compartments, inflating the building into a squarish dome in which humans could work and sleep.

[...] Rothschild has already moved on to growing her fungi with synthetic dirts that mimic lunar and Martian mineral compositions. Maikel Rheinstädter, an astrobiologist at McMaster University in Canada, is testing how well these fungi tolerate the high radiation levels and extreme temperature swings they would experience during the lunar day-night cycle. The fungi blocks and sheets that they’ve produced are already good thermal insulators — critical for a human habitat on the Moon or Mars.

Given the remarkable radiation tolerance displayed by the molds discovered at Chernobyl, fungi might also provide radiation shielding — Maurer imagines growing thin layers of them inside the inflated buildings to shield the astronauts living within. Another team, led by Radames Cordero and Arturo Casadevall, biologists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is developing composite materials made with fungal melanin and mycelia, which they have tested as radiation shields on the International Space Station.

[...] The work is still early, and significant engineering hurdles remain, but the promise is clear: Fungi thrive in harsh environments, tolerate extremes that would destroy most organisms, and can continually grow and repair themselves over time. If that resilience can be harnessed for off-world construction, it could reduce the need to haul massive quantities of building material across space — bringing the dream of long-term habitats on the Moon or Mars closer to reality... (MORE - missing details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20086.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:46:51 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20086.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121888

INTRO: Placing fruit and vegetable sections near supermarket entrances increases the amount purchased and may improve the quality of women’s diets, according to a new study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Published in the journal PLOS Medicine, the results of the study showed that the placement of such produce near store entrances led to approximately 2,525 extra portions of fruit and vegetables being purchased per store, per week. This contrasted with substantial declines in population-level fruit and vegetable purchasing and intake over the study period, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

The researchers say that Government regulations to curb the promotion of unhealthy foods should consider requiring the placement of a fruit and vegetable section at store entrances – as well as limiting the placement of unhealthy foods in locations such as checkouts, aisle-ends and store entrances to maximise their health benefit... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121888

INTRO: Placing fruit and vegetable sections near supermarket entrances increases the amount purchased and may improve the quality of women’s diets, according to a new study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Published in the journal PLOS Medicine, the results of the study showed that the placement of such produce near store entrances led to approximately 2,525 extra portions of fruit and vegetables being purchased per store, per week. This contrasted with substantial declines in population-level fruit and vegetable purchasing and intake over the study period, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

The researchers say that Government regulations to curb the promotion of unhealthy foods should consider requiring the placement of a fruit and vegetable section at store entrances – as well as limiting the placement of unhealthy foods in locations such as checkouts, aisle-ends and store entrances to maximise their health benefit... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20047.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:34:45 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20047.html Low-income students and girls are steered away from “risky” creative careers at school
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120569

INTRO: Schools, families and social pressures are channelling young people – especially girls and poorer students – away from studying creative subjects because they are considered low-status or financially “risky”, a report says.

The University of Cambridge study argues that the underrepresentation of women and people from lower-income backgrounds in the creative industries reflects a “narrowing pathway” that begins at school, and steers students away from subjects like art, music and drama as their education progresses.

The study, funded by the social and economic well-being charity, the Nuffield Foundation, used the educational records of 1.7 million students in England, longitudinal data about 7,200 young people’s progress into work, and interviews and surveys with people studying and working in creative fields.

Although almost half of 14-year-olds said they enjoyed creative subjects, just one in 25 was working in a creative occupation by their early 30s. In between, the study found that participation drops at every stage: at GCSE, post-16 and in higher education. The fall-off is especially steep among poorer students and girls, with girls from lower-income backgrounds facing a “double disadvantage”.

The report is particularly critical of underlying educational “hierarchies” – the low status of both creative subjects, and of creative qualifications from further education (FE) colleges.

Professor Sonia Ilie, from Cambridge’s Faculty of Education, said: “If you have a university degree in a creative subject, you are much more likely to end up in a creative career. Young people from low-income families, however, and especially girls, are less likely to reach the point where studying for a creative degree is even an option.”

“That reflects wider societal structures, inequalities, cultural messaging and pressure on schools to deliver academic results. We need a more thoughtful conversation about the value of creative subjects – and frankly about the snobbery that still surrounds certain qualifications.”

While class inequalities in the creative sector have been raised in previous reports, the Cambridge study explored the problem’s underlying educational dynamics. The researchers mapped young people’s trajectories into and out of creative subjects such as art, dance, design, drama, media studies, music and photography; among others... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> Low-income students and girls are steered away from “risky” creative careers at school
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120569

INTRO: Schools, families and social pressures are channelling young people – especially girls and poorer students – away from studying creative subjects because they are considered low-status or financially “risky”, a report says.

The University of Cambridge study argues that the underrepresentation of women and people from lower-income backgrounds in the creative industries reflects a “narrowing pathway” that begins at school, and steers students away from subjects like art, music and drama as their education progresses.

The study, funded by the social and economic well-being charity, the Nuffield Foundation, used the educational records of 1.7 million students in England, longitudinal data about 7,200 young people’s progress into work, and interviews and surveys with people studying and working in creative fields.

Although almost half of 14-year-olds said they enjoyed creative subjects, just one in 25 was working in a creative occupation by their early 30s. In between, the study found that participation drops at every stage: at GCSE, post-16 and in higher education. The fall-off is especially steep among poorer students and girls, with girls from lower-income backgrounds facing a “double disadvantage”.

The report is particularly critical of underlying educational “hierarchies” – the low status of both creative subjects, and of creative qualifications from further education (FE) colleges.

Professor Sonia Ilie, from Cambridge’s Faculty of Education, said: “If you have a university degree in a creative subject, you are much more likely to end up in a creative career. Young people from low-income families, however, and especially girls, are less likely to reach the point where studying for a creative degree is even an option.”

“That reflects wider societal structures, inequalities, cultural messaging and pressure on schools to deliver academic results. We need a more thoughtful conversation about the value of creative subjects – and frankly about the snobbery that still surrounds certain qualifications.”

While class inequalities in the creative sector have been raised in previous reports, the Cambridge study explored the problem’s underlying educational dynamics. The researchers mapped young people’s trajectories into and out of creative subjects such as art, dance, design, drama, media studies, music and photography; among others... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19999.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:35:53 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19999.html https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/universe-flat/

KEY POINTS: The shape of the Universe didn’t have to be flat; it could have been positively curved like a higher-dimensional sphere or negatively curved like a higher-dimensional horse’s saddle. The reason space can be curved is that its shape is not absolute, but rather determined by a mix of factors like its mass and energy distribution, as well as its expansion rate. Nevertheless, when we measure it, we find that our Universe really is flat. Here’s what we can learn from that, and why, from a cosmic perspective, it matters so much.

EXCERPTS: Right now, we’ve only measured the curvature to a level of 1-part-in-400, and find that it’s indistinguishable from flat. But if we could get down to these ultra-sensitive precisions, we would have the opportunity to confirm or refute the predictions of the leading theory of our cosmic origins as never before. We cannot know what its true shape is, but we can both measure and predict its curvature.

[...] Although the Universe appears indistinguishable from flat today, it may yet turn out to have a tiny but meaningful amount of non-zero curvature. A generation or two from now, depending on our scientific progress, we might finally know by exactly how much our Universe isn’t perfectly flat, after all, and that might tell us more about our cosmic origins, and what flavor of inflation actually occurred, than anything else ever has... (MORE - missing details)]]> https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/universe-flat/

KEY POINTS: The shape of the Universe didn’t have to be flat; it could have been positively curved like a higher-dimensional sphere or negatively curved like a higher-dimensional horse’s saddle. The reason space can be curved is that its shape is not absolute, but rather determined by a mix of factors like its mass and energy distribution, as well as its expansion rate. Nevertheless, when we measure it, we find that our Universe really is flat. Here’s what we can learn from that, and why, from a cosmic perspective, it matters so much.

EXCERPTS: Right now, we’ve only measured the curvature to a level of 1-part-in-400, and find that it’s indistinguishable from flat. But if we could get down to these ultra-sensitive precisions, we would have the opportunity to confirm or refute the predictions of the leading theory of our cosmic origins as never before. We cannot know what its true shape is, but we can both measure and predict its curvature.

[...] Although the Universe appears indistinguishable from flat today, it may yet turn out to have a tiny but meaningful amount of non-zero curvature. A generation or two from now, depending on our scientific progress, we might finally know by exactly how much our Universe isn’t perfectly flat, after all, and that might tell us more about our cosmic origins, and what flavor of inflation actually occurred, than anything else ever has... (MORE - missing details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19921.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:38:31 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19921.html Daylight saving time
- - - - - - - - - -

The surprising science behind why daylight saving time is good for wildlife
https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...-wildlife/

EXCERPTS: In the U.S. alone, drivers may collide with deer as frequently as more than a million times a year, based on estimates compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, and other large animals—usually moose, elk and other ungulates—are often hit as well. These crashes frequently kill the animals and lead to hundreds of human deaths.

[...] Human-animal crashes typically occur on Fridays because people are leaving town for the weekend; under full moons because deer are more likely to be on the move; during the fall deer mating season in North America; and at dusk. “The animals get active right after dusk and start moving around, including crossing roads or browsing and grazing along roads, and that’s when they they’re hit by vehicles,” Langen says.

Setting the clocks back in the fall—pushing peak evening commuting hours closer to dusk or after the sun goes down—also drives up the odds of cars hitting animals. In a 2021 analysis of more than 35,000 deer-vehicle collisions in New York State, Langen and a co-author concluded that falling back to standard time from DST contributed to “far higher” accident rates, with the greatest increases on work days.

[...] Setting the clocks forward in the spring means darker morning commutes but not much added risk for deer and other ungulates. That’s partially because deer tend to be less active in the spring, Langen says. But it’s also because evening commutes will mostly occur before dusk.

In other words, from a human perspective, daylight saving is a hit or miss, depending on who you ask. (And polling indicates that opinions on it are mixed.) But for animals like deer, a switch to permanent daylight saving time in North America would almost certainly reduce roadkill, Langen says.

And it’s not just deer and ungulates that are at risk—other mammals, including raccoons, skunks and foxes, are also active at dusk, Langen says. In Australia, research shows even koalas could see a benefit to a shift to permanent DST... (MORE - details)]]> Daylight saving time
- - - - - - - - - -

The surprising science behind why daylight saving time is good for wildlife
https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...-wildlife/

EXCERPTS: In the U.S. alone, drivers may collide with deer as frequently as more than a million times a year, based on estimates compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, and other large animals—usually moose, elk and other ungulates—are often hit as well. These crashes frequently kill the animals and lead to hundreds of human deaths.

[...] Human-animal crashes typically occur on Fridays because people are leaving town for the weekend; under full moons because deer are more likely to be on the move; during the fall deer mating season in North America; and at dusk. “The animals get active right after dusk and start moving around, including crossing roads or browsing and grazing along roads, and that’s when they they’re hit by vehicles,” Langen says.

Setting the clocks back in the fall—pushing peak evening commuting hours closer to dusk or after the sun goes down—also drives up the odds of cars hitting animals. In a 2021 analysis of more than 35,000 deer-vehicle collisions in New York State, Langen and a co-author concluded that falling back to standard time from DST contributed to “far higher” accident rates, with the greatest increases on work days.

[...] Setting the clocks forward in the spring means darker morning commutes but not much added risk for deer and other ungulates. That’s partially because deer tend to be less active in the spring, Langen says. But it’s also because evening commutes will mostly occur before dusk.

In other words, from a human perspective, daylight saving is a hit or miss, depending on who you ask. (And polling indicates that opinions on it are mixed.) But for animals like deer, a switch to permanent daylight saving time in North America would almost certainly reduce roadkill, Langen says.

And it’s not just deer and ungulates that are at risk—other mammals, including raccoons, skunks and foxes, are also active at dusk, Langen says. In Australia, research shows even koalas could see a benefit to a shift to permanent DST... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19897.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:44:09 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19897.html https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-...h-control/

INTRO: Economists have watched the American birth rate plummet and wondered exactly what caused it. We’ve heard back about childcare costs, shifting cultural norms, lack of suitable partners, and even student debt. To be fair, the problem of birth rates well below the 2.1 children per woman replacement level is shared by virtually all developed nations.

Now, a new study cuts through the noise. It turns out that soaring home prices, and specifically the premium on extra bedrooms, act as the ultimate birth control.

Benjamin K. Couillard, a doctoral candidate in economics at the University of Toronto, built a sophisticated new framework to understand this crisis. He found that between 1990 and 2020, average rents in the United States shot up by 149 percent. During that exact same window, the total fertility rate dropped from a sustainable 2.08 births per woman down to a record low of 1.599 last year. Had housing costs remained stable since 1990, 13 million more children would have been born between 1990 and 2020.

But his paper also reveals that the housing market’s failure to provide three-bedroom units is a massive driver of our demographic decline. Analysis of public data suggests that adequate stocks of three-bedroom or larger units would increase births 2.3 times more than spending the equivalent amount on a larger quantity of small units.

You might wonder why it took so long for researchers to show that expensive housing stops people from having babies. It sounds like common sense.

But measuring this link accurately is notoriously tricky. People who want large families tend to move away from expensive urban centers to find cheaper housing. This geographic shuffle, known as “sorting bias,” often masks the true impact of housing costs on local fertility data.

Many cities currently push for high-density development, churning out studio apartments and one-bedroom units. This approach helps ease overall rent prices, but Couillard’s model exposes a critical flaw: it does not actually solve the fertility crisis.

If you want people to start families, you have to build homes designed for families... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-...h-control/

INTRO: Economists have watched the American birth rate plummet and wondered exactly what caused it. We’ve heard back about childcare costs, shifting cultural norms, lack of suitable partners, and even student debt. To be fair, the problem of birth rates well below the 2.1 children per woman replacement level is shared by virtually all developed nations.

Now, a new study cuts through the noise. It turns out that soaring home prices, and specifically the premium on extra bedrooms, act as the ultimate birth control.

Benjamin K. Couillard, a doctoral candidate in economics at the University of Toronto, built a sophisticated new framework to understand this crisis. He found that between 1990 and 2020, average rents in the United States shot up by 149 percent. During that exact same window, the total fertility rate dropped from a sustainable 2.08 births per woman down to a record low of 1.599 last year. Had housing costs remained stable since 1990, 13 million more children would have been born between 1990 and 2020.

But his paper also reveals that the housing market’s failure to provide three-bedroom units is a massive driver of our demographic decline. Analysis of public data suggests that adequate stocks of three-bedroom or larger units would increase births 2.3 times more than spending the equivalent amount on a larger quantity of small units.

You might wonder why it took so long for researchers to show that expensive housing stops people from having babies. It sounds like common sense.

But measuring this link accurately is notoriously tricky. People who want large families tend to move away from expensive urban centers to find cheaper housing. This geographic shuffle, known as “sorting bias,” often masks the true impact of housing costs on local fertility data.

Many cities currently push for high-density development, churning out studio apartments and one-bedroom units. This approach helps ease overall rent prices, but Couillard’s model exposes a critical flaw: it does not actually solve the fertility crisis.

If you want people to start families, you have to build homes designed for families... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19817.html Wed, 18 Feb 2026 23:18:52 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19817.html Fiber batteries promise ‘smart clothing’ but two obstacles stand in the way
https://news.ncsu.edu/2026/02/fiber-batt...n-the-way/

PRESS RELEASE: Fiber batteries are an emerging technology which could one day be used to create smart clothing with a wide array of functions, from charging electronic devices to acting as wearable controllers. However, a new study finds scientists have two major obstacles to overcome before the technology is ready for practical use.

First and foremost is encapsulation, which refers to the materials in which the battery components are housed.

Oxygen and moisture exposure accelerate lithium-ion batteries’ degradation and lower their effectiveness, so the outer casings of the batteries must be able to keep those elements out. With fiber lithium-ion batteries specifically, the materials must also be flexible enough to act like yarns that can be woven into clothing. To assess the viability of different encapsulation methods, researchers measured four characteristics: water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), cyclic capacity retention, internal resistance and calendar life. WVTR measures the amount of water vapor which can permeate a surface, and cyclic capacity retention refers to a battery’s ability to continue storing energy over the course of multiple charge and discharge cycles.

Researchers evaluated five strategies, ranging from early methods like sheathing batteries in polymeric tubes to promising new technology like liquid metal encapsulation. Each method showed strengths but also lacked in one or more critical areas. Even the liquid metal, which was both highly water resistant and flexible, was found to be so complicated and costly that it is still not yet a viable option.

Mengli Wei, graduate student in the Wilson College of Textiles and lead author of the study, said that solving this problem was the most pressing issue facing fiber battery researchers. She said that doing so might be done with experts from another field – the packaging industry.

“This is a large industry just focused on packaging, and they have unique techniques to block both oxygen and water,” Wei said. “If we can tap into their expertise, it could help us make significant progress on this technology.”

The second problem researchers looked at was mathematical modeling, which scientists use to predict the output of yarn batteries based on an array of different parameters. Specifically, models could help researchers better predict the relationship between battery chemistry and the maximum effective length of yarn batteries.

Previous studies have found that as yarn length increases, so does the output of the battery, but those gains in efficiency and output eventually fall off. Wei Gao, an associate professor in the Wilson College of Textiles and corresponding author of the study, said that existing models struggle to accurately predict these outcomes even when the underlying mechanics of the batteries are understood.

“The length effect is determined by the inherent physics of the fiber battery configuration, which we learned from experimental data,” Gao said. “The problem is that the models are not accurate enough to predict the effects of different device variables. If the model is accurate, we can plug in different device parameters, and it can predict the optimal battery length. That way we would be able to provide better guidance when making fiber batteries for practical applications, such as their incorporation in textile fabrics and garments.”

Assistance from electrochemical experts could be valuable in refining these models, Gao said. The paper, “Toward Real-Life Applications of Fiber Lithium-Ion Batteries,” is published in Small. Co-authors include Nanfei He, Seongjin Kim and Andrea Lee of NC State University.]]> Fiber batteries promise ‘smart clothing’ but two obstacles stand in the way
https://news.ncsu.edu/2026/02/fiber-batt...n-the-way/

PRESS RELEASE: Fiber batteries are an emerging technology which could one day be used to create smart clothing with a wide array of functions, from charging electronic devices to acting as wearable controllers. However, a new study finds scientists have two major obstacles to overcome before the technology is ready for practical use.

First and foremost is encapsulation, which refers to the materials in which the battery components are housed.

Oxygen and moisture exposure accelerate lithium-ion batteries’ degradation and lower their effectiveness, so the outer casings of the batteries must be able to keep those elements out. With fiber lithium-ion batteries specifically, the materials must also be flexible enough to act like yarns that can be woven into clothing. To assess the viability of different encapsulation methods, researchers measured four characteristics: water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), cyclic capacity retention, internal resistance and calendar life. WVTR measures the amount of water vapor which can permeate a surface, and cyclic capacity retention refers to a battery’s ability to continue storing energy over the course of multiple charge and discharge cycles.

Researchers evaluated five strategies, ranging from early methods like sheathing batteries in polymeric tubes to promising new technology like liquid metal encapsulation. Each method showed strengths but also lacked in one or more critical areas. Even the liquid metal, which was both highly water resistant and flexible, was found to be so complicated and costly that it is still not yet a viable option.

Mengli Wei, graduate student in the Wilson College of Textiles and lead author of the study, said that solving this problem was the most pressing issue facing fiber battery researchers. She said that doing so might be done with experts from another field – the packaging industry.

“This is a large industry just focused on packaging, and they have unique techniques to block both oxygen and water,” Wei said. “If we can tap into their expertise, it could help us make significant progress on this technology.”

The second problem researchers looked at was mathematical modeling, which scientists use to predict the output of yarn batteries based on an array of different parameters. Specifically, models could help researchers better predict the relationship between battery chemistry and the maximum effective length of yarn batteries.

Previous studies have found that as yarn length increases, so does the output of the battery, but those gains in efficiency and output eventually fall off. Wei Gao, an associate professor in the Wilson College of Textiles and corresponding author of the study, said that existing models struggle to accurately predict these outcomes even when the underlying mechanics of the batteries are understood.

“The length effect is determined by the inherent physics of the fiber battery configuration, which we learned from experimental data,” Gao said. “The problem is that the models are not accurate enough to predict the effects of different device variables. If the model is accurate, we can plug in different device parameters, and it can predict the optimal battery length. That way we would be able to provide better guidance when making fiber batteries for practical applications, such as their incorporation in textile fabrics and garments.”

Assistance from electrochemical experts could be valuable in refining these models, Gao said. The paper, “Toward Real-Life Applications of Fiber Lithium-Ion Batteries,” is published in Small. Co-authors include Nanfei He, Seongjin Kim and Andrea Lee of NC State University.]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19811.html Wed, 18 Feb 2026 01:00:23 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19811.html When businesses can’t silence reviews, consumers tell the truth, new study finds
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1116798

INTRO: For years, consumers have quietly edited themselves online. A harsh review softened. A detail left out. A complaint never posted at all. New research shows that when the legal threat behind that silence disappears, the internet gets more honest, and more useful, almost immediately.

A new study published in Information Systems Research, a leading peer-reviewed journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), finds that a federal consumer protection law fundamentally changed how Americans review businesses online. After the Consumer Review Fairness Act took effect, online reviews became more negative, more detailed and more informative, suggesting that previously suppressed criticism finally surfaced.

The law, passed in 2016, prohibits businesses from using legal threats or contract clauses to silence customer reviews. Until now, there has been little empirical evidence showing whether it actually worked. This study answers that question with data at massive scale.

Analyzing more than 2 million hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, researchers compared U.S. hotels with hotels in countries not affected by the law. The results were striking. After the law took effect, reviews of U.S. hotels dropped in star ratings, became more negative in tone and grew longer. In short, consumers said more, and said it more plainly.

“That pattern is exactly what you would expect if people had been holding back before,” researcher Aida Sanatizadeh found, adding “when legal pressure lifts, authenticity rises.”

The effects were not evenly distributed. The biggest shifts appeared among hotels with weaker reputations and hotels facing intense competition, suggesting those businesses had the most to gain from discouraging bad reviews before the law. American reviewers and long-tenured users were also far more likely to change their behavior, underscoring how legal jurisdiction and experience shape who feels safe speaking up... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> When businesses can’t silence reviews, consumers tell the truth, new study finds
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1116798

INTRO: For years, consumers have quietly edited themselves online. A harsh review softened. A detail left out. A complaint never posted at all. New research shows that when the legal threat behind that silence disappears, the internet gets more honest, and more useful, almost immediately.

A new study published in Information Systems Research, a leading peer-reviewed journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), finds that a federal consumer protection law fundamentally changed how Americans review businesses online. After the Consumer Review Fairness Act took effect, online reviews became more negative, more detailed and more informative, suggesting that previously suppressed criticism finally surfaced.

The law, passed in 2016, prohibits businesses from using legal threats or contract clauses to silence customer reviews. Until now, there has been little empirical evidence showing whether it actually worked. This study answers that question with data at massive scale.

Analyzing more than 2 million hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, researchers compared U.S. hotels with hotels in countries not affected by the law. The results were striking. After the law took effect, reviews of U.S. hotels dropped in star ratings, became more negative in tone and grew longer. In short, consumers said more, and said it more plainly.

“That pattern is exactly what you would expect if people had been holding back before,” researcher Aida Sanatizadeh found, adding “when legal pressure lifts, authenticity rises.”

The effects were not evenly distributed. The biggest shifts appeared among hotels with weaker reputations and hotels facing intense competition, suggesting those businesses had the most to gain from discouraging bad reviews before the law. American reviewers and long-tenured users were also far more likely to change their behavior, underscoring how legal jurisdiction and experience shape who feels safe speaking up... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19716.html Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:15:43 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19716.html https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2026/01...and-roads/

INTRO: Concrete is the world’s most widely used building material – second only to water. Globally, more than four billion tonnes of cement are produced every year. Concrete consumption is so enormous that it accounts for around eight per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions.

Sand is an essential component of concrete, and not just any sand: it must be of the right size and shape. Therefore, rock is crushed into gravel and sand, and river sand is excavated on a large scale. This results in major environmental impacts and an increasing scarcity of suitable sand.

Herein lies the paradox: While we empty rivers and crush mountains to obtain sand, there are enormous amounts of sand in the world’s deserts. However, it is too fine-grained to be used in traditional concrete. Can this “useless” sand become a resource?

Researchers have discussed for many years whether desert sand can be used in concrete. The challenge is that desert sand is so fine-grained that it is not suitable as a fastener in concrete. In other words, the concrete will not be hard enough to be used in construction projects,” says Ren Wei, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering at NTNU.

Ren Wei and several researchers at NTNU and the University of Tokyo have made a prototype of a new material: botanical sand concrete. It combines desert sand with plant-based additives and is made by pressing desert sand and tiny pieces of wood together, along with heat.

The researchers tried many different ways to create this material. They tested different temperatures, how hard they pressed, and different types of sand. They found that desert sand actually works well when used in this way. The new material became so strong that it can be used to make paving stones for pavements and walkways... (MORE - details)]]> https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2026/01...and-roads/

INTRO: Concrete is the world’s most widely used building material – second only to water. Globally, more than four billion tonnes of cement are produced every year. Concrete consumption is so enormous that it accounts for around eight per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions.

Sand is an essential component of concrete, and not just any sand: it must be of the right size and shape. Therefore, rock is crushed into gravel and sand, and river sand is excavated on a large scale. This results in major environmental impacts and an increasing scarcity of suitable sand.

Herein lies the paradox: While we empty rivers and crush mountains to obtain sand, there are enormous amounts of sand in the world’s deserts. However, it is too fine-grained to be used in traditional concrete. Can this “useless” sand become a resource?

Researchers have discussed for many years whether desert sand can be used in concrete. The challenge is that desert sand is so fine-grained that it is not suitable as a fastener in concrete. In other words, the concrete will not be hard enough to be used in construction projects,” says Ren Wei, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering at NTNU.

Ren Wei and several researchers at NTNU and the University of Tokyo have made a prototype of a new material: botanical sand concrete. It combines desert sand with plant-based additives and is made by pressing desert sand and tiny pieces of wood together, along with heat.

The researchers tried many different ways to create this material. They tested different temperatures, how hard they pressed, and different types of sand. They found that desert sand actually works well when used in this way. The new material became so strong that it can be used to make paving stones for pavements and walkways... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19705.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 04:21:32 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19705.html Germany has already tasted trying to leave the past too suddenly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As fossil fuel use declines, experts urge planning and coordination to prevent chaotic collapse
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1114671

INTRO: As the world shifts toward renewable energy sources, some experts warn that a lack of planning for the retirement of fossil fuels could lead to a disorderly and dangerous collapse of existing systems that could prolong the transition to green energy.

In a study published in the journal Science, University of Notre Dame researchers Emily Grubert and Joshua Lappen argue that fossil fuel systems might be far more fragile than current energy models assume.

“Systems designed to be large and growing behave differently when they shrink,” said Grubert, associate professor of sustainable energy policy at Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs and a faculty affiliate of the Keough School’s Pulte Institute for Global Development. “Ignoring this shift puts everything at risk, from the success of green energy to the basic safety and reliability of our power.”

The researchers introduced the concept of “minimum viable scale,” a threshold of production below which a fossil fuel system can no longer function safely or economically. They provided examples of vulnerabilities in three major sectors:

• Petroleum refineries: Most refineries are incapable of operating normally at low capacity and likely have “turndown limits,” or a minimum operational capacity, of roughly 65 to 70 percent. If gasoline demand drops sharply due to electric vehicle adoption, for example, a refinery might become incapable of providing other products such as jet fuel or asphalt.
  
• Natural gas pipelines: As customers switch to electric heating and cooling, those remaining on the gas grid will have to shoulder the fixed costs of maintaining miles of pipelines. This can create a “death spiral” where rising costs drive customers away.
  
• Coal generation: The authors highlighted a “managerial constraint” where the fate of coal mines and power plants is inextricably linked. A single plant closure can make a local mine unprofitable. Conversely, a mine closure can leave a power plant without its specific, geographically dependent fuel source, leading to a cascade of failures.

The researchers reported that the decline of fossil fuels is unlikely to follow the smooth, linear path often depicted in hypothetical decarbonization scenarios. Instead, they identified a series of physical, financial and managerial “cliffs” that could trigger localized energy crises, price shocks and safety threats long before fossil fuels are retired. Policymakers have focused intensely on the build-out of green energy while largely ignoring the managed decline of the current systems that still provide 80 percent of global energy — a critical oversight, they said.

“None of these systems were designed with their own obsolescence in mind,” said Lappen, a postdoctoral researcher at the Pulte Institute who studies how energy networks grow and shrink over time. “None of the engineers, founding executives, economists or accountants involved ever imagined a system that would gradually and safely hand off to another.”

The danger, according to the authors, is that these systems are “networks of networks.” If one piece fails — a pipeline, a specialized labor pool or a regulatory body — the entire regional energy support system could dissolve.

“If you are leaving decisions about things staying open or closing to individual operators who are not coordinated in any way, this can be incredibly dangerous,” Grubert said.

To avoid disruption of services, the researchers argued that the current U.S. approach of bailouts and bankruptcies is inefficient. They recommended four key solutions for policymakers and energy modelers... (MORE - details)]]> Germany has already tasted trying to leave the past too suddenly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As fossil fuel use declines, experts urge planning and coordination to prevent chaotic collapse
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1114671

INTRO: As the world shifts toward renewable energy sources, some experts warn that a lack of planning for the retirement of fossil fuels could lead to a disorderly and dangerous collapse of existing systems that could prolong the transition to green energy.

In a study published in the journal Science, University of Notre Dame researchers Emily Grubert and Joshua Lappen argue that fossil fuel systems might be far more fragile than current energy models assume.

“Systems designed to be large and growing behave differently when they shrink,” said Grubert, associate professor of sustainable energy policy at Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs and a faculty affiliate of the Keough School’s Pulte Institute for Global Development. “Ignoring this shift puts everything at risk, from the success of green energy to the basic safety and reliability of our power.”

The researchers introduced the concept of “minimum viable scale,” a threshold of production below which a fossil fuel system can no longer function safely or economically. They provided examples of vulnerabilities in three major sectors:

• Petroleum refineries: Most refineries are incapable of operating normally at low capacity and likely have “turndown limits,” or a minimum operational capacity, of roughly 65 to 70 percent. If gasoline demand drops sharply due to electric vehicle adoption, for example, a refinery might become incapable of providing other products such as jet fuel or asphalt.
  
• Natural gas pipelines: As customers switch to electric heating and cooling, those remaining on the gas grid will have to shoulder the fixed costs of maintaining miles of pipelines. This can create a “death spiral” where rising costs drive customers away.
  
• Coal generation: The authors highlighted a “managerial constraint” where the fate of coal mines and power plants is inextricably linked. A single plant closure can make a local mine unprofitable. Conversely, a mine closure can leave a power plant without its specific, geographically dependent fuel source, leading to a cascade of failures.

The researchers reported that the decline of fossil fuels is unlikely to follow the smooth, linear path often depicted in hypothetical decarbonization scenarios. Instead, they identified a series of physical, financial and managerial “cliffs” that could trigger localized energy crises, price shocks and safety threats long before fossil fuels are retired. Policymakers have focused intensely on the build-out of green energy while largely ignoring the managed decline of the current systems that still provide 80 percent of global energy — a critical oversight, they said.

“None of these systems were designed with their own obsolescence in mind,” said Lappen, a postdoctoral researcher at the Pulte Institute who studies how energy networks grow and shrink over time. “None of the engineers, founding executives, economists or accountants involved ever imagined a system that would gradually and safely hand off to another.”

The danger, according to the authors, is that these systems are “networks of networks.” If one piece fails — a pipeline, a specialized labor pool or a regulatory body — the entire regional energy support system could dissolve.

“If you are leaving decisions about things staying open or closing to individual operators who are not coordinated in any way, this can be incredibly dangerous,” Grubert said.

To avoid disruption of services, the researchers argued that the current U.S. approach of bailouts and bankruptcies is inefficient. They recommended four key solutions for policymakers and energy modelers... (MORE - details)]]>