https://www.scivillage.com/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:48:49 +0000 MyBB 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)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19662.html Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:42:21 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19662.html https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/7...chresult=1

INTRO: A hand stencil in an Indonesian cave was drawn at least 67,800 years ago, making it about 15,000 years older than the next oldest rock art in the world.

The new find was made on a small satellite island called Muna in southeastern Sulawesi and is detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature. The partially-preserved hand stencil is surrounded by other ancient rock art made tens of thousands of years later.

Archaeologists used uranium-series dating techniques on material deposits beneath and on top of the rock art in the Liang Metanduno caves. They determined the stencil is 67,800 years old or even older.

This makes the cave painting the oldest reliably dated rock art in the world. That title previously belonged to another cave painting found in Sulawesi publicly announced in 2024 as a “picture story” dating to at least 51,200 years ago. Both cave paintings were found by the same international team of archaeologists led by researchers from Australia and Indonesia.

The Muna cave was used for making art for a mind-bendingly long period of at least 35,000 years.

“It is now evident from our new phase of research that Sulawesi was home to one of the world’s richest and most longstanding artistic cultures, one with origins in the earliest history of human occupation of the island at least 67,800 years ago,” says study co-lead Maxime Aubert from Australia’s Griffith University... (MORE - details)]]> https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/7...chresult=1

INTRO: A hand stencil in an Indonesian cave was drawn at least 67,800 years ago, making it about 15,000 years older than the next oldest rock art in the world.

The new find was made on a small satellite island called Muna in southeastern Sulawesi and is detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature. The partially-preserved hand stencil is surrounded by other ancient rock art made tens of thousands of years later.

Archaeologists used uranium-series dating techniques on material deposits beneath and on top of the rock art in the Liang Metanduno caves. They determined the stencil is 67,800 years old or even older.

This makes the cave painting the oldest reliably dated rock art in the world. That title previously belonged to another cave painting found in Sulawesi publicly announced in 2024 as a “picture story” dating to at least 51,200 years ago. Both cave paintings were found by the same international team of archaeologists led by researchers from Australia and Indonesia.

The Muna cave was used for making art for a mind-bendingly long period of at least 35,000 years.

“It is now evident from our new phase of research that Sulawesi was home to one of the world’s richest and most longstanding artistic cultures, one with origins in the earliest history of human occupation of the island at least 67,800 years ago,” says study co-lead Maxime Aubert from Australia’s Griffith University... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19591.html Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:31:48 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19591.html https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/7...chresult=1

INTRO: Engineers have created a biodegradable radio frequency (RF) antenna that can be incorporated into pill capsules to report when medication has been swallowed.

Most components of the new technology break down in the stomach and absorbed by the body. A tiny RF chip, which is not biodegradable, passes out of the body through the digestive tract.

The system could help address a major challenge in health care by ensuring particularly high-risk patients are taking their medication as prescribed.

“We’ve developed systems that can stay in the body for a long time, and we know that those systems can improve adherence, but we also recognise that for certain medications, we can’t change the pill,” says Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US.

“The question becomes: What else can we do to help the person and help their health care providers ensure that they’re receiving the medication? The goal is to make sure that this helps people receive the therapy they need to help maximise their health.”

The antenna that sends out the RF signal is made from zinc and it is embedded into a cellulose particle. This is placed inside a capsule along with the medication... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/7...chresult=1

INTRO: Engineers have created a biodegradable radio frequency (RF) antenna that can be incorporated into pill capsules to report when medication has been swallowed.

Most components of the new technology break down in the stomach and absorbed by the body. A tiny RF chip, which is not biodegradable, passes out of the body through the digestive tract.

The system could help address a major challenge in health care by ensuring particularly high-risk patients are taking their medication as prescribed.

“We’ve developed systems that can stay in the body for a long time, and we know that those systems can improve adherence, but we also recognise that for certain medications, we can’t change the pill,” says Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US.

“The question becomes: What else can we do to help the person and help their health care providers ensure that they’re receiving the medication? The goal is to make sure that this helps people receive the therapy they need to help maximise their health.”

The antenna that sends out the RF signal is made from zinc and it is embedded into a cellulose particle. This is placed inside a capsule along with the medication... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19527.html Sat, 03 Jan 2026 17:32:22 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19527.html https://interestingengineering.com/innov...uter-china

INTRO: The world’s earliest computer was not built in the 19th century by Charles Babbage but over two millennia ago during the Western Han dynasty, according to the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). The device called ti hua ji is a figured loom for weaving silk in set patterns, and was only discovered by chance a little over a decade ago.

By definition, a computer is any device that can receive instructions, execute a program, and provide results. This could be for complex mathematical calculations or for automatically carrying out certain tasks.

While the definition of a program is presumed to be ‘software’ these days, it can also be in the form of pattern cards - something early coders also turned to in the early days of the modern computer.

As China’s largest official scientific body, CAST’s claim to the world’s earliest computer is a big deal. It comes at a time when the Asian nation is competing for the top spot in a range of technological developments, from telecommunications to artificial intelligence, supercomputing to aerospace.

What is ti hua ji? Ti hua ji is a sophisticated machine to weave silk into fixed patterns. Built in 150 BC, the machine long preceded the looms of the West and helped artisans create different patterns through mechanisation over two millennia ago.

Fabrics are woven using longitudinal and latitudinal threads called warp and weft, respectively. To make a pattern, weavers have to lift warp threads at specific positions to allow the shuttle to pass through with colourful weft threads.

This increases the work the weaver needs to do, but China’s rise as the world’s silk production center was likely due to the mechanization offered by the machine.  The machine used 10,470 longitudinal warp threads and could be controlled by 86 programmable patches. Once programmed, the machine could operate up to 100 devices simultaneously with perfect precision.

It can be compared to a modern-day binary computer, since it uses physical pattern cards to encode the patterns that had to be created. In these cards, a raised warp thread could be a representation of binary 1, and a lowered thread could be that of 0... (MORE - details)]]> https://interestingengineering.com/innov...uter-china

INTRO: The world’s earliest computer was not built in the 19th century by Charles Babbage but over two millennia ago during the Western Han dynasty, according to the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). The device called ti hua ji is a figured loom for weaving silk in set patterns, and was only discovered by chance a little over a decade ago.

By definition, a computer is any device that can receive instructions, execute a program, and provide results. This could be for complex mathematical calculations or for automatically carrying out certain tasks.

While the definition of a program is presumed to be ‘software’ these days, it can also be in the form of pattern cards - something early coders also turned to in the early days of the modern computer.

As China’s largest official scientific body, CAST’s claim to the world’s earliest computer is a big deal. It comes at a time when the Asian nation is competing for the top spot in a range of technological developments, from telecommunications to artificial intelligence, supercomputing to aerospace.

What is ti hua ji? Ti hua ji is a sophisticated machine to weave silk into fixed patterns. Built in 150 BC, the machine long preceded the looms of the West and helped artisans create different patterns through mechanisation over two millennia ago.

Fabrics are woven using longitudinal and latitudinal threads called warp and weft, respectively. To make a pattern, weavers have to lift warp threads at specific positions to allow the shuttle to pass through with colourful weft threads.

This increases the work the weaver needs to do, but China’s rise as the world’s silk production center was likely due to the mechanization offered by the machine.  The machine used 10,470 longitudinal warp threads and could be controlled by 86 programmable patches. Once programmed, the machine could operate up to 100 devices simultaneously with perfect precision.

It can be compared to a modern-day binary computer, since it uses physical pattern cards to encode the patterns that had to be created. In these cards, a raised warp thread could be a representation of binary 1, and a lowered thread could be that of 0... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19423.html Sat, 20 Dec 2025 04:39:02 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19423.html
FYI: "Genius loci (Latin for "spirit of a place") refers to the unique, intangible atmosphere, character, and essence that makes a location feel distinct and special, rooted in its history, nature, and human experience, often felt as a presence or energy. Originally a Roman deity concept, it's now used in architecture, design, and spirituality to describe how a place affects people and how to design in harmony with its inherent qualities."

My own experience with genius loci are of places that somehow effect me deeply but ineffably. Perhaps a ghostly sense of nostalgia or deja vu for something long lost. Perhaps a warm sense of coziness and welcomeness. Or even of a sense of barren desolation and abandonment. An old playground. A small meadow in the woods. A brick suburb next to a vast open field. It all depends on a certain nameless mood there, and perhaps the way it might catch the light and shadows at a certain moment.

]]>
FYI: "Genius loci (Latin for "spirit of a place") refers to the unique, intangible atmosphere, character, and essence that makes a location feel distinct and special, rooted in its history, nature, and human experience, often felt as a presence or energy. Originally a Roman deity concept, it's now used in architecture, design, and spirituality to describe how a place affects people and how to design in harmony with its inherent qualities."

My own experience with genius loci are of places that somehow effect me deeply but ineffably. Perhaps a ghostly sense of nostalgia or deja vu for something long lost. Perhaps a warm sense of coziness and welcomeness. Or even of a sense of barren desolation and abandonment. An old playground. A small meadow in the woods. A brick suburb next to a vast open field. It all depends on a certain nameless mood there, and perhaps the way it might catch the light and shadows at a certain moment.

]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19412.html Fri, 19 Dec 2025 04:14:14 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19412.html Science based energy choices: New perspective urges balanced path for prosperity, climate, and the environment
https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10...-0025-0009

PRESS RELEASE: A new perspective published in the inaugural issue of the journal Energy and Environment Nexus argues that the global conversation on climate, energy, and development must return to scientific first principles and the realities of human welfare. Drawing on more than four decades of work in thermodynamics, combustion, and energy systems, Professor Dongke Zhang calls for a science based approach to balancing economic growth, social well-being, and ecological sustainability.

Rethinking the energy environment link. In his perspective “On Energy and Environment Nexus,” Zhang introduces the idea of an Energy and Environment Nexus as the interconnected web linking energy services, human well-being, and environmental health. “Energy is often treated as an abstract villain or a magical solution, but in reality it is a mass commodity like food, water, and air, on which lives depend,” Zhang writes.

Zhang argues that many people confuse energy with power and overlook the physical constraints of land, materials, and thermodynamics that shape real world energy choices. To clarify what truly matters, he proposes four “imperatives of energy”: power intensity, energy density, cost, and scale, which together determine whether energy systems can be both practical and sustainable.

A call for affordable, reliable energy for all. A central theme of the article is that lifting billions of people out of poverty requires affordable, reliable, secure, and as clean as possible energy services. Nearly half of the world’s population still lives near or below the poverty line, and Zhang argues that denying them modern energy in the name of environmental protection is neither ethical nor sustainable.

“Cheap energy is fundamental to improving the living standards of the poor,” Zhang notes, while warning that more accessible energy inevitably increases pressure on land, resources, and ecosystems. The challenge, he says, is to design energy systems that expand opportunity without repeating the “develop first, clean up later” pattern followed by many industrialized countries.

Climate science versus climate ideology. Zhang also urges a clearer separation between climate science and what he describes as climate change ideology. He emphasizes that Earth’s climate is a complex, ever-changing system and that science advances through debate, testing, and the possibility of being proven wrong, not through declarations of “settled” conclusions.

“Science is a journey of discovery, not an absolute truth,” he writes, arguing that global climate policies should be grounded in mature, testable science and a full accounting of uncertainties and tradeoffs. He contends that over simplifying climate change as a problem with a single control knob, carbon dioxide, risks both scientific integrity and social stability.

A new platform for robust debate. The creation of Energy and Environment Nexus as a new scholarly journal provided the catalyst for Zhang to formalize ideas he has been developing and teaching for more than twenty years. The journal, launched by Southeast University in China, aims to be a global platform for integrated discussions that span science, engineering, economics, and policy.

“Energy and Environment Nexus is like a dinner table where scientists, engineers, economists, and policymakers can bring their evidence, test their ideas, and challenge each other respectfully,” Zhang says. He hopes the journal will encourage contributions that grapple with real world constraints while keeping both human dignity and environmental stewardship in view.

Letting young people hope again. Zhang expresses particular concern about the impact of catastrophic climate narratives on younger generations. He argues that frightening children with visions of imminent doom linked to human emissions of carbon dioxide is neither scientifically justified nor socially responsible.

“Kids should be allowed to be kids, to learn, create, and build a brighter future, not to live under constant fear of a collapsing world,” he writes. Through the Energy and Environment Nexus concept and journal, Zhang urges societies to replace fear with evidence based discussion, innovation, and practical solutions that enhance resilience in a changing world.]]> Science based energy choices: New perspective urges balanced path for prosperity, climate, and the environment
https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10...-0025-0009

PRESS RELEASE: A new perspective published in the inaugural issue of the journal Energy and Environment Nexus argues that the global conversation on climate, energy, and development must return to scientific first principles and the realities of human welfare. Drawing on more than four decades of work in thermodynamics, combustion, and energy systems, Professor Dongke Zhang calls for a science based approach to balancing economic growth, social well-being, and ecological sustainability.

Rethinking the energy environment link. In his perspective “On Energy and Environment Nexus,” Zhang introduces the idea of an Energy and Environment Nexus as the interconnected web linking energy services, human well-being, and environmental health. “Energy is often treated as an abstract villain or a magical solution, but in reality it is a mass commodity like food, water, and air, on which lives depend,” Zhang writes.

Zhang argues that many people confuse energy with power and overlook the physical constraints of land, materials, and thermodynamics that shape real world energy choices. To clarify what truly matters, he proposes four “imperatives of energy”: power intensity, energy density, cost, and scale, which together determine whether energy systems can be both practical and sustainable.

A call for affordable, reliable energy for all. A central theme of the article is that lifting billions of people out of poverty requires affordable, reliable, secure, and as clean as possible energy services. Nearly half of the world’s population still lives near or below the poverty line, and Zhang argues that denying them modern energy in the name of environmental protection is neither ethical nor sustainable.

“Cheap energy is fundamental to improving the living standards of the poor,” Zhang notes, while warning that more accessible energy inevitably increases pressure on land, resources, and ecosystems. The challenge, he says, is to design energy systems that expand opportunity without repeating the “develop first, clean up later” pattern followed by many industrialized countries.

Climate science versus climate ideology. Zhang also urges a clearer separation between climate science and what he describes as climate change ideology. He emphasizes that Earth’s climate is a complex, ever-changing system and that science advances through debate, testing, and the possibility of being proven wrong, not through declarations of “settled” conclusions.

“Science is a journey of discovery, not an absolute truth,” he writes, arguing that global climate policies should be grounded in mature, testable science and a full accounting of uncertainties and tradeoffs. He contends that over simplifying climate change as a problem with a single control knob, carbon dioxide, risks both scientific integrity and social stability.

A new platform for robust debate. The creation of Energy and Environment Nexus as a new scholarly journal provided the catalyst for Zhang to formalize ideas he has been developing and teaching for more than twenty years. The journal, launched by Southeast University in China, aims to be a global platform for integrated discussions that span science, engineering, economics, and policy.

“Energy and Environment Nexus is like a dinner table where scientists, engineers, economists, and policymakers can bring their evidence, test their ideas, and challenge each other respectfully,” Zhang says. He hopes the journal will encourage contributions that grapple with real world constraints while keeping both human dignity and environmental stewardship in view.

Letting young people hope again. Zhang expresses particular concern about the impact of catastrophic climate narratives on younger generations. He argues that frightening children with visions of imminent doom linked to human emissions of carbon dioxide is neither scientifically justified nor socially responsible.

“Kids should be allowed to be kids, to learn, create, and build a brighter future, not to live under constant fear of a collapsing world,” he writes. Through the Energy and Environment Nexus concept and journal, Zhang urges societies to replace fear with evidence based discussion, innovation, and practical solutions that enhance resilience in a changing world.]]>