Global Energy News (news-and-events/news)

Desalination plants, a major and growing source of freshwater in dry regions, could produce less harmful waste using electricity and new membranes.

Researchers share a model that identifies the optimal location for bowling ball placement. Employing a system of six differential equations derived from Euler's equations for a rotating rigid body, their model creates a plot that shows the best conditions for a strike. The model accounts for a variety factors, including the thin layer of oil applied to bowling lanes, the motion of the subtly asymmetric bowling ball, and a 'miss-room' to allow for human inaccuracies.

Ambisonic rendering is a way to simulate the precise locations of sounds in 3D, and an ambisonics algorithm has allowed researchers to create rich virtual 'soundscapes.'Researchers decided to test the limits of ambisonic sound reproduction through their 'AudioDome' loudspeaker array. Humans' spatial acuity is high in front of our faces but decreases around the sides of our head, and the researchers' experiments obtained very similar results from listeners in the AudioDome, proving that the loudspeaker array can reproduce sound locations at a spatial scale beyond the human limits of perception.

Identifying a key protein's role could improve the common mental health medications and point to new treatments for inflammation-related diseases, a medicinal chemist says.

There are roof shapes and ratios that maximize heat retainment and energy efficiency and, interestingly, ancient Italian architects and builders seemed to know it, too.

Neural networks are one typical structure on which artificial intelligence can be based. The term neural describes their learning ability, which to some extent mimics the functioning of neurons in our brains. To be able to work, several key ingredients are required: one of them is an activation function which introduces nonlinearity into the structure. A photonic activation function has important advantages for the implementation of optical neural networks based on light propagation. Researchers have now experimentally shown an all-optically controlled activation function based on traveling sound waves. It is suitable for a wide range of optical neural network approaches and allows operation in the so-called synthetic frequency dimension.

Microplastics and the much smaller nanoplastics enter the human body in various ways, for example through food or the air we breathe. A large proportion is excreted, but a certain amount remains in organs, blood and other body fluids. Scientists have now been able to develop a method for detecting and quantifying nanoplastics in transparent body fluids and determining their chemical composition.

Researchers have developed a new forecasting model that helps companies more accurately estimate how many customers are interested in a product -- even when key data is missing. The study introduces a mathematical modeling method that enables businesses to estimate customer interest beyond just completed transactions and traditional forecasting techniques. The approach offers a more precise way to understand demand, optimize operations and improve decision-making.

A team discovers a new family of enzymes capable of inducing targeted cuts in single-stranded DNA A few years ago, the advent of technology known as CRISPR was a major breakthrough in the scientific world. Developed from a derivative of the immune system of bacteria, CRISPR enables double strands of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to be cut. This makes it possible to specifically modify a targeted gene in plant, animal and human cells. Ultimately, CRISPR became a preferred method in the search for treatments for acquired or hereditary diseases.

Engineers discovered a way to move heat ultrafast using crystal waves, offering a breakthrough in cooling advanced electronics.

CT scans may account for 5% of all cancers annually, according to a new study that cautions against overusing and overdosing CTs. The danger is greatest for infants, followed by children and adolescents. But adults also are at risk, since they are the most likely to get scans.

Deep sea mining operations are expected to increase the negative impact on environmental indicators by up to 13 per cent, a change categorized as having 'great' significance, relative to the 'without' DSM scenario, notably through increased coastal vulnerability, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

MXenes are materials with almost miraculous properties: they can be used for electromagnetic shielding, for energy storage or for novel sensors. It was recently found that they are also amazingly suitable as solid lubricants, even under the harshest conditions, for example in space technology. The only problem so far has been that producing these MXenes was considered extremely dangerous and toxic. But now a new method has been developed: instead of a toxic acid, electricity is used.

New data establish an upper limit of 0.45 eV/c2 (equivalent to 8 x 10-37 kilograms) for the neutrino mass. KATRIN measures neutrino mass in the laboratory using a model-independent method.

Researchers have developed a pioneering, sustainable method for producing cadmium-based quantum dots (QDs) in water using a biocompatible chalcogen source. This fully aqueous, continuous flow process avoids harmful organic solvents and offers enhanced safety, scalability, and environmental performance. A collaboration led to the creation of a water-soluble chalcogen transfer agent inspired by peptide chemistry. Real-time Raman spectroscopy enabled detailed analysis of reaction mechanisms. The new system improves productivity while reducing waste and energy use. Although cadmium QDs are efficient, their toxicity remains a concern, prompting the team to explore greener alternatives. This innovation marks a significant step toward responsible, large-scale nanomaterial production.

Physicists have shown that particles produced in collimated sprays called jets retain information about their origins in subatomic particle smashups.

A team of scientists has directly observed catalysis in-action at the atomic level. In mesmerizing new videos, single atoms move and shake during a chemical reaction that removes hydrogen atoms from an alcohol molecule. By viewing the process in real time, the researchers discovered several short-lived intermediate molecules involved in the reaction as well as a previously hidden reaction pathway.

The United Nations organization responsible for international marine shipping today approved new emission reduction policies. A new paper highlights the need. Researchers surveyed 149 marine shipping experts in 2021 and found they expect the sector to see a reduction of 30 to 40 per cent in the carbon intensity of shipping -- a measure of the amount of CO2 emitted to ship cargo over a given distance -- by 2030 compared with 2008 levels. But they expect the sector won't meet its net-zero goal for 2050, instead achieving about 40 to 75 per cent reductions from 2008 levels.

A team of researchers reported the first direct observation of a surprising quantum phenomenon predicted over half a century ago known as a superradiant phase transition, which occurs when two groups of quantum particles begin to fluctuate in a coordinated, collective way without any external trigger, forming a new state of matter.

Using electrodes in a fluid form, researchers have developed a battery that can take any shape. This soft and conformable battery can be integrated into future technology in a completely new way.