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The herbicide glyphosate is helping farmers adopt more environmentally friendly practices, and resistant weeds will make this transition more difficult, experts say

One of the things I have come to understand from following technology news for decades is that perhaps the most important breakthroughs, and often the least appreciated, are those in material science. We can get better at engineering and making stuff out of the materials we have, but new materials with superior properties change the game. They make new stuff possible and feasible. There are many futuristic technologies that are simply not possible, just waiting on the back burning for enough breakthroughs in material science to make them feasible. Recently, for example, I wrote about fusion reactors. Is the addition of high temperature superconducting material sufficient to get us over the finish line of commercial fusion, or are more material breakthroughs required?

One area where material properties are becoming a limiting factor is electronics, and specifically computer technology. As we make smaller and smaller computer chips, we are running into the limits of materials like copper to efficiently conduct electrons.  Further advance is therefore not just about better technology, but better materials. Also, the potential gain is not just about making computers smaller. It is also about making them more energy efficient by reducing losses to heat when processors work. Efficiency is arguably now a more important factor, as we are straining our energy grids with new data centers to run all those AI and cryptocurrency programs.

This is why a new study detailing a new nanoconducting material is actually more exciting than it might at first sound. Here is the editor’s summary:

Noncrystalline semimetal niobium phosphide has greater surface conductance as nanometer-scale films than the bulk material and could enable applications in nanoscale electronics. Khan et al. grew noncrystalline thin films of niobium phosphide—a material that is a topological semimetal as a crystalline material—as nanocrystals in an amorphous matrix. For films with 1.5-nanometer thickness, this material was more than twice as conductive as copper. —Phil Szuromi

Greater conductance at nanoscale means we can make smaller transistors. The study also claims that this material has lower resistance, which means more efficient – less waste heat. They also claim that manufacturing is similar to existing transistors at similar temperatures, so it’s feasible to mass produce (at least it seems like it should be). But what about niobium? Another lesson I have learned from examining technology news is to look for weaknesses in any new technology, including the necessary raw material. I see lots of battery and electronic news, for example, that uses platinum, which means it’s not going to be economical.

Niobium is considered a rare metal, and is therefore relatively expensive, about $45 per kilogram. (By comparison copper goes for $9.45 per kg.) Most of the world’s niobium is sourced in Brazil (so at least it’s not a hostile or unstable country). It is not considered a “precious” metal like gold or platinum, so that is a plus. About 90% of niobium is currently used as a steel alloy, to make steel stronger and tougher. If we start producing advanced computer chips using niobium what would that do to world demand? How will that affect the price of niobium? By definition we are talking about tiny amounts of niobium per chip, the wires are only a few molecules thick, but the world produces a lot of computer chips.

How all this will sort out is unclear, and the researchers don’t get into that kind of analysis. They basically are concerned with the material science and proving their concept works. This is often where the disconnect is between exciting-sounding technology news and ultimate real-world applications. Much of the stuff we read about never comes to fruition, because it simply cannot work at scale or is too expensive. Some breakthroughs do work, but we don’t see the results in the marketplace for 10-20 years, because that is how long it took to go from the lab to the factory. I have been doing this long enough now that I am seeing the results of lab breakthroughs I first reported on 20 years ago.

Even if a specific demonstration is not translatable into mass production, however, material scientists still learn from it. Each new discovery increases our knowledge of how materials work and how to engineer their properties. So even when the specific breakthrough may not translate, it may lead to other spin-offs which do. This is why such a proof-of-concept is exciting – it shows us what is possible and potential pathways to get there. Even if that specific material may not ultimately be practical, it still is a stepping stone to getting there.

What this means is that I have learned to be patient, to ignore the hype, but not dismiss science entirely. Everything is incremental. It all adds up and slowly churns out small advances that compound over time. Don’t worry about each individual breakthrough – track the overall progress over time. From 2000 to today, lithium-ion batteries have about tripled their energy capacity, for example, while solar panels have doubled their energy production efficiency. This was due to no one breakthrough, just the cumulative effects of hundreds of experiments. I still like to read about individual studies, but it’s important to put them into context.

The post New Material for Nanoconductors first appeared on NeuroLogica Blog.

Meanwhile, in Dobrzyn, Hili is optimistic, I suppose:

Szaron: We live in times when books are more important for cats than for humans.
Hili: Not for all of them, dear Szaron, not for all.

Szaron: Dożyliśmy czasów, w których książki są ważniejsze dla kotów niż dla ludzi.
Hili: Nie dla wszystkich, drogi Szaronie, nie dla wszystkich.

The microscope cost less than £50 to build using an open-source design and a common 3D printer

The classic Italian cacio e pepe pasta is notoriously tricky to get right, but physicists have come up with a trick to achieve a perfectly smooth cheese sauce

Defenders of the GBD won't tell you what it actually said. I will.

The post Defenders of the Great Barrington Declaration Neither Know Nor Care What it Proposed. The Deliberate Erasure of the We Want Them Infected Movement Has Succeeded. first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

A series of more than 100 small earthquakes in Surrey in 2018 and 2019 might have been triggered by oil extraction from a nearby well, suggests a new study.

Electron transport in bilayer graphene exhibits a pronounced dependence on edge states and a nonlocal transport mechanism, according to a recent study.

Electron transport in bilayer graphene exhibits a pronounced dependence on edge states and a nonlocal transport mechanism, according to a recent study.

Scientists warn efforts to limit the long-term temperature rise to 1.5°C will fail as data confirms 2024 was the hottest year in human history

If you were Captain of the first USS Enterprise, where would you go!? Humanity is on the cusp of reaching out among the stars, maybe not just yet, nor in our lifetimes but it is just around the corner cosmologically speaking. A new paper explores the new technology that could make it a reality but also carefully considers the ethical aspects. Before we make the first journeys we need to be clear about the ethical considerations too so that our exploration is sustainable and responsible.

In 1961 Yuri Gagarin completed the first human spaceflight. In the decades that followed human visitors arrived on the Moon and countless probes have visited the planets. Exploring the stars is a challenge of another level but with theoretical concepts like nuclear propulsion and even warp drive it may not be so far away. Project Orion proposed nuclear powered spacecraft while Project Breakthrough Starshot proposed sending small spacecraft to the stars. The challenges are still vast but no longer insurmountable. 

Yury Gagarin before a space flight aboard the Vostok spacecraft. April 12, 1961 Credit: RIA Novosti

The human drive for exploration has meant the prospect of interstellar travel has always been the obvious next step. As the desire and technology finally start to make this a reality, the ethical debate must also begin as we consider the complex moral implications as we step out among the stars. 

In a fascinating paper authored by Florian Neukart, Professor of Quantum Computing from the Institute of Computer Science in the Netherlands, the focus is to explore the multitude of different elements to interstellar travel. This includes factual elements such as propulsion systems, habitat construction and life support and also sociological, ethical and philosophical issues too. Humans travelling to and exploring planets in our Solar System is one thing but just imagine travelling to and arriving at a world with alien inhabitants. Seems perhaps the stuff of science fiction but once we start travelling across the gulf between the stars, it becomes a real possibility. The paper underlines the deep need to consider all facets of interstellar travel. 

This artist’s impression depicts the exomoon candidate Kepler-1625b-i, the planet it is orbiting and the star in the centre of the star system. Kepler-1625b-i is the first exomoon candidate and, if confirmed, the first moon to be found outside the Solar System. Like many exoplanets, Kepler-1625b-i was discovered using the transit method. Exomoons are difficult to find because they are smaller than their companion planets, so their transit signal is weak, and their position in the system changes with each transit because of their orbit. This requires extensive modelling and data analysis.

Among the questions posed by the paper is the deeply emotive; Should we pursue interstellar travel given the unknowns, or might our resources be better spent addressing urgent Earth-bound challenges? To answer questions like this demands insights from physics, engineering, biology, ethics and social sciences.

The paper includes insight into the current technological capabilities in consideration of the current theoretical frameworks of interstellar travel. It discusses multiple possible technologies such as the Magnetic Fusion Plasma Drive, nuclear thermal propulsion, ion drives and even warp drives. Life support systems and habitat protection technology are also considered and discussed. 

Artist impression of a starship with warp drive (Credit : Alorin)

I feel however that, whilst the technology will undoubtedly get us to the stars, the debates about whether we should will continue for some time. One thing is for sure, the many different aspects of interstellar travel must be carefully weighed up and considered with suitable frameworks being established. Not only will this protect us as we extend our travels into deep space but it will protect environments and life that we come across along the way.

Source : Toward the stars: Technological, ethical, and sociopolitical dimensions of interstellar exploration

The post The Cosmos is Waiting for us to Explore. But we Should Choose our Path Wisely. appeared first on Universe Today.

Earthquakes that occurred near an oil extraction site in Surrey, UK, in 2018 and 2019 had been put down to coincidence, but a new analysis with an updated look at the geology of the area suggests the seismic events may indeed have been linked to drilling

The first known death from a bird flu virus in the US has sparked fears about another pandemic, yet the overall risk to the general public still remains low

Those were the words with which Christopher Hitchens began his best speech on video, but it also applies to the three fires raging around Los Angeles. They aren’t bad enough to endanger USC or our conference, but people are cancelling anyway. The sky is hazy and there’s a slight whiff of burning wood at USC, but no sign of smoke.

However, Luana flew into Burbank yesterday, which is closer to the conflagrations, and she took this photo, which she let me put up.

It’s very sad: 100,000 people have evacuated, and many people have lost their homes and everything in them.  My heart goes out to them.

Catalysts do several surprising things to assist with daily life -- from bread making to turning raw materials into fuels more efficiently. Now, researchers have developed a way to speed up the discovery process for a promising new class of these helpful substances called single atom catalysts.

After months of delay, the cool La Niña climate pattern has emerged in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which increases the risk of drought in parts of the Americas

Now is the best time to observe Mars in 2025.

Mars from 2014. Credit: Paul Stewart.

January has an amazing parade of evening planets, well worth braving the cold for. We have brilliant Venus, high to the west after sunset, reaching greatest elongation on January 10th. Fainter Saturn sits just above Venus as the two meet on January 19th. Meanwhile, Jupiter dominates the eastern sky, fresh off of opposition in December. But stay awake just a bit longer after dusk, and you can see Mars rising in the east.

As a special treat, observers in most of North America will also see the nearly Full Moon pass in front of Mars Monday night.

Mars Opposition 2025

This works because Mars reaches opposition in January 2025, rising ‘opposite’ to the setting Sun. Think of the Red Planet as a slower runner on the outside track of the solar system, with the faster Earth approaching on the inside lane.

This also marks the center season to observe Mars. As Earth approaches the Red Planet, the apparent disk swells in the view of a telescope from a tiny dot to a larger globe where features can be discerned.

Dates to watch for involving Mars in 2025 include:

-Sunday, January 12th: Mars is closest to the Earth at 0.642 AU (96 million kilometers) distant;

-Wednesday, January 15th: Mars is brightest, shining at magnitude -1.5

-Thursday, January 16th: The planet Mars reaches opposition for 2025

-Monday, February 10th: Mars reaches its northernmost point at declination 26 degrees, 14’ north

-Wednesday, April 16th: Mars reaches aphelion at 1.6 AU from the Sun

-Monday, April 21st: Reaches eastern quadrature, 90 degrees from the Sun.

This serves as a prelude to checking out all naked eye planets in the evening sky in 2025, once Mercury joins the evening scene in late March.

Mars and Jupiter, rising to the east at dusk. Credit: Stellarium.

Mars Spends late January near Pollux, and then heads to Cancer and transits the open cluster Messier 44 on May 4th. On June 16th the planet passes just over a degree from Regulus, and the planet loiters in the evening for the remainder of 2025, until reaching solar conjunction on January 9th, 2026.

An Aphelion Opposition

Not all oppositions are created equal. This is because the orbits of both the Earth and Mars are elliptical, but its mainly the fault of the Red Planet: the planet can vary from 207 million kilometers from the Sun at perihelion, to 249 million kilometers away at aphelion. Oppositions for Mars occur every 26 months on average, roughly once every other calendar year. Perihelic oppositions are favorable with Mars reaching an apparent size of 25” across, while an opposition near aphelion sees the planet only reaching a measly 14” across. Moreover, these trend in cycles. 2003 saw an historic near-perihelion apparition of Mars, which then diminished on every pass to a paltry aphelion appearance in 2012. In 2025, we’re still headed towards unfavorable aphelic passes. Earth just reached perihelion in early January—while Mars reaches aphelion in mid-April. 2027 sees the nadir of the 15 year cycle, while 2033 sees us reaching favorable oppositions once again.

At its maximum, Mars will appear 15” across in 2025. The planet reaches -1.5 magnitude at opposition this year, rivaling nearby Jupiter in brightness.

Mars reappears from behind the Moon Monday night. Credit Stellarium. The ‘Great North American Occultation’

North American observers are in for a treat on the night of January 13th when the near Full Moon actually occults (passes in front of) Mars. This is the best lunar-planetary occultation for the region for 2025. This occurs just five hours after Full, and two days prior to opposition. The Moon will take about 30 seconds to fully cover and then later reveal the Red Planet, in what promises to be a fine event.

The visiblity footprint for Monday night’s occultation. Credit: Occult 4.2

Note that, contrary to the old internet meme, Mars will not appear ‘as large as a Full Moon’ on this—or any other—year. This does, however, give you the rare chance to see the planet in the daytime just before sunset or immediately after sunrise on January 13-14th, using the nearby Full Moon as a guide.

The Moon occults Mars in 2022. Credit: Roger Hutchison.

The Moon occults Mars three more times in 2025: Once for northern Asia and Scandinavia on February 9th, again for the eastern Pacific and the west coast of South America on June 30th, and one last time for the remote Antarctic on July 28th.

Check or the IOTA’s dedicated site for ingress/egress times for select locations.

Mars on January 2nd. Credit: Thad Szabo. Observing Mars Near Opposition

It’s fascinating to examine Mars near opposition… it’s the one planet that presents an actual surface to explore at the eyepiece. The white northern polar cap (currently tipped into view) is the most prominent feature. Settling in, darker swathes of terrain such as Syrtis Major may become apparent.

Fun fact: if you’re watching Mars at the same time every evening, you’re seeing nearly the same swatch of the planet turned Earthward, just rotated slightly in longitude from one night to the next. This happens because Mars rotates somewhat slower than the Earth, once every 24 hours and 38 minutes.

The ever-present possibility of a global dust storms can always make opposition season interesting. You can actually notice that something is afoot on Mars in terms of global dust storms, simply by noting the color of the planet, as a sickly yellow versus the healthy traditional red.

Finding Phobos and Deimos Phobos and Deimos in the glare of Mars. Credit: Shahrin Ahmad.

Opposition is also a good time to try and cross the Martian moons of Phobos and Deimos off of your observing ‘life list.’ Discovered by astronomer Asaph Hall using the U.S. Naval Observatory’s then-new 26” refractor in 1877, the faint moons never stray far from dazzling Mars. +11.5th magnitude Phobos orbits the planet once every 7.7 hours and reaches a max separation of 14”, while outer 12.4th magnitude Deimos orbits once every 30.3 hours and reaches 45” away. Use an occulting bar eyepiece or nudge the planet just out of view to help you in your quest. Use a planetarium program such as Stellarium to see if a moon is currently visible.

The U.S. Naval Observatory refractor. USNO/Public Domain Image

Rovers on Mars actually catch sight of the Martian moons on occasion, including this fine transit of Phobos in front of the Sun from late 2024:

These transits actually help to refine the orbits of the two moons.

If skies are clear, be sure to check out Mars while you can, and don’t miss the best occultation of the year.

The post The Moon Occults Mars for North America Monday Night, Just Before Opposition 2025 appeared first on Universe Today.

Construction materials such as concrete and plastic have the potential to lock away billions of tons of carbon dioxide, according to a new study by civil engineers and earth systems scientists. The study shows that combined with steps to decarbonize the economy, storing CO2 in buildings could help the world achieve goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers find cell migration doesn't only rely on generating force. A professor of mechanical engineering and materials science found that groups of cells moved faster with lower force when adhered to soft surfaces with aligned collagen fibers.

Laboratory experiments designed to deform ice at its pressure-melting temperature were like grabbing a bagel at the top and the bottom, then twisting the two halves to smear the cream cheese in the middle, according to new research. The resulting data could lead to more accurate models of temperate glacier ice and better predictions of glacier flow and sea-level rise.