科学 ニュース

The world added 50 percent more renewable energy capacity in 2023 over the previous year but more is needed in the battle against climate change, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.

Water electrolysis using renewable energy sources has emerged as a promising clean method for hydrogen production. However, its extensive freshwater consumption poses limitations to regions with abundant water resources. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a new technology for water electrolysis that can directly harness the abundant supply of seawater.

2024-01-11 China Daily Editor：Li Yan

The repair of damage to genetic material (DNA) in the human body is carried out by highly efficient mechanisms that have not yet been fully researched. A scientific team led by Christian Seiser from MedUni Vienna's Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology has now discovered a previously unrecognized control point for these processes.

Researchers at The University of Queensland (UQ) are developing new 4D printing technology that produces shape-shifting liquid metals for soft robotics.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University have developed a way to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent greenhouse gas, into carbon nanofibers, materials with a wide range of unique properties and many potential long-term uses. Their strategy uses tandem electrochemical and thermochemical reactions run at relatively low temperatures and ambient pressure.

Social connections are essential for good health and well-being in social animals, such as ourselves and other primates. There is also increasing evidence that the gut microbiome—through the so-called "gut-brain axis"—plays a key role in our physical and mental health and that bacteria can be transmitted socially, for example through touch.

A team of environmental and natural scientists from Universidad EAFIT in Colombia, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, and Boise State University in the U.S. has found evidence of an ancient petrified mangrove forest on an island in the Panama Canal. For their study, reported in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, the group collected fossils and sediment samples from the island.

A breakdown of the numbers and elements that made 2023 the hottest year on record paints a picture of what's to come.

The global population has grown to exceed 8 billion, and the demand for textiles has increased with it. Common synthetic fibers like polyester can be manufactured quickly and cheaply, but their negative environmental impacts are becoming increasingly concerning. Although a natural and biodegradable fiber, cotton requires sizable land and water use, which also stresses the environment.

Scientists are advancing the use of semiconductors to convert sunlight into renewable energy. In solar cells, semiconductors convert sunlight into electricity. When brought into direct contact with water, semiconductors can instead use sunlight to convert water into hydrogen, a carbon-free fuel. The energy output from the semiconductor is given by its photovoltage.

Metal matrix composites are a modern alternative to steel. They are molecular-reinforced materials, which consist of a metal reinforcement matrix and filler. Such composites can be further strengthened, for example, using titanium monobromide or titanium carbide.

5G and 6G networks must take into account the load and adapt resource consumption at every moment. To do this, they need to track current indicators and be able to predict them. This is how services will make decisions about dividing the network into slices and balancing the load. Typically, machine learning models are used for prediction.

Modifying and upgrading building enclosures and mechanical systems in older, multi-family apartment buildings can achieve net-zero energy-use efficiencies and help inhabitants lower energy costs, breathe better air and live more comfortably—changes that have wide application for state and national climate-change efforts, a multidisciplinary team of faculty and student researchers has demonstrated.

When Dany Tome first arrived at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) campus in Golden, Colorado, he did not notice the golden grasses waving from the hillsides or the solar panels set in neat, geometric rows atop parking structures and gullies.

Switzerland's ambitious green electricity targets are realistic. A new study by the SWEET EDGE consortium shows that three distinct strategies would make it possible to cover electricity needs and lead to the employment of several thousands of people in the sector of new renewable energy. The findings are published in the journal Applied Energy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of tons of used surgical masks were dumped every month without a real vision to manage them. Although the world has successfully passed the critical period, a serious industrial eco-solution must be developed to deal with this waste.

An EPFL Master's student in civil engineering has evaluated the effectiveness of new computer-based methods for inspecting potentially dangerous cracks in concrete.

In a computational study leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have assessed 160 billion molecules, a number exceeding the people born in the entire span of human history. Their goal was to screen the molecules for suitability as liquid carriers of hydrogen.

A first-of-its-kind tactile learning device developed by Baylor University chemistry professors to make science accessible to students with blindness or low vision (BLV) has opened the possibility of the transfer of any scientific data or images for sighted students into functional, thorough formats for students with blindness. The work is published in the journal Science Advances.