5 Most At-Risk Rivers in the World: It is often said that life began on a river bed. It's no surprise that, still today, the world's rivers make up some of the most fundamental sources of fresh water and habitats for life of all kinds. Unfortunately, some of the largest and most highly-needed rivers are under attack from environmental threats that have already caused potentially fatal disruption. That's why the WWF, World Wide Fund for Nature, compiled a list of some of the most threatened rivers in the world. Based on the results of international assessments, the WWF based their list on six of the most significant threats to rivers: dams and infrastructure, excessive water extraction, climate change, invasive species, over-fishing, and pollution. They singled out rivers that are either already suffering the most as a result of any or all of these threats or are in line to be heavily impacted:
1. Salween – Nu
The Salween river basin is the second largest in Southeast Asia and runs, starting along the Southwest edge of China, from the northern edge of India, past Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, eventually spilling into the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. According to the WWF, 6 million people depend on the Salween to make a living and find sources of protein and nutrient rich food...
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Bacterium signals plant to open up and let friends in
Bacterium signals plant to open up and let friends in: Durham NC (SPX) Jun 15, 2012
Researchers have identified the set of tools an infectious microbe uses to persuade a plant to open the windows and let the bug and all of its friends inside. The microbe is Pseudomonas syringae, a successful bacterial pathogen that produces characteristic brown spots in more than 50 different species of plant. The signal it uses is a molecule called coronatine, which to the plant looks just lik
Researchers have identified the set of tools an infectious microbe uses to persuade a plant to open the windows and let the bug and all of its friends inside. The microbe is Pseudomonas syringae, a successful bacterial pathogen that produces characteristic brown spots in more than 50 different species of plant. The signal it uses is a molecule called coronatine, which to the plant looks just lik
Arctic getting greener
Arctic getting greener: Gothenburg, Sweden (SPX) Jun 15, 2012
Recent years' warming in the Arctic has caused local changes in vegetation, reveals new research by biologists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and elsewhere published in the prestigious journals Nature Climate Change and Ecology Letters. The results show that most plants in the Arctic have grown taller, and the proportion of bare ground has decreased. Above all, there has been an incr
Recent years' warming in the Arctic has caused local changes in vegetation, reveals new research by biologists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and elsewhere published in the prestigious journals Nature Climate Change and Ecology Letters. The results show that most plants in the Arctic have grown taller, and the proportion of bare ground has decreased. Above all, there has been an incr
Japan approves two reactor restarts, more seen ahead
Japan approves two reactor restarts, more seen ahead: TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Saturday approved the resumption of nuclear power operations at two reactors despite mass public opposition, the first to come back on line after they were all shut down following the Fukushima crisis.
Passport police deluged by holiday makers
Passport police deluged by holiday makers: Sweden's passport police are feeling the strain as Swedes make plans to go abroad for their summer holidays, reports news agency TT. Every summer there is a mad rush for passports. In Stockholm County where the demand starts to gather momentum in March, upto 42,000 passport applications are made in the months of May and June.
War on drugs moves to pharmacy from jungle
War on drugs moves to pharmacy from jungle: (Reuters) - Pamela Storozuk, a petite 59-year-old, spent most of her career as a sales representative, dragging heavy suitcases filled with presentation materials. When her husband developed prostate cancer, she cared for him, often helping to lift him out of the bath or into bed.
Nações Unidas suspendem missão de paz na Síria
Nações Unidas suspendem missão de paz na Síria: As Nações Unidas suspenderam a sua missão de paz na Síria devido à escalada da violência do país.
Swedish manga cartoon translator cleared of child porn
Swedish manga cartoon translator cleared of child porn: Swedish court struggles with cartoon images of child porn
Violence shuts 300 Bangladesh garment factories
Violence shuts 300 Bangladesh garment factories: DHAKA (Reuters) - The owners of 300 Bangladesh garments factories shut their operations indefinitely on Saturday after days of violent pay protests by workers, threatening the country's biggest export already impacted by the global downturn.
Reported by Reuters 2 hours ago.
Reported by Reuters 2 hours ago.
Principal arrested on drug charges
Principal arrested on drug charges: A central Florida elementary school principal has been arrested on drug charges after a sting operation, authorities said Saturday.
Chinese exports crushing German solar industry
Chinese exports crushing German solar industry: Tough competition, price pressure and dwindling subsidies - these are the woes facing the German solar technology production sector. While the outlook seems grim, some believe that things will improve.
Mort du prince héritier d'Arabie saoudite
Mort du prince héritier d'Arabie saoudite: Le prince héritier d'Arabie saoudite, Nayef ben Abdel Aziz, est décédé samedi à l'âge de 79 ans, a annoncé la télévision d'État. Il a dirigé le puissant ministère de l'Intérieur et supervisé la lutte contre Al-Qaïda dans le pays.
US enlists Britain's help to stop ship 'carrying Russian attack helicopters' to Syria
US enlists Britain's help to stop ship 'carrying Russian attack helicopters' to Syria: The MV Alaed, a Russian-operated cargo vessel, is currently sailing through the North Sea after allegedly picking up MI25 helicopters from Kaliningrad.
Calderon: G20 could contribute more than $430 billion to IMF
Calderon: G20 could contribute more than $430 billion to IMF: LOS CABOS, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on Saturday he thinks it is possible that the G20 members' contributions to the International Monetary Fund will exceed $430 billion.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Bird sings song with heavy wings
Bird sings song with heavy wings: Dense wing bones help a tiny South American bird to sing make its unique “wing violin music”, say scientists.
Facebook shareholders sue for losses as employees cash in
Facebook shareholders sue for losses as employees cash in: The fallout from Facebook's botched initial public offering is moving to the courtroom as shareholders sue for losses. Many of the social network's employees became millionaires after the market debut.
Vertical stripes 'really do slim'
Vertical stripes 'really do slim': Vertical stripes really do have a "slimming" effect
The results, documented on Ms Watham's Facebook research diary, show that vertical stripes make people look taller, while horizontal hoops make them look wide - but plain black was the most slimming of all.
The reason why black makes us look thinner is due to another visual effect discovered by Helmholtz, called the irradiation illusion, in which a black rectangle surrounded by white looks smaller than the same rectangle in white surrounded by black.
Italy to sell off state assets
Italy to sell off state assets: The Italian government hopes to raise 10bn euros (£8.1bn; $12.6bn) selling off state-owned companies, in a bid to reduce its crippling debt mountain.
Ratings agency downgrades Nokia to junk status
Ratings agency downgrades Nokia to junk status: US ratings agency Moody's has lowered the credit status of Finnish phone maker Nokia to junk. It's now reached a speculative level as the company's business outlook remains negative despite reforms.
Global Warming over last 50 yrs caused primarily by human activity
Global Warming over last 50 yrs caused primarily by human activity: The oceans have warmed in the past 50 years, but not by natural events alone.
New research by a team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists and international collaborators shows that the observed ocean warming over the last 50 years is consistent with climate models only if the models include the impacts of observed increases in greenhouse gas during the 20th century.
Though the new research is not the first study to identify a human influence on observed ocean warming, it is the first to provide an in-depth examination of how observational and modeling uncertainties impact the conclusion that humans are primarily responsible
New research by a team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists and international collaborators shows that the observed ocean warming over the last 50 years is consistent with climate models only if the models include the impacts of observed increases in greenhouse gas during the 20th century.
Though the new research is not the first study to identify a human influence on observed ocean warming, it is the first to provide an in-depth examination of how observational and modeling uncertainties impact the conclusion that humans are primarily responsible
Woman high on 'cannibal drug' dies after being tasared by police
Woman high on 'cannibal drug' dies after being tasared by police: A woman high on 'bath salts', the same drug used by the Miami cannibal who ate his victim's face, died after being tasered by police following a naked rampage in which she choked her son and attacked neighbours.
Sixteen killed in violent land eviction in Paraguay
Sixteen killed in violent land eviction in Paraguay: ASUNCION (Reuters) - At least seven police officers and nine peasant farmers were killed in armed clashes on Friday during a land eviction in Paraguay, marking one of the worst such incidents in the country for two decades.
US Secret Service accused of multiple prostitution incidents
US Secret Service accused of multiple prostitution incidents: US Secret Service agents have been accused of multiple incidents involving prostitutes, improper use of weapons and drunken behaviour over the past eight years, it emerged yesterday.
Fracking Can Cause Earthquakes, but Oil and Gas Extraction May Cause More
Fracking Can Cause Earthquakes, but Oil and Gas Extraction May Cause More:
Geologists and politicians have been arguing for several years about whether hydraulic fracturing of shale to release natural gas can cause earthquakes . Finally, a comprehensive study released today by the National Research Council has settled the question: Yes, fracking can. The number of earthquakes linked to fracking operations is very small, however; many more temblors are linked to conventional oil and natural gas extraction.
[More]
Geologists and politicians have been arguing for several years about whether hydraulic fracturing of shale to release natural gas can cause earthquakes . Finally, a comprehensive study released today by the National Research Council has settled the question: Yes, fracking can. The number of earthquakes linked to fracking operations is very small, however; many more temblors are linked to conventional oil and natural gas extraction.
[More]
Tensions high ahead of second Greek vote
Tensions high ahead of second Greek vote: On Sunday, the Greeks choose a new parliament for the second time in six weeks. A neck-and-neck race is expected between the center-right pro-European New Democracy party and the radical left Syriza coalition
Asteroid zips past Earth
Asteroid zips past Earth:
500m space rock spotted on Monday gets within 5.3 million km. An asteroid spotted by Australian astronomers early in the week missed Earth by just 5.3 million kilometres.…
500m space rock spotted on Monday gets within 5.3 million km. An asteroid spotted by Australian astronomers early in the week missed Earth by just 5.3 million kilometres.…
India Ink: Toilets Become a Battle Cry in India
India Ink: Toilets Become a Battle Cry in India: Toilets appear to be the new battleground on which, wars on corruption and gender inequality are being waged
Anti-terror police blow up tourist's broken down car outside Parliament
Anti-terror police blow up tourist's broken down car outside Parliament: Driving in the capital can be taxing even without the added pressure of extra tourists arriving for the Olympics
Dalai Lama speech begins UK tour
Dalai Lama speech begins UK tour: The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, is due to deliver a speech to a business leaders in Leeds as part of a tour of the UK.
Climate Change or Tectonic Shifts?: The Mystery of the Sinking South Pacific Islands
Climate Change or Tectonic Shifts?: The Mystery of the Sinking South Pacific Islands: 
Environmentalist organizations have used images from South Pacific islands to illustrate the disastrous effects of rising sea levels. But a group of French researchers has found that the problem is much more complicated: The islands are also being pulled under by shifting tectonic plates.
Environmentalist organizations have used images from South Pacific islands to illustrate the disastrous effects of rising sea levels. But a group of French researchers has found that the problem is much more complicated: The islands are also being pulled under by shifting tectonic plates.
iPhone denies existence of Gibraltar, other bits of British empire
iPhone denies existence of Gibraltar, other bits of British empire:
Does cater for non-existent South Georgians, though The iPhone will not accept that people live in Gibraltar, a reader has pointed out to us, highlighting that the phone will not acknowledge this as a possibility when users are entering country names in their address book.…
Does cater for non-existent South Georgians, though The iPhone will not accept that people live in Gibraltar, a reader has pointed out to us, highlighting that the phone will not acknowledge this as a possibility when users are entering country names in their address book.…
Jewish settlers won't go quietly as eviction looms
Jewish settlers won't go quietly as eviction looms: BEIT EL, West Bank (Reuters) - The clock is ticking for 30 Jewish settler families in the occupied West Bank
MEXIQUE - Les paysannes prennent leur destin en main
MEXIQUE - Les paysannes prennent leur destin en main: Leurs hommes sont allés chercher du travail aux Etats-Unis. Pendant ce temps, ce sont elles qui ont fait fructifier l'exploitation familiale. Avec succès, le plus souvent.
Milk fat link to bowel disease
Milk fat link to bowel disease: The rise of inflammatory bowel diseases could be down to our shifting diets promoting "bad bacteria", according to US researchers.
Kidnaping by Mexican police caught on video
Kidnaping by Mexican police caught on video: MEXICO CITY (AP) -- It was all caught on video: Five heavily armed policemen barge into a hotel in western Mexico before dawn and march out with three handcuffed men in underwear....
Switzerland's central bank warns of twin eurozone threat to Swiss economy
Switzerland's central bank warns of twin eurozone threat to Swiss economy: Swiss National Bank says it is ready to take further measures at any time to prevent 'serious impact' on prices and economy Switzerland's central bank warned on Thursday that it was battling twin threats to stability of its economy from a weaker than expected banking sector and a rising currency that threatens to make its exports unaffordable.
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) urged Credit Suisse, the country's second largest bank, to boost its reserves ahead of a potentially disastrous escalation in the eurozone banking crisis.
The SNB said Credit Suisse should "take all action necessary to expand its loss-absorbing capital base significantly during the current year", by curtailing risky investments, suspending dividend payments or raising capital by issuing shares.
The SNB also said rival UBS, which had to be bailed out by the Swiss government in 2008, should boost its capital buffers by limiting dividend payments.
"The SNB considers that the big banks' loss-absorbing capital is still below the level needed to ensure sufficient resilience," vice chairman Jean-Pierre Danthine said.
Switzerland has come under seige during the euro crisis from foreign investors seeking a safe haven. An influx of funds has put intense pressure on the currency, leading the central bank to say last year that it would peg the Swiss franc against the euro to cap further rises.
Funds, however, have continued to pour in, especially to Geneva, various ski resorts and the hedge fund managers' favourite destination, the canton of Zug.
The SNB said it was determined to defend the cap of 1.20 francs to €1 and was ready to buy foreign currency in unlimited quantities.
"Even at the current rate, the Swiss franc is still high. Another appreciation would have a serious impact on both prices and the economy in Switzerland," said chairman Thomas Jordan.
"The SNB will not tolerate this. If necessary it stands ready to take further measures at any time."
Jordan declined to confirm speculation that he is close to imposing capital controls to prevent funds entering the country. "Concerning capital controls, there are various experiences and various ways to implement them and there are also countries that have had positive experiences with these measures in the recent past," he said.
Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 hours ago.
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) urged Credit Suisse, the country's second largest bank, to boost its reserves ahead of a potentially disastrous escalation in the eurozone banking crisis.
The SNB said Credit Suisse should "take all action necessary to expand its loss-absorbing capital base significantly during the current year", by curtailing risky investments, suspending dividend payments or raising capital by issuing shares.
The SNB also said rival UBS, which had to be bailed out by the Swiss government in 2008, should boost its capital buffers by limiting dividend payments.
"The SNB considers that the big banks' loss-absorbing capital is still below the level needed to ensure sufficient resilience," vice chairman Jean-Pierre Danthine said.
Switzerland has come under seige during the euro crisis from foreign investors seeking a safe haven. An influx of funds has put intense pressure on the currency, leading the central bank to say last year that it would peg the Swiss franc against the euro to cap further rises.
Funds, however, have continued to pour in, especially to Geneva, various ski resorts and the hedge fund managers' favourite destination, the canton of Zug.
The SNB said it was determined to defend the cap of 1.20 francs to €1 and was ready to buy foreign currency in unlimited quantities.
"Even at the current rate, the Swiss franc is still high. Another appreciation would have a serious impact on both prices and the economy in Switzerland," said chairman Thomas Jordan.
"The SNB will not tolerate this. If necessary it stands ready to take further measures at any time."
Jordan declined to confirm speculation that he is close to imposing capital controls to prevent funds entering the country. "Concerning capital controls, there are various experiences and various ways to implement them and there are also countries that have had positive experiences with these measures in the recent past," he said.
Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 hours ago.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Row erupts over EU Schengen rules
Row erupts over EU Schengen rules: The European Parliament freezes talks with EU governments on five draft laws, angry at a decision to reduce its say on border controls
China über allen? Die Welt im Jahr 2030
China über allen? Die Welt im Jahr 2030: Prognosen sind schwierig, besonders wenn sie die Zukunft betreffen. Da große Länder oder gar Kontinente gerade vor einem Scheideweg stehen, macht die Sache nicht einfacher. Wir wagen dennoch einen Blick ins Jahr 2030.
SUISSE - La Confédération défend son travail d'inventaire des fonds Ben Ali
SUISSE - La Confédération défend son travail d'inventaire des fonds Ben Ali: "La Suisse rejette les reproches tunisiens sur les fonds Ben Ali", titre le quotidien. Lors d’une visite récente à Genève, le président de la Tunisie Moncef Marzouki avait exhorté la Suisse à enquêter davantage et plus vite afin d'accélérer la restitution des biens de l'ancien président Ben Ali et de ses proches. Le procureur général de la Confédération défend dans les colonnes du journal le travail des enquêteurs suisses à l'œuvre depuis un an et demi. "Le président tunisien se plaint du seul pays qui coopère vraiment dans ce dossier", dénonce-t-il.
Polícia desmantelou fábrica de euros falsos em França
Polícia desmantelou fábrica de euros falsos em França: A maior oficina de moeda falsificada em França, de onde saíram 350.000 notas de euros, foi desmantelada na terça e quarta-feira nos arredores de Paris pela polícia, afirmaram hoje fontes policiais
Presidentes do Irão e da Bielorrússia visitam Caracas
Presidentes do Irão e da Bielorrússia visitam Caracas: Os presidentes do Irão, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, e da Bielorrússia, Alexander Lukashenko, vão deslocar-se a Caracas nos próximos dias para aprofundar a cooperação com a Venezuela, anunciou Hugo Chávez na...
Rio: Imagineering the future
Rio: Imagineering the future: The thinkers behind famed TED conferences weigh in at Rio+20
"Let's not look to the people in power to change things, because people in power are among the emptiest in the world... they're never going to change unless we make them."
"Let's not look to the people in power to change things, because people in power are among the emptiest in the world... they're never going to change unless we make them."
Severn Suzuki - daughter of the renowned conservationist David - went to the Rio Earth Summit 20 years ago as a 13-year-old to ask her elders to sort themselves out.
That 1992 speech was caught in full on video and it's now one of the most frequently viewed YouTube offerings on environment and sustainability.
What I think caught people's attention was the mood. You might imagine that a 13-year-old girl would talk about emotive things like dolphins and rainbows, and talk in pink generics such as "making the world a better place".
Not a bit of it. Ms Suzuki lays into the delegates: "I've come to tell adults you must change your ways... I'm fighting for my future".
She points out that as yet there is no technical remedy that can clean up mercury pollution or PCBs.
"If you don't know how to fix it - please, stop breaking it," she says.
This year, back via webcam holding one of her own children, Ms Suzuki was no less impassioned, though the message carried a strong flavour of frustration and an occasional hint of despair.
Thousands of vulnerable Swedish children assigned "contact people" without background checks
Thousands of vulnerable Swedish children assigned "contact people" without background checks: After a foster parent was convicted of raping and molesting three children, the Swedish government is proposing that local municipalities should be able to check what crimes a potential carer has been suspected or convicted of
Hugo Chavez announces Venezuela making drones and Kalashnikov rifles
Hugo Chavez announces Venezuela making drones and Kalashnikov rifles: President Hugo Chavez said on Wednesday that Venezuela has begun to assemble Kalashnikov assault rifles with assistance from Russia and started producing surveillance drones
German police raid Salafist homes
German police raid Salafist homes: German police launch nationwide raids targeting ultra-conservative Islamic Salafists, suspected of threatening public order.
Cancer vaccine breakthrough using 'cold' virus
Cancer vaccine breakthrough using 'cold' virus: Scientists claim to have overcome a major hurdle in their work on finding a way to wipe out cancer with viruses
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Now, ice won’t stick
Now, ice won’t stick:
A team of researchers from Harvard University has invented a way to keep metal surface free of ice and frost. The treated surfaces quickly shed even tiny, incipient condensation droplets or frost, simply through gravity. The technology prevents ice sheets from developing on surfaces, and ice that is present slides off effortlessly.
The discovery, published online as a manuscript in the journal ACS Nano on June 10, has direct implications for a wide range of metal surfaces, such as those used in aircraft, refrigeration systems, wind turbines, marine vessels, and construction.
The group, led by Joanna Aizenberg, Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, previously introduced the idea that it was possible to create a surface that prevented ice by using coatings inspired by the water-repellent lotus leaf. Yet this technique can fail under high humidity, as surface textures become coated with condensation and frost.
“The lack of any practical way to eliminate the intrinsic defects … that contribute to liquid condensation, pinning, freezing, and strong adhesion has raised the question of whether any solid surface,” irrespective of its topography or treatment, “can ever be truly ice-preventive, especially at high-humidity, frost-forming conditions,” Aizenberg said.
To combat this problem, the researchers created a radically different technology that is suited for both high humidity and extreme pressure, called Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces, or SLIPS. SLIPS are designed to expose a defect-free, molecularly flat liquid interface, immobilized by a hidden nanostructured solid. On these ultra-smooth, slippery surfaces, fluids and solids alike — including water drops, condensation, frost, and even ice — slide off easily.
The challenge was to apply this technology to metal surfaces, especially since such materials are commonplace in the developed world, from airplane wings to railings. Aizenberg and her team developed a way to coat metal with a rough material to which the lubricant adheres. A coating can be finely sculpted to lock in the lubricant and can be applied over a large area on metal surfaces. In addition, the coating is non-toxic and anti-corrosive.
To demonstrate the robustness of the technology, the researchers successfully applied it to refrigerator cooling fins and tested it under a prolonged, deep-freeze condition. Compared with existing “frost-free” cooling systems, their innovation prevented frost far more efficiently and for a longer time.
“Unlike lotus leaf-inspired, ice-phobic surfaces, which fail under high humidity conditions, SLIPS-based ice-phobic materials, as our results suggest, can completely prevent ice formation at temperatures slightly below 0 degrees Celsius, while dramatically reducing ice accumulation and adhesion under deep-freezing, frost-forming conditions,” said Aizenberg.
The new technology also helps to lower energy costs. This approach to combatting slippery metallic surfaces holds great promise for broad application in the refrigeration and aviation industry and in other high-humidity environments, where ice-phobic surfaces are desirable. For example, once the coating is applied, ice on roofs, wires, outdoor signs, and wind turbines can be easily removed merely by tilting, slight agitation, or even wind and vibrations.
“This new approach to ice-phobic materials is a truly disruptive idea that offers a way to make a transformative impact on energy and safety costs associated with ice, and we are actively working with the refrigeration and aviation industries to bring it to market,” said Aizenberg.
Aizenberg is also professor of chemistry and chemical biology in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, the Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and director of the Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology at Harvard.
Her co-authors included Philseok Kim, a Technology Development Fellow at the Wyss Institute and SEAS; Tak-Sing Wong of the Wyss and SEAS; Jack Alvarenga and Michael J. Kreder of the Wyss; and Wilmer E. Adorno-Martinez of the University of Puerto Rico.
The authors received support from the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at Harvard. Part of this work was performed at the Center for Nanoscale Systems at Harvard, supported by the National Science Foundation. In addition, the team acknowledged the Croucher Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and the REU BRIDGE, co-funded by the ASSURE program of the Department of Defense, in partnership with the National Science Foundation’s REU site program.
A team of researchers from Harvard University has invented a way to keep metal surface free of ice and frost. The treated surfaces quickly shed even tiny, incipient condensation droplets or frost, simply through gravity. The technology prevents ice sheets from developing on surfaces, and ice that is present slides off effortlessly.
The discovery, published online as a manuscript in the journal ACS Nano on June 10, has direct implications for a wide range of metal surfaces, such as those used in aircraft, refrigeration systems, wind turbines, marine vessels, and construction.
The group, led by Joanna Aizenberg, Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, previously introduced the idea that it was possible to create a surface that prevented ice by using coatings inspired by the water-repellent lotus leaf. Yet this technique can fail under high humidity, as surface textures become coated with condensation and frost.
“The lack of any practical way to eliminate the intrinsic defects … that contribute to liquid condensation, pinning, freezing, and strong adhesion has raised the question of whether any solid surface,” irrespective of its topography or treatment, “can ever be truly ice-preventive, especially at high-humidity, frost-forming conditions,” Aizenberg said.
To combat this problem, the researchers created a radically different technology that is suited for both high humidity and extreme pressure, called Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces, or SLIPS. SLIPS are designed to expose a defect-free, molecularly flat liquid interface, immobilized by a hidden nanostructured solid. On these ultra-smooth, slippery surfaces, fluids and solids alike — including water drops, condensation, frost, and even ice — slide off easily.
The challenge was to apply this technology to metal surfaces, especially since such materials are commonplace in the developed world, from airplane wings to railings. Aizenberg and her team developed a way to coat metal with a rough material to which the lubricant adheres. A coating can be finely sculpted to lock in the lubricant and can be applied over a large area on metal surfaces. In addition, the coating is non-toxic and anti-corrosive.
To demonstrate the robustness of the technology, the researchers successfully applied it to refrigerator cooling fins and tested it under a prolonged, deep-freeze condition. Compared with existing “frost-free” cooling systems, their innovation prevented frost far more efficiently and for a longer time.
“Unlike lotus leaf-inspired, ice-phobic surfaces, which fail under high humidity conditions, SLIPS-based ice-phobic materials, as our results suggest, can completely prevent ice formation at temperatures slightly below 0 degrees Celsius, while dramatically reducing ice accumulation and adhesion under deep-freezing, frost-forming conditions,” said Aizenberg.
The new technology also helps to lower energy costs. This approach to combatting slippery metallic surfaces holds great promise for broad application in the refrigeration and aviation industry and in other high-humidity environments, where ice-phobic surfaces are desirable. For example, once the coating is applied, ice on roofs, wires, outdoor signs, and wind turbines can be easily removed merely by tilting, slight agitation, or even wind and vibrations.
“This new approach to ice-phobic materials is a truly disruptive idea that offers a way to make a transformative impact on energy and safety costs associated with ice, and we are actively working with the refrigeration and aviation industries to bring it to market,” said Aizenberg.
Aizenberg is also professor of chemistry and chemical biology in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, the Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and director of the Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology at Harvard.
Her co-authors included Philseok Kim, a Technology Development Fellow at the Wyss Institute and SEAS; Tak-Sing Wong of the Wyss and SEAS; Jack Alvarenga and Michael J. Kreder of the Wyss; and Wilmer E. Adorno-Martinez of the University of Puerto Rico.
The authors received support from the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at Harvard. Part of this work was performed at the Center for Nanoscale Systems at Harvard, supported by the National Science Foundation. In addition, the team acknowledged the Croucher Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and the REU BRIDGE, co-funded by the ASSURE program of the Department of Defense, in partnership with the National Science Foundation’s REU site program.
DROGUES - Légaliser ?
DROGUES - Légaliser ?: En matière de drogues - comme en matière d'alcool - la prohibition n'a pas fait ses preuves. Elle est coûteuse et peu efficace, plus apte à faire la fortune de trafiquants et autres patrons de cartels qu'à préserver la santé publique.Ici et là, les grouvernements se posent sérieusement la question de changer leur fusil d'épaule. Dépénaliser ? légaliser ? Cette dernière question a notamment été débattue ouvertement pour la premère fois au sommet des Amériques à Carthagène, les 14 et 15 avril dernier.
Europe makes big bets on nuclear waste burial
Europe makes big bets on nuclear waste burial: EURAJOKI, Finland/BURE, France (Reuters) - On a small Finnish island and deep in remote rural France, far from the debates and doubts that followed Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster, the ground work is underway for a commitment to atomic power for the long term - the very long term
Russia Is Printing Money For Syria To Pay Government Expenses
Russia Is Printing Money For Syria To Pay Government Expenses:
Syria is using a new currency printed in Russia to pay its soaring deficit, reports Suleiman Al-Khalidi of Reuters.
Four Damascus-based bankers told Reuters that the new cash has entered circulation because international sanctions have derailed oil exports and other government revenues.
Consequently, the central bank has exceeded borrowing limits from public banks while private banks are reluctant to buy government bonds.
The government's biggest priority is paying the salaries of over 2 million state employees (among a workforce of 4.5 million in a country of more than 21 million) so that the public sector doesn't collapse.
One banker told Reuters this was a "last resort."
Russia is also sending attack helicopters to Syria.
Syria is using a new currency printed in Russia to pay its soaring deficit, reports Suleiman Al-Khalidi of Reuters.
Four Damascus-based bankers told Reuters that the new cash has entered circulation because international sanctions have derailed oil exports and other government revenues.
Consequently, the central bank has exceeded borrowing limits from public banks while private banks are reluctant to buy government bonds.
The government's biggest priority is paying the salaries of over 2 million state employees (among a workforce of 4.5 million in a country of more than 21 million) so that the public sector doesn't collapse.
One banker told Reuters this was a "last resort."
Russia is also sending attack helicopters to Syria.
Greek Neo Nazi Party Claims It Will Raid 'Hospitals And Kindergartens' And Throw Out Immigrants
Greek Neo Nazi Party Claims It Will Raid 'Hospitals And Kindergartens' And Throw Out Immigrants:
Greek far right party Golden Dawn has no plans on gaining international acceptance anytime soon, it seems.
According to Helen Smith of the Guardian, party MP Ilias Panagiotaros recently told a rally in Athens:
This weekend, Greece is preparing for their second general election this year. The last election in May saw Golden Dawn receive almost 7% of total votes.
Greek far right party Golden Dawn has no plans on gaining international acceptance anytime soon, it seems.
According to Helen Smith of the Guardian, party MP Ilias Panagiotaros recently told a rally in Athens:
If Chrysi Avgi [Golden Dawn] gets into parliament [as polls predict], it will carry out raids on hospitals and kindergartens and it will throw immigrants and their children out on the street so that Greeks can take their place."
The comments came after reports that medical supplies and beds at hospitals are in short supply. Smith reports that the threat earned loud applause.This weekend, Greece is preparing for their second general election this year. The last election in May saw Golden Dawn receive almost 7% of total votes.
Greeks withdraw cash ahead of cliffhanger vote
Greeks withdraw cash ahead of cliffhanger vote: ATHENS (Reuters) - Greeks pulled their cash out of the banks and stocked up with food ahead of a cliffhanger election on Sunday that many citizens fear will result in the country being forced out of the euro
Google claims engineers were unaware of Street View data breach
Google claims engineers were unaware of Street View data breach | Technology | guardian.co.uk
Google has published sworn declarations from nine engineers, as the company tries to answer claims it orchestrated a cover-up of its collection of personal data from millions of internet users.Nine engineers involved in the controversial Street View project said they were unaware it had been designed to capture private data, including full emails, medical listings and passwords.
Google published the written testimony late on Tuesday, hours after the UK information commissioner launched a fresh investigation into the data collection.
Eight of the nine Google engineers whose evidence has been published said they only became aware of the huge data capture in May 2010, when the search engine firm admitted it for the first time.
Google has been under pressure to explain the saga since April this year, when the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that the technology was designed specifically to retrieve information from public Wi-Fi signals as Street View cars photographed peoples' homes.
Geoengineering could disrupt rainfall patterns
Geoengineering could disrupt rainfall patterns: Brussels, Belgium (SPX) Jun 11, 2012
A geoengineering solution to climate change could lead to significant rainfall reduction in Europe and North America, a team of European scientists concludes. The researchers studied how models of the Earth in a warm, CO2-rich world respond to an artificial reduction in the amount of sunlight reaching the planet's surface. The study was published in Earth System Dynamics, an Open Access journal
A geoengineering solution to climate change could lead to significant rainfall reduction in Europe and North America, a team of European scientists concludes. The researchers studied how models of the Earth in a warm, CO2-rich world respond to an artificial reduction in the amount of sunlight reaching the planet's surface. The study was published in Earth System Dynamics, an Open Access journal
Scientists uncover evidence of impending tipping point for Earth
Scientists uncover evidence of impending tipping point for Earth: Berkeley CA (SPX) Jun 11, 2012
A prestigious group of scientists from around the world is warning that population growth, widespread destruction of natural ecosystems, and climate change may be driving Earth toward an irreversible change in the biosphere, a planet-wide tipping point that would have destructive consequences absent adequate preparation and mitigation.
"It really will be a new world, biologically, at that
A prestigious group of scientists from around the world is warning that population growth, widespread destruction of natural ecosystems, and climate change may be driving Earth toward an irreversible change in the biosphere, a planet-wide tipping point that would have destructive consequences absent adequate preparation and mitigation.
"It really will be a new world, biologically, at that
River basins critical for emerging markets: report
River basins critical for emerging markets: report: LONDON (Reuters) - Poor management of water resources could stifle economic growth in some of the world's most rapidly developing economies, according to research commissioned by banking group HSBC
Mathematical model developed to predict malaria outbreaks
Mathematical model developed to predict malaria outbreaks: Ethiopian and Norwegian researchers have developed a mathematical model that can identify conditions that increase the likelihood of a malaria outbreak up to two months ahead of its occurrence. The computer model, Open Malaria Warning (OMaWa), incorporates hydrological, meteorological, mosquito-breeding and land-use data to determine when and where outbreaks are likely to occur.
China threatened by farmland contamination
China threatened by farmland contamination: Beijing (UPI) Jun 12, 2012
Much of China's agricultural soil is contaminated by pollutants, including arsenic and heavy metals, that pose a threat to the country's food production, experts warn.
Zhou Jianmin, director of the China Soil Association, estimates that 1-10th of China's farmland is contaminated, The Guardian reports. But some estimates range as high as 40 percent and a government assessment isn't likel
Much of China's agricultural soil is contaminated by pollutants, including arsenic and heavy metals, that pose a threat to the country's food production, experts warn.
Zhou Jianmin, director of the China Soil Association, estimates that 1-10th of China's farmland is contaminated, The Guardian reports. But some estimates range as high as 40 percent and a government assessment isn't likel
Knotty proteins present new puzzle
Knotty proteins present new puzzle: Houston TX (SPX) Jun 13, 2012
Strings of all kinds, when jostled, wind up in knots. It turns out that happens even when the strings are long strands of molecules that make up proteins. A new study by scientists at Rice University and elsewhere examines structures of proteins that not only twist and turn themselves into knots, but also form slipknots that, if anybody could actually see them, might look like shoelaces for cell
Strings of all kinds, when jostled, wind up in knots. It turns out that happens even when the strings are long strands of molecules that make up proteins. A new study by scientists at Rice University and elsewhere examines structures of proteins that not only twist and turn themselves into knots, but also form slipknots that, if anybody could actually see them, might look like shoelaces for cell
Notre Dame research shows food-trade network vulnerable to fast spread of contaminants
Notre Dame research shows food-trade network vulnerable to fast spread of contaminants: Notre Dame IN (SPX) Jun 13, 2012
University of Notre Dame network physicists Maria Ercsey-Ravasz and Zoltan Toroczkai of the Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science and Applications, in collaboration with food science experts, have recently published a rigorous analysis of the international food-trade network that shows the network's vulnerability to the fast spread of contaminants as well as the correlation between known
University of Notre Dame network physicists Maria Ercsey-Ravasz and Zoltan Toroczkai of the Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science and Applications, in collaboration with food science experts, have recently published a rigorous analysis of the international food-trade network that shows the network's vulnerability to the fast spread of contaminants as well as the correlation between known
Diesel Fumes Cause Lung Cancer, W.H.O. Says
Diesel Fumes Cause Lung Cancer, W.H.O. Says: A study showed that nonsmoking miners who were heavily exposed to diesel fumes had seven times the normal lung cancer risk of nonsmokers.
15-year-old girls arrested for Canadian prostitution ring
15-year-old girls arrested for Canadian prostitution ring: Two 15-year-old girls have been arrested in Canada for allegedly running a prostitution ring in Ottawa that offered girls aged 13 to 17 to adult clients
Scientists investigate dolphin deaths on Texas coast
Scientists investigate dolphin deaths on Texas coast: SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Scientists are trying to find out why 119 bottlenose dolphins became stranded and died along the Texas coast in recent months, looking at possibilities ranging from algae blooms to oil pollution.
MEXIQUE - L’amour ou le PRI
MEXIQUE - L’amour ou le PRI: A deux semaines de l’élection présidentielle et alors que tous les observateurs annonçaient il y a quelques mois un inexorable retour au pouvoir du Parti révolutionnaire institutionnel (PRI, qui a gouverné soixante-dix ans, jusqu’en 2000),le panorama politique semble avoir changé radicalement. L’irruption inattendue sur la scène politique, début mai, du mouvement étudiant #YoSoy132 a contribué à écorner l’image du candidat du PRI Enrique Peña Nieto (EPN). Au dernier débat télévisé, le 10 juin, celui-ci est arrivé “décomposé”, note Reforma.
French government readying decree on retirement age
French government readying decree on retirement age: PARIS (Reuters) - France's new government will sign off on a decree next week to roll back the pension age for people who have worked since early in life, its prime minister said on Friday, reversing in part a reform that had been welcomed by financial markets.
Brazil farmers in legal feud with Monsanto over GM soy
Brazil farmers in legal feud with Monsanto over GM soy: Campo Novo De Parecis, Brazil (AFP) June 3, 2012
Illegally smuggled into Brazil 14 years ago, transgenic soy has proved a boon to domestic farmers and now accounts for 85 percent of total production.
But five million Brazilian farmers are now locked in a legal feud with US biotech giant Monsanto, the GM soy seed manufacturer, and are refusing to pay crop royalties.
In the mid-1990s Monsanto began commercializing its genetically modifie
Illegally smuggled into Brazil 14 years ago, transgenic soy has proved a boon to domestic farmers and now accounts for 85 percent of total production.
But five million Brazilian farmers are now locked in a legal feud with US biotech giant Monsanto, the GM soy seed manufacturer, and are refusing to pay crop royalties.
In the mid-1990s Monsanto began commercializing its genetically modifie
Germany's skilled worker shortage is growing
Germany's skilled worker shortage is growing: The federal government is looking for solutions to the lack of professionals in Germany. Mathematicians, scientists and computer specialists are among the groups most needed.
The Importance of Belly Fat
The Importance of Belly Fat: Exercisers and those on diets know for sure, that losing weight around the midsection can be the hardest thing to do. They should take comfort in that fact, because according to a new scientific study, belly fat is very important to the immune system. Yes, having a bit of a gut can potentially keep you from getting sick. Researchers from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine suggest that this new knowledge about the fatty membrane surrounding the belly, known as the omentum, could lead to new drugs for organ transplant patients and patients with auto-immune diseases.
Grupo de hombres ataca a mujeres egipcias que se manifestaban contra el acoso sexual
Grupo de hombres ataca a mujeres egipcias que se manifestaban contra el acoso sexual: El Cairo, 9 de junio. Un grupo de mujeres que se manifestó contra el acoso sexual en la emblemática plaza Tahrir, en El Cairo, fueron atacadas el viernes por un grupo de hombres que agredió sexualmente a varias de ellas este sábado, en momentos en que se desarrollaba una protesta contra Ahmed Shafik, quien busca la presidencia del país en la segunda vuelta electoral de los próximos 16 y 17 de junio.
Daimler starts mass production of electric car
Daimler starts mass production of electric car: German automaker Daimler has kicked off series production of its Smart Fortwo electric vehicle, securing itself pole position in the field against its European rivals. The first units will be available in Germany soon.
Vaca clonada dá leite semelhante ao materno
Vaca clonada dá leite semelhante ao materno: "Rosita" é uma vaca clonada por cientistas argentinos que pode agora alimentar bebés que, por algum motivo, não têm acesso ao leite das suas mães. O animal, manipulado geneticamente, dá um leite muito...
Et Tu, Virginia? Again with the Sea Level Rise
Et Tu, Virginia? Again with the Sea Level Rise:
At the risk of becoming Plugged-In s Those crazies are at it again correspondent, I would like to bring your attention to two noteworthy developments regarding sea level and politics, and then I hope to wash my hands of the topic — with higher sea levels making hand-washing especially convenient, of course.
At the risk of becoming Plugged-In s Those crazies are at it again correspondent, I would like to bring your attention to two noteworthy developments regarding sea level and politics, and then I hope to wash my hands of the topic — with higher sea levels making hand-washing especially convenient, of course.
Ireland pardons soldiers who deserted to fight Hitler
DUBLIN (Reuters) - The Irish government on Tuesday pardoned thousands of servicemen who deserted to fight for the Allied forces during World War Two after the Irish state decided to remain neutral in the war against Adolf Hitler's Germany.
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