Collaborate Disseminate
Thanks to a recent discovery regarding marine algae, scientists have developed crop plants that absorb a fuller spectrum of sunlight, resulting in better growth. The finding could also lead to increased production of biofuels.Continue ReadingCategory: … Continue reading Algae-gene-boosted crop plants grow better by using more light
Scientists in Hong Kong have demonstrated a new ultra-white ceramic material that can drastically cool buildings by reflecting sunlight and heat at record highs. The beetle-inspired material gets its ability from its nanostructure, stays tough to the e… Continue reading Ultra-white ceramic cools buildings with record-high 99.6% reflectivity
Scientists have discovered that the Sun produces higher energy light than was thought possible. An unusual type of telescope detected gamma rays with energies of over 1 tera electron volt (TeV), at least five times more energetic than previously known…. Continue reading Gamma ray detection marks highest energy light from the Sun
If you leave a clear bottle of water in the sunlight, the ultraviolet rays will kill any harmful microbes in that water, making it drinkable … but it has to sit in the sun for at least six hours. A new sunlight-activated powder, however, does the job i… Continue reading Sunlight-activated powder disinfects water in just 60 seconds
Solar stills provide a clever and simple means of purifying dirty or salty water, but they work at a rather slow rate. A new material has been shown to boost their performance, and it’s made from fruit waste which would otherwise be discarded.Continue … Continue reading Simple process converts fruit waste into water-purifying material
There are already “smart” windows that can be electronically switched between either letting sunlight through or blocking it. A new multi-layered one, however, can be set to several energy-saving light filtration modes.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy,… Continue reading Multi-layer “liquid window” tech could help buildings save energy
We’ve already seen systems that wirelessly transmit data via patterns of flickering light. A Saudi Arabian team has created a less energy-intensive alternative, that could use modulated sunlight in place of traditional Wi-Fi.Continue ReadingCategory: S… Continue reading “Smart glass” windows could alter sunlight to replace Wi-Fi
Finding a scratch on your car is a special kind of heartbreak, but in the future they might be gone before you even notice. Scientists in Korea have developed a coating that self-heals scratches in as little as 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight.Conti… Continue reading Self-healing coating repairs car scratches with 30 minutes of sunlight
Researchers at the University of South Australia have uncovered a link between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of dementia and stroke. The study found that a decent proportion of cases of dementia may be prevented by boosting levels of the h… Continue reading Vitamin D deficiency linked to increased dementia risk
It’s a sad fact that many sea turtles now suffer from fibropapillomatosis, a disease in which debilitating tumors grow on various parts of the body. There may be new hope, however, as a recent study suggests that exposure to sunlight could help afflict… Continue reading Sunlight exposure may help rehabilitate tumor-afflicted sea turtles