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Category: sustainability

Engineered proteins store digital files with 30 times density at one-tenth cost

Massive volumes of digital data are generated every day from AI training, big data analytics and smart devices. As conventional hard drives and cloud storage are increasingly constrained by high costs, limited capacity, high power consumption and short lifespans, molecular data storage has emerged as a breakthrough storage alternative.

Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have pioneered a method that uses engineered proteins to store digital data and, for the first time, completed the full process from data storage to data retrieval in de novo designed unnatural proteins.

This demonstrates the potential of establishing a protein-based storage framework with sustainability, high storage capacity and high stability, offering a promising solution to the explosive AI-generated growth in data globally.

Prickly pear cacti show promise as the building materials of tomorrow

Researchers from the University of Bath’s Department of Mechanical Engineering have shown that agricultural waste from prickly pear cactus plants could be used as a low-cost, low-carbon reinforcement for construction materials, offering a more sustainable alternative to conventional composites. The research is published in the Journal of Natural Fibers.

Composite materials combine strong reinforcing fibers with a lightweight base material, known as a matrix. Widely used composites like carbon fiber, fiberglass or Kevlar rely on synthetic fibers and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. Their durability also makes them difficult to reuse or recycle at the end of their lifespan. Swapping synthetic fibers with natural alternatives offers a renewable and biodegradable solution.

Matt Hutchins, a researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and lead author of the study, said, “Inside the flat cactus pads is a naturally occurring fiber network. These fibers form a honeycomb-like structure that helps the plant support its own weight and resists bending in strong winds. We’re exploring how to extract these structures and keep them intact, borrowing their natural properties to reinforce bio-based composites.”

Water-based zinc batteries tackle a barrier that has long blocked cheap, stable renewable energy storage

Renewable energy technologies, such as solar cells and wind turbines, are becoming increasingly widespread in many countries worldwide. Reliably storing the electricity produced by these devices, so that it can be used later at times when sunlight or wind are scarce, would further improve their effectiveness as sustainable energy solutions.

A promising solution to store solar and wind energy entails the use of aqueous zinc (Zn) metal batteries. These are low-cost, safe and environmentally friendly batteries that store and release energy, leveraging water-based solutions and Zn anodes.

Despite their potential, Zn batteries have not yet achieved the desired efficiencies and long-term stability. This is because water molecules can break down during their operation and small structures called Zn dendrites form on the surface of zinc electrodes, both of which were found to reduce performance.

Light reshapes metal-organic framework to harvest airborne water

Chemists at the University of Iowa have created a three-dimensional lattice that captures water from the air and stores it. In a new study appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers describe a millimeter-scale structure made of metal atoms connected by two types of organic molecules. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the material undergoes a chemical reaction that changes its shape, creating cavities throughout the lattice. Those cavities attract water molecules from the air and store them—like a multitude of tiny canteens.

The results, which would need to be tested at larger scales, show promise as a method to help provide drinking water to people and areas with limited access. Water stress or scarcity will affect nearly five billion people—half the world’s projected population—by 2050, according to the United Nations.

“We have found and validated a way to capture and to store water that would require only sunlight,” says Leonard MacGillivray, adjunct professor in the Department of Chemistry and former professor and department chair. “You can transport the crystal lattice and eventually release the water on demand. That’s why it’s such an advance.”

Stanford’s new chip boosts light 100x with surprisingly low energy

Researchers at Stanford have developed a compact optical amplifier that dramatically boosts light signals using very little power. By recycling energy inside a looping resonator, the device achieves strong amplification with minimal noise and wide bandwidth. Its efficiency and small size mean it could run on batteries and be integrated into consumer electronics. This breakthrough could enable faster communications and more powerful optical technologies.

The Hammer of AI: When Every Problem Looks Like a Nail

There is no dataset for grief.

No metric for justice.

No optimizer for legitimacy.

And yet we keep bringing the Hammer of AI to every problem we face. Climate change. Pandemics. Cancer. Energy. War. Political corruption. There is no problem that the omnipresent, all-knowing, all-mighty artificial superintelligence will not eventually crack.

This is a religion. Technology is its faith. Silicon Valley is its Promised Land. Entrepreneurs are its prophets. And we are all believers.

I should know. I used to be one.

In my latest piece on Singularity Weblog, I argue that some problems do bend to computation: fusion, protein folding, the genome. But others do not. They are not computable, only livable. And when we hammer them anyway, things break. Sometimes the thing that breaks is the problem. Sometimes it is us.

Continue reading “The Hammer of AI: When Every Problem Looks Like a Nail” | >

Researchers develop a biodegradable wash that can remove pesticides and keep fruit fresh longer

Many grocery shoppers know the routine: bring fruit and vegetables home, rinse them, dry them and hope they stay fresh long enough to be eaten. But fresh produce is delicate. Grapes shrivel, apple slices brown and berries can spoil quickly.

At the same time, many people worry about what may remain on the surface of fruit they buy, including pesticide residues.

Cleaning and freshness are usually treated as separate problems that require different treatments. Washing feels like a simple act of control. But it’s not quite that simple.

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