What Your Candy Preferences Say About Your Personality

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Apr 19, 2022

Do you like sour candy more than other flavors? It’s likely you might be an extrovert.

That’s just one takeaway from a new survey of 2,000 candy lovers: a person’s preference for certain sweets may speak volumes about their personality or lifestyle choices.

In addition to being extroverted (59%), a majority of sour candy connoisseurs also identified themselves as “eccentric”, “funny”, and “sarcastic”.

Meanwhile, chocolate lovers overwhelmingly described themselves as “optimistic” (76%) and “shy” (67%). Fans of mint, by a majority of 78%, said they were “thoughtful”.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Jelly Belly candy company, the poll also dug deeper into the habits and beliefs of sweets lovers.

People who eat candy every day were more likely to identify as “night owls” instead of “early birds” (43% vs. 17%).

Overall, three of four sweet tooth respondents eat candy at least once a week, and 27% report eating it every day.

The poll also asked the 2,000 adult respondents to pick their all-time favorite jelly bean flavor and found additional fun personality traits.

Sour lemon jelly bean fanatics mirrored their stark taste preferences in their personality, with 69% identifying as “honest.”

The age factor showed up when it was revealed that one in five baby boomers reported that licorice was their favorite (20%), compared to just six percent of Gen Z.

MORE: The Top 50 Things to Come Out of Britain (Fish and Chips was Voted #1)

For pear jelly bean lovers, “eccentricity” is a common personality type. Close to six in 10 align with that description, putting them alongside cherry (68%) and buttered popcorn (59%) fans as the most likely to consider themselves eccentric.

Two-thirds of the orange jelly bean lovers liked to volunteer in their free time (67%)—of those who liked cherry flavor the best, 79% identify as introverts.

“No two personalities are alike and no two flavor preferences are alike, either,” said Rob Swaigen, a Jelly Belly vice president. “We currently offer over 100 jelly bean flavors, so there is something for everyone…regardless of palette and taste.”

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Millipede Species Named After Taylor Swift by Scientist Superfan: ‘Her music helped me through grad school’

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Apr 19, 2022

taylor swift cc license wikimedia commons eva rinaldi: millipede released dr derek hennen

(L) Taylor Swift; Eva Rinaldi, CC license; *Nannaria swiftae; released,* Dr Derek Hennen

Taylor Swift, U.S. singer-songwriter known for hits such as Shake It Off and You Belong With Me, has earned a new accolade—she now has a new species of millipede named in her honor.

The twisted-claw millipede Nannaria swiftae joins 16 other new species described from the Appalachian Mountains of the United States.

These little-known invertebrates have a valuable role as decomposers: breaking down leaf litter, they release their nutrients into the ecosystem. They live on the forest floor, where they feed on decaying leaves and other plant matter, and in fact, they are somewhat tricky to catch, because they tend to remain buried in the soil, sometimes staying completely beneath the surface.

Scientists Derek Hennen, Jackson Means, and Paul Marek, at Virginia Tech, U.S., describe the new species in a research paper.

Because of their presence in museum collections, scientists long suspected that the twisted-claw millipedes included many new species, but these specimens went undescribed for decades.

To fix this, the researchers began a multi-year project to collect new specimens throughout the eastern U.S. They traveled to 17 US states, checking under leaf litter, rocks, and logs to find species so that they could sequence their DNA and scientifically describe them.

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Looking at over 1,800 specimens collected on their field study or taken from university and museum collections, the authors described 17 new species, including Nannaria marianae, which was named after Hennen’s wife.

They discovered that the millipedes prefer to live in forested habitats near streams and are often found buried under the soil, exhibiting more cryptic behaviors than relatives.

The newly-described millipedes range between 18 and 38 mm long, have shiny caramel-brown to black bodies with white, red, or orange spots, and have white legs. The males have small, twisted and flattened claws on their anterior legs, which is the basis for their common name.

The lead author of the study, Derek Hennen, is a fan of Taylor Swift.

“Her music helped me get through the highs and lows of graduate school, so naming a new millipede species after her is my way of saying thanks,” he says.

The new species is described in a research paper published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

Source: Pensoft Publishers

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Monumental Animal Sculptures Made From 35 Tons of Plastic Collected on Oregon Coast by Volunteers–LOOK

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 19, 2022

Washed Ashore Project social media Facebook phoot embed — Facebook/The Washed Ashore Project

Gorgeous sculptures of colorful marine animals are traveling across America—and every bit of the body of the artwork was once trash along the Oregon seashore.

All the Pacific Ocean plastic was picked up and sorted by volunteers, and, finally, formed by artists into charming installations that are currently touring in Tennessee, Michigan, and elsewhere.

The Washed Ashore Project is trying to communicate the message of ocean conservation through art—saving beauty by creating beauty.

The Project first began in 2010, and since then they have cleaned 300 miles of beaches, and processed 60,000 pounds of trash all to create 86 charismatic works of art, like Flash the Blue Marlin, Gertrude the Penguin, Chompers the Shark, Stanley the Sturgeon, and the American Sea Star.

“It’s an ugly problem with a beautiful solution,” says Brad Parks, a director at Washed Ashore.

More than 14,000 people have volunteered for Washed Ashore’s sponsored beach cleanups. Many of these volunteers are involved not only in the beach combing, but also cleaning, and sorting the plastic waste based on size and color.

MORE: Friendship Between Species: First-Time Report of Wild Dolphin Changing its Language for Harbor Porpoises

John Ball Zoo – See more sculpture photos on FB

The process of collecting the trash is often how the artists go through the creative process, envisioning how the haul could be turned into something.

That was the case with a long-horned cowfish sculpture, which was seen after a large yellow buoy and hard hat were found. A giant penguin was made almost entirely from black flip flops, which are one of the most easily spotted pieces of waste in the sculptures, and are used for penguin and eagle feathers, salmon stripes, and the leathery skin of sea turtle flippers.

The Artula Institute for Arts & Environmental Education first enabled and supported Washed Ashore, with an artist-in-residency program on the Pacific Ocean in Bandon, Oregon. Since then the institute has repeatedly supported efforts of Washed Ashore to take their sculptures on the road.

MORE: Friendship Between Species: First-Time Report of Wild Dolphin Changing its Language for Harbor Porpoises

At the moment the traveling exhibitions can be seen on the National Mall, at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History—Sant Ocean Hall, and in 2022 will be arriving at the Tennessee Aquarium, Metropolis at Metro town (for another 12 days), the John Ball Zoo, the Lincoln City Cultural Center, and the Wichita Botanic Gardens.

(WATCH the video for this story below.)

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French Town to Light its Streets With Bacteria Luminescence That Needs No Electricity

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 19, 2022

A French design startup wants to reimagine public lighting by introducing—much like in a fantasy or sci-fi story—bacterial and fungal bioluminescence to street lights.

One of the most fascinating phenomena in nature, all kinds of animals, plants, and fungi utilize enzymes to glow in the dark, whether in an enchanting woodland, the bottom of the sea, or even in the town of Rambouillet, 35 miles outside of Paris.

“Our goal is to change the way in which cities use light,” Sandra Rey, founder of the French startup Glowee, which is behind a public project in Rambouillet, told BBC. “We want to create an ambiance that better respects citizens, the environment and biodiversity—and to impose this new philosophy of light as a real alternative.”

Critics say that bacterial bioluminescence produces less than a quarter of the light from the lowest acceptable public lighting LED bulbs; Rey says they’re missing the point, that glowing green fungi in public flower boxes, or tubes of saltwater filled with the blue glow of billions of tiny organisms offer the chance to reimagine what public lighting could be.

The future of public lighting?

Rambouillet city hall offered €100,000 in grant money to Glowee, who themselves have already been given €12,000 by the Paris Innovation Grand Prix in 2015, to turn their town into a “full-scale bioluminescence experiment.”

Small tubes contain billions of individuals from a marine bacterium collected off the coast of France called aliivibrio fischeri, which glow a gentle blue. A small mix of basic nutrients is added to the football-sized tubes, which give off around 15 lumens of light, and a small mechanism pulls oxygen into the tank which the enzyme in the bacteria’s cells called “luciferase” needs to create light. To turn off the light, one simply stops circulating the oxygen.

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The EU has laws for minimum allowable street light illumination, for which Glowee remains 75% off mark. However sustainability opens all doors on the continent, and BBC reports that Glowee has received €1.7 million from the EU to develop its technology, since it is carbon-neutral.

The company has a long way to go. As of now they provide the light for Rambouillet, and event lighting, but nothing else, although a spokesperson said they have 40 city-lighting projects in the works in countries across Europe.

Other firms and scientists are investigating fungi and plants, which also contain versions of luciferase, to see if flower boxes of glowing mushrooms or twinkling tabacum plants are brighter and more effective than bacteria.

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“I believe in some blending of hope and sunshine, sweetening even the worst lots.” – Charlotte Bronte

Quote of the Day

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Apr 19, 2022

Quote of the Day: “I believe in some blending of hope and sunshine, sweetening even the worst lots.” – Charlotte Bronte

Photo by: Majestic Lukas

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3 Easy Houseplants Can Instantly Reduce Air Pollutant by Up to 20%

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Apr 18, 2022

Peace Lily plant-Spathiphyllum wallisii-pubdomain Rui Silvestre — Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) by Rui Silvestre

Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans); Massangeana, CC license

Ordinary potted house plants can potentially make a significant contribution to reducing air pollution in homes and offices.

That’s according to new research led by the University of Birmingham and in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

During a series of experiments monitoring common houseplants exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—a common pollutant—researchers calculated that in some conditions, the plants could be able to reduce NO2 by as much as 20 percent.

The researchers tested three houseplants commonly found in homes, easy to maintain and not overly expensive to buy. They included the peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), corn plant (Dracaena fragrans), and fern arum (Zamioculcas zamiifolia).

[Note that, according to the ASPCA, all three plants are toxic if consumed by dogs or cats.]

Each plant was put, by itself, into a test chamber containing levels of NO2 comparable to an office situated next to a busy road.

Over a period of one hour, the team calculated that all the plants, regardless of species, were able to remove around half the NO2 in the chamber. The performance of the plants was not dependent on the plants’ environment, for example whether it was in light or dark conditions, and whether the soil was wet or dry.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) by Rui Silvestre

“The plants we chose were all very different from each other, yet they all showed strikingly similar abilities to remove NO2 from the atmosphere,” said lead researcher Dr. Christian Pfrang. “This is very different from the way indoor plants take up CO2 in our earlier work, which is strongly dependent on environmental factors such as night time or daytime, or soil water content.”

The team also calculated what these results might mean for a small office (15 sq-meters) and a medium-sized office (100 sq-meters) with different levels of ventilation. In a poorly ventilated small office with high levels of air pollution, they calculated that five houseplants would reduce NO2 levels by around 20 per cent. In the larger space, the effect would be smaller— 3.5 per cent, though this effect would be increased by adding more plants.

While the effects of the plants in reducing NO₂ are clear, the precise mechanism by which they do this remain a mystery. Dr. Pfrang added, “We don’t think the plants are using the same process as they do for CO2 uptake, in which the gas is absorbed through stomata— tiny holes—in the leaves.

There was no indication, even during longer experiments, that our plants released the NO2 back into the atmosphere, so there is likely a biological process taking place also involving the soil the plant grows in—but we don’t yet know what that is.”

MORE: Gardening Dad Just Broke World Record For Growing 1,269 Tomatoes on a Single Stem in his Tiny Greenhouse

“Understanding the limits of what we can expect from plants helps us plan and advise on planting combinations that not only look good but also provide an important environmental service,” said Dr. Tijana Blanusa, principal horticultural scientist at the RHS and one of the researchers involved in the study published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health.

Fern arum (Zamioculcas zamiifolia); Mokkie, CC license

In the next phase of the research, the team will be designing sophisticated tools for modeling air quality indoors encompassing a much wider range of variables.

The new project, funded by the British Met Office, will use mobile air quality measuring instruments to identify pollutants and test their effects in both residential and office spaces, producing a wealth of data to inform the tool’s development.

All in all, it sounds as though—if you haven’t yet joined in on the potted plants trend, maybe it’s time you tried?

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New Mesh for Crops Keeps Out Insects, But Lets in Sun and Rain for up to 3x the Yield

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Apr 18, 2022

Plant Armor mesh-credit Grayson Cave-North Carolina State University — By Grayson Cave / North Carolina State University

By Grayson Cave / North Carolina State University

Researchers have designed a textile called Plant Armor that forces insects to navigate a maze-like path if they want to reach a farmer’s crop.

Based on their findings, North Carolina State University researchers said the Plant Armor could provide a more effective alternative for insect protection—one that is chemical-free.

“We found it’s possible to use this new technology to protect against insects we didn’t think we could protect against,” said the study’s first author Grayson Cave, a doctoral candidate at NCSU. “We’ve shown we can use a mechanical barrier that will protect against tobacco thrips and possibly other insects, allowing the plant to grow and thrive underneath.”

Previously, plant covers have been designed to exclude insects based on size alone—like a window screen—researchers said. However, that strategy can be problematic for trying to keep out insects as small as tobacco thrips, which are about the size of a pencil point.

“To exclude insects that are really small using traditional textile cover designs, the size of the openings would have to be so small that it would also prevent water, air and moisture from penetrating,” said the study’s senior researcher Mike Roe, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Entomology at NC State. “We had to come up with another way of excluding the insects other than just based on pore size.”

MORE: Simple Bacteria Spray Can Solve India’s Air Pollution and Also Enrich Local Farmers

To that end, the researchers designed a three-layer, 3D cover knitted using clear yarn in the outermost and innermost layers. The yarn, which can be made from recycled plastic, still allows sunlight to pass through, but restricts insects from reaching plants. A knitted inner layer is sandwiched perpendicular to the two surrounding layers, creating a maze-like structure within the Plant Armor.

“With our design, the insect has to figure out how to get through the maze to get to the plant on the other side,” Roe said. “The tortuosity makes it more challenging to get through. The insect has a certain amount of time to find food or it will die. That time is relatively fast for a young insect.”

In the first of three experiments, researchers found it took significantly longer for insects to penetrate the Plant Armor. They placed a cabbage leaf and 10 tobacco thrips inside a Petri dish, separated by the Plant Armor or another crop cover. It took approximately three hours for five of the thrips to make it through the Plant Armor, while it took only 12 minutes for them to cross a commercially available, single-layer crop cover. In the same experiment with young, unfed caterpillars, their design was nearly 90% effective at preventing unfed young caterpillars from crossing the Plant Armor in 12 hours.

LOOK: Company’s Innovative Smart Beehive Gets $80 Million in Funding to Save Bees From Any Hazard

“In real life, the insect has a lot of other choices of where to go to find food; this was a worst-case scenario where they had only one place to go,” Roe said. “So we expect in the natural environment, the protection is going to be much greater.”

Higher yields

When researchers tested how well they could protect potted cabbage plants inside a cage with unfed caterpillars, uncovered plants were infested and almost completely eaten, while plants covered and sealed with Plant Armor were not. They did not find a single caterpillar on the covered plants after 10 days.

Their last experiment was a three-month, outdoor field trial testing how well the Plant Armor worked when they used it like a greenhouse cover. The researchers found plants covered with Plant Armor were larger on average; the weight of cabbages under the Plant Armor was almost three times larger than the control.

Researchers said more work is needed to determine whether they successfully excluded insects due to the thickness, pore size or maze-like structure of the inner layer. However, their work provides evidence that their chemical-free design can work against tiny critters.

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“Thrips are extremely tiny,” Cave said. “If we could keep them out, we think we have a good chance of keeping other, larger insects out. And as for the neonate caterpillars—they have to feed immediately, and they’re the tiniest stage of caterpillars. This gives us some good, preliminary data that this would work toward being protective against other caterpillars too.”

Researchers think their crop cover could be a good alternative for high-value crops like grapes. In future research, they also want to explore whether the cover could be used to help protect plants in extreme conditions—and as the climate changes.

“Part of what we’re doing is finding new, smart textiles,” said study co-author Andre West, associate professor of textile, apparel and technology management at NC State and director of Zeis Textiles Extension. “We think this design could help farmers in extreme environments or where crop production is limited in certain areas. It could also be an alternative for organic farmers. Not only is the product itself made with some recycled materials, but it could also be recycled again.”

The study, “Novel 3-D Spacer Textiles to Protect Crops from Insect-Infestation and that Enhance Plant Growth,” was published online in the journal Agriculture.

Source: NC State University

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Cannabis And Pancreatic Cancer: Botanical Drug Kills 100% Of Cancer Cells

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Apr 18, 2022

cannabis marujana david-gabric-public domain -unsplash — David Gabric

A botanical drug based on an extract of Cyathus striatus fungus and a cannabinoid extract from the cannabis plant has eliminated 100% of pancreatic cancer cells—relatively selectively and without damaging normal cells—in experiments conducted on a cell model.

The fungus has been the subject of research to test its anti-cancer efficacy in Professor Fuad Fares’ laboratory at the University of Haifa for about eight years.

It was selected as the preferred candidate for the development of a drug for pancreatic and colon cancer after showing better anti-cancer results than a variety of other fungi tested.

A few months ago, the biomedical company Cannabotech received global and exclusive rights of use for patents created in Prof. Fares’ research and began leading an accelerated process of developing a botanical drug as defined by the FDA.

A new milestone

The first milestone in the botanical drug development process was defined as the adaptation of fungal growth and extraction methods to the FDA protocol for botanical drug development, which the company expects to be significantly cheaper and shorter than the development process of a standard ethical drug.

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In addition, the anti-cancer activity of the new fungal extract and the cannabinoid composition developed by Cannabotech on pancreatic cancer were examined.

The company has announced that in a cell model trial, the adapted extract showed five times higher anti-cancer efficacy than the original extract while causing 100% mortality of pancreatic cancer cells.

MORE: Aggressive Breast Cancer Could Be Tamed By Ingredient Found in Cardamom Spice, Say Scientists

In the active concentration on pancreatic cancer cells, no damage to the healthy cells was observed. The cannabinoid extract resulted in an 80% mortality of pancreatic cancer cells.

Next steps

Cannabotech expects to complete the feasibility study phase within 12 months, by mid-2023, at the end of which it will work to create a development collaboration with a large pharma company vis-à-vis the FDA.

As the next milestone in the development process, the company plans to test both the active mechanism of killing cancer cells by extracts and the combined anti-cancer efficacy of the fungus and cannabinoids together, in cells and animals.

MORE: Aggressive Breast Cancer Could Be Tamed By Ingredient Found in Cardamom Spice, Say Scientists

Pancreatic cancer is reputed to be one of the most aggressive cancers; it has a very low survival rate and is one of the most significant causes of mortality in the Western world. The FDA also tends to give companies significant relief in drug development processes for this indication, such as defining the drug as an “orphan drug.”

Dr. Itzhak Angel, pharmacological consultant for Cannabotech, said, “Developing a botanical drug is a challenging process and the results we have achieved are a real indication that the extracts are effective and safe to use as an anti-cancer treatment for pancreatic cancer. We still have a way to go to substantiate that expectation, but we have good hopes to deliver real news to patients and develop a concrete solution to one of the most aggressive cancers.”

Source: Cannabotech

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‘Radical’ Solar Breakthrough Allows Energy to Now Be Stored for Up to 18 Years, Say Scientists

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 18, 2022

Chalmers University of Technology_Daniel Spacek released — Chalmers University of Technology/Daniel Spacek

Chalmers University of Technology/Daniel Spacek

A pair of Swedish scientists designed a microchip that stores solar energy in liquid, and shipped it to China where three months later it was converted into electricity.

The scientists are hoping to open a Pandora’s box of solar-powered electronics and appliances—expanding solar’s use away from exclusively baseload power generation

Scientists and entrepreneurs are still racing to see who can create the most efficient and effective way of storing solar energy, as PV panels continue to proliferate across the world. These include hugely varied projects which GNN has covered, like ingots of molten aluminum, and deep tunnels that facilitate the lifting and lowering of a huge weight.

This latest newsworthy breakthrough comes from a Dutch-Chinese design team looking for a small, simple way of storing solar energy for the market of smaller electronics.

“This is a radically new way of generating electricity from solar energy,” research leader Kasper Moth-Poulsen, Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University, told Euronews. “It means that we can use solar energy to produce electricity regardless of weather, time of day, season, or geographical location.”

Their design revolves around a specifically-engineered molecule that changes shape when it comes in contact with sunlight, rearranging carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen, to form an isomer—an energy-rich molecule with a different configuration that holds its shape when immersed in liquid.

Form and function

To understand this bears a basic review of thermodynamics. When matter changes form, energy is released, often through heat. When researchers and scientists refer to “storing heat” or “storing energy” in something that isn’t a battery, what they mean is that energy of some form was used to create a form of matter that, when converted back to its original form, generates electricity through heat.

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A catalyst activates the stored isomers in the liquid to change back into their original forms, releasing heat, and generating electricity, hence the technology’s name “Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems.” Until the molecule reaches its half-life, it can be turned back and form from the isomer storage form as often as solar energy needs to be saved, and it can be stored for an incredible 18 years.

“The generator is an ultra-thin chip that could be integrated into electronics such as headphones, smart watches and telephones,” researcher Zhihang Wang from Chalmers University of Technology, whose Chinese team received the stored Swedish sunlight and tested it with their microchip.

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“So far, we have only generated small amounts of electricity, but the new results show that the concept really works. It looks very promising.”

Thermal electricity generation is widely distributed in the world industry, yet Wang et al. compressed that technology into an 800 nanometer-thin film on a three-inch silicon wafer to convert the heat released by Moth-Poulsen’s isomers into electricity. Such a minuscule device could be fitted to receive these isomers from a charging station, to power all kinds of small electronics.

The researchers at both ends of the globe are proud and excited, but caution that much more research is needed before a system such as this can be implemented widely.

This study has been published in Cell Reports Physical Science.

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“The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.” – Alberto Giacometti

Quote of the Day

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Apr 18, 2022

Quote of the Day: “The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.” – Alberto Giacometti

Photo by: Dan Farrell

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New Nasal Spray That Could Protect People From All COVID Variants to Start Human Trials

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Apr 17, 2022

covid-nasal spray graphic-Northwestern Univ-swns — Northwestern / SWNS

A groundbreaking treatment in the form of a nasal spray, which could protect people from all COVID variants will advance to human trials after successful lab tests.

The new spray contains “potent” proteins which target the virus’s weak spots and prevent it from infecting the body, say researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Washington.

Some treatments, including vaccines, have become less effective at combating COVID as the virus has continued to evolve.

Several antibody treatments were halted last month in the U.S. after they failed to protect people against the BA.2 omicron sub-variant—and they require complex refrigerated supply chains.

Now, a simpler solution to combat the virus is being advanced to human clinical trials after promising results of their mice tests, published April 12, 2022, in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Nasal sprays are also being tested in several research institutes in England and Israel as effective defenses for COVID-19.

To begin, the American scientists first used supercomputers to design proteins that could stick to vulnerable sites on the surface of the novel coronavirus, targeting the spike protein. This work was originally reported in 2020 in the journal Science.

In the new work, the team reengineered the proteins — called minibinders — to make them even more potent. Rather than targeting just one site of the virus’ infectious machinery, the minibinders simultaneously bind to three sites (see orange sites in the photo), making the drug less likely to detach.

Professor Michael Jewett, of the University of Washington School of Medicine, explained that SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein has three binding domains, but common antibody therapies may only block one.

“Our minibinders sit on top of the spike protein like a tripod and block all three.

“The interaction between the spike protein and our antiviral is among the tightest interactions known in biology,” he continued. “When we put the spike protein and our antiviral therapeutic in a test tube together for a week, they stayed connected and never fell apart.”

The treatment reduced COVID symptoms and even prevented infections outright, the researchers found after testing it on mice with a nasal spray.

The proteins prevented COVID from binding to what’s known as the ACE2 receptor, the entry point for infecting the body.

The deadly virus cannot infect the body without binding to the receptor, which suggests the treatment will work against new variants.

“To enter the body, the spike protein and ACE2 receptor engage in a handshake,” said Professor Jewett. “Our antiviral blocks this handshake and, as a bonus, has resistance to viral escape.”

The virus-hunting proteins could offer an alternative to vaccines, which require a healthcare professional to administer.

They can be produced on a large scale in microorganisms like E. coli, making them far more cost-effective to manufacture and are stable in high heat.

There is also a high chance the treatment could be self-administered using a one-time nasal spray.

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The researchers hope it might therefore be made available in pharmacies, if human trials demonstrate similar success.

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Ultra Efficient ‘Tandem’ Solar Panels Ditch the Silicon to Absorb More of the Sun’s Spectrum With Less Energy

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Apr 17, 2022

new german solar tech-swns license — By Cedric Kreusel, Wuppertal (left); Selina Olthof, Cologne (right) – SWNS

German scientists have published details of their new solar panel, calling it the world’s most efficient of its type, which uses a wider spectrum of sunlight.

Existing solar technologies are made using silicon and cannot be improved much further—which makes it all the more important to find more efficient and more sustainable materials.

Combining a new material that contains perovskite-based absorbers alongside carbon-based absorbers was measured to be 24 percent efficient, an increase from 20% seen in current models.

Plus, the highly efficient tandem solar cell can be produced at a lower cost than conventional solar cells made of silicon.

The solar cell was developed by Professor Dr. Thomas Riedl and his team at the University of Wuppertal, together with researchers from the University of Cologne, the Universities of Potsdam and Tübingen, and the Max Planck Institute.

Conventional solar cell technologies are predominantly based on the semiconductor silicon and significant improvements in their efficiency—more watts of electrical power per watt of solar radiation collected—are not expected.

Two alternative materials were used in the new study: organic semiconductors, which are carbon-based compounds that can conduct electricity under certain conditions, were paired with a perovskite, based on a lead-halogen compound, with excellent semiconducting properties.

Both of these technologies require significantly less material and energy for their production compared to conventional silicon cells.

By Cedric Kreusel, Wuppertal (left); Selina Olthof, Cologne (right) – SWNS

As sunlight consists of different spectral colors, efficient solar cells have to convert as much of this sunlight as possible into electricity. This can be achieved with so-called tandem cells, in which different semiconductor materials are combined in the solar cell, each of which absorbs different ranges of the solar spectrum.

In the current study the organic semiconductors were used for the ultraviolet and visible parts of the light, while the perovskite can efficiently absorb in the near-infrared. Similar combinations of materials have already been explored in the past, but now the research team succeeded in significantly increasing their performance.

Previously, the world’s best perovskite/organic tandem cells had an efficiency of around 20 percent, but the team increased this value to an unprecedented 24 percent—and believes they will be able to double that increase to 30 percent.

“To achieve such high efficiency, the losses at the interfaces between the materials within the solar cells had to be minimized,” said Dr. Selina Olthof of the University of Cologne’s Institute of Physical Chemistry. “To solve this problem, the group in Wuppertal developed a so-called interconnect that couples the organic sub-cell and the perovskite sub-cell electronically and optically.”

A thin layer of indium oxide was integrated into the solar cell with a thickness of merely 1.5 nanometers to keep losses as low as possible.

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Simulations also showed that tandem cells with an efficiency of more than 30 percent could be achieved in the future with this approach.

The team measured according to the fraction of photons converted into electricity, and just published the results in Nature.

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Adorable Cotton-top Tamarin Babies Born, Bolstering One of Most Endangered Primate Species (LOOK)

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Apr 17, 2022

cotton-top tamarin released Chester Zoo video — Cotton-top tamarin / Chester Zoo

Adorable photographs are celebrating new births for one of the world’s most endangered primates. All were born recently to lucky zoos in America and England participating in a species survival program. One Michigan location even welcomed twins.

At the Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England, weighing-in about the same as an egg from your kitchen, a tiny critically endangered cotton-top tamarin arrived last month, born to first-time parents.

Zoo conservationists say they are “overjoyed” at the new arrival, which they hope will play a vital role in the future survival of one of the rarest monkey species.

There are only about 2,000 of these miniature monkeys breeding in the wild.

The new baby is only 4 inches tall from head to tail (10cm) and weighs around 1.4 ounces (40g). Until its first medical check-up at 6 months, its sex can not be determined, so zookeepers are not talking yet about naming the youngster.

“We strongly suspected that Treat was pregnant from our regular monitoring of her weight and seeing her belly swell,” said Siobhan Ward, primate keeper at Chester Zoo.

“But it was a fantastic surprise nonetheless to see a tiny little ball of fluff clinging onto her back one morning.”

A social species wherein both males and females (and siblings) help care for the young, Ward says that the father, 5-year-old Leo, and mother, 3-year-old Treat, have taken to parenthood “brilliantly”.

cotton-top tamarin at Chester Zoo / SWNS

The baby will be carried around for the next six months. “But it’s actually dad who’s been doing most of the carrying so far, passing it to mum for feeds while he stays protectively close by.”

In order to help save the species, Chester Zoo only recently started caring for them at the zoo, so this was the first cotton-top tamarin to be born there in 22 years.

“We’re completely overjoyed. It’s incredibly special to be able to see the little one so soon after its birth, and after opening its eyes for the first time.”

These tamarins have an iconic look with their voluminous plume of white fur on their heads. The crest raises up whenever then they get excited, or feel that they need to warn off danger, making them look bigger and more intimidating.

They’re highly intelligent and social animals that can live for around 25 years, especially within a zoo’s safe harbor. The animals use more than 38 different calls to communicate to one another, defend their territory, call their young and warn the group of predators.

The declining number of cotton-tops is due to habitat loss—commercial logging for agriculture, paper, and timber industries—and also the illegal wildlife trade. Native to tropical rainforests of Central and South America (predominately Colombia), only about five percent of their original habitat now remains.

That’s why conservationists here in Cheshire are part of an international effort involving many zoos, which is aiming to save the species from possible extinction.

Twin cotton-top tamarin babies born in Michigan at John Ball Zoo / Facebook

Last month in the U.S., several successful births of cotton-top tamarins were announced—including twins born at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Another new baby named Ash is being raised by parents at the Idaho Falls Zoo—the first zoo in the state of Idaho to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums so they can proudly participate in over 40 Species Survival Plans, like the one that is boosting numbers of little tamarins, such as Ash.

WATCH the newborn twins clinging to father (and older siblings) in Michigan…

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“Obstacles are a natural part of life, just as boulders are a natural part of the course of a river.” – I Ching

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Apr 17, 2022

Quote of the Day: “Obstacles are a natural part of life, just as boulders are a natural part of the course of a river.” – I Ching (the ancient Chinese book)

Photo by: Külli Kittus

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Firefighters Rescue Bucket Full of Tiny Ducklings After They Fell Through the Holes of a Drainage Pipe

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Good News Network

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Apr 16, 2022

ducklings in a bucket-swns-wideshot — SWNS

These ducklings were so tiny, they fell through the gaps in a street’s drain cover while waddling toward an English park.

Neil McIvor was cleaning up litter with his volunteer group in Stamford, Lincolnshire, when he raised the alarm.

“We saw these ducklings in trouble after hearing them ‘cheeping’,” recalls the 53-year-old who telephoned the fire department.

Firefighters were then able to pry open the heavy drain and scoop up the brood, before giving them a rinse in a metal bucket.

“The area is well known for ducks to hangout or wonder. They all live in the stream that runs opposite.”

Because there are many potholes that fill with water, the mother duck “sometimes takes her ducklings for a wash in the puddles.”

LOOK: Firefighters Get Creative to Help Baby Raccoon With its Head Stuck in a Sewer Cover

“One must have fallen off the curb and into the drain,” Neil said.

“Once one goes, the rest follow.”

EASTER CUTE: Newest Cadbury Bunny is… a Therapy Dog Named Annie Rose

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Munich’s First Solar Bus Technology Will Hit the Road to Reduce Emissions and Pollution

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Good News Network

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Apr 16, 2022

Saving fuel, slashing emissions, and cutting pollution are just some of the benefits of installing solar panels on public transportation buses—and the city of Munich is buying a ticket to the future by doing just that.

Founded by a trio of German friends in 2016, Sono Motors went public in 2021, selling their Sion solar-paneled car, which is also a home energy storage system.

Now, in partnership with the Munich Transport Company (MVG), a novel solar bus trailer will soon hit the roads, carrying passengers in daily operation.

The Sono Solar Technology is offering possible savings—per bus—of up to 2,500 liters of diesel each year and a reduction of 6.5 metric tons local CO2.

The bus trailer will be pulled by a conventional bus, to provide extra capacity on busy routes. Normally, these huge trailers are powered by diesel fuel.

“In summer, when the air conditioning is in full use, the trailer consumes more electricity than the towing vehicle can supply,” a Sono spokesperson told GNN.

The 20 photovoltaic modules on the roof provide over 2,000 watts to power the vehicle’s battery and electrical loads such as heating and air conditioning, as well as the trailer’s steering system.

“In addition to saving diesel, the additional electricity ensures the stabilization of the battery’s energy supply, thus extending its service life and reducing maintenance costs.”

“Apart from this specific case, Sono Motors Solar Technology can also be integrated into the Bus itself—for supporting the high voltage battery of an electric bus.”

This is the first time that Sono’s solar systems have been used on public transport.

“Especially in times of rising energy prices and increasing urban area emission regulations, our solar technology offers great added value for public transport operators,” says Laurin Hahn, Sono Motors co-founder and CEO.

Technical considerations

For a medium-sized fleet of around 300 buses, calculations show the possibility of savings of up to 2,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per year. Further increases are conceivable in the future, as both the solar cells and the power electronics are expected to become more efficient. This solar solution’s so-called ‘CO2 backpack’, i.e., emissions caused in production, amounts to a one-off of approximately 1.5 metric tons of CO2 per bus or bus trailer and could be offset after a short runtime of just less than one year.

The concept for the customized solar bus trailer was developed in collaboration with MVG, specifically for use on buses, to ensure maximum space utilization and efficiency.

LOOK: Giant Floating Solar Panel Flowers Replace Coal in Korea and Become Tourist Destination

Due to the ultra-fast optimization in the millisecond range and the multi-channel system, the PV yields can be transferred to the battery of the bus in the best possible way. The modules cover a total area of 130 sq-feet (12 sq-meters) and supply the 24 V battery with over 2,000 watts—and the energy generated can be monitored online using integrated software.

“The question of what energy savings can be achieved by using solar energy are, of course, particularly exciting against the background of current fuel and energy prices,” said a spokesperson for MVG.

Extending EV-bus ranges

Sono Motors’ patented solar technology has been developed so that it can be integrated and licensed into a wide range of vehicles. “When e-buses are factory-equipped with our solar technology, additional range can immediately be generated through solar energy on the roof and sides. This not only reduces the standstill times for charging processes, but also protects the battery through a constant charging process. As a result, the e-bus can be operated longer,” explains Hahn.

“I am convinced by the idea, as a lot of fuel can be saved here, and CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced… and this also has a direct impact on air quality,” said Munich’s vice mayor, Katrin Habenschaden.

Munich is already working to completely convert their bus fleet to electric drives. Harnessing the power of the sun makes the process even more sustainable, while extending the range of the e-buses.

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Your Inspired Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Good News Network

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Apr 16, 2022

Our partner Rob Brezsny provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of April 16, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“I have lived my life according to this principle: If I’m afraid of it, then I must do it.” Aries author Erica Jong said that. Since I’m not an Aries myself, her aspiration is too strong for me to embrace. Sometimes I just don’t have the courage, willpower, and boldness to do what I fear. But since you decided to be born as an Aries in this incarnation, I assume you are more like Erica Jong than me. And so, it’s your birthright and sacred duty to share her perspective. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to carry out another phase of this lifelong assignment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“Sometimes suffering is just suffering,” writes novelist Kate Jacobs. “It doesn’t make you stronger. It doesn’t build character.” Now is your special time to shed suffering that fits this description, Taurus. You are authorized to annul your relationship with it and ramble on toward the future without it. Please keep in mind that you’re under no obligation to feel sorry for the source of the suffering. You owe it nothing. Your energy should be devoted to liberating yourself so you can plan your rebirth with aplomb.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
“I am very much afraid of definitions, and yet one is almost forced to make them,” wrote painter Robert Delaunay (1885–1941). “One must take care, too, not to be inhibited by them,” he concluded. He was speaking of the art he created, which kept evolving. In his early years, he considered his work to be Neo-Impressionist. Later he described himself as a “heretic of Cubism,” and during other periods he dabbled with surrealism and abstract art. Ultimately, he created his own artistic category, which he called Orphism. Everything I just said about Delaunay can serve you well in the coming months, Gemini. I think you’ll be wise to accept definitions for yourself, while at the same time not being overly bound by them. That should ultimately lead you, later this year, to craft your own unique personal definition.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
As a postgraduate student in astronomy, Cancerian-born Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered radio pulsars in 1967. Her supervisor, who initially dismissed her breakthrough, was awarded the Nobel Prize for her work in 1974—and she wasn’t! Nevertheless, she persisted. Eventually, she became a renowned astronomer who championed the efforts of minority researchers. Among the 25 prestigious awards and honors she has received is a three-million-dollar prize. I urge you to aspire to her level of perseverance in the coming months. It may not entirely pay off until 2023, but it will pay off.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
“One should always play fairly when one has the winning cards,” wrote author Oscar Wilde. Let’s make that your motto for the next six weeks. If life could be symbolized by a game of poker, you would have the equivalent of at least a pair of jacks and a pair of queens. You may even have a full house, like three 10s and two kings. Therefore, as Wilde advised, there’s no need for you to scrimp, cheat, tell white lies, or pretend. Your best strategy will be to be bold, forthright, and honest as you make your moves.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
“In all the land, there is only one you, possibly two, but seldom more than 16,” said comedian and actor Amy Sedaris. She was making a sardonic joke about the possibility that none of us may be quite as unique as we imagine ourselves to be. But I’d like to mess with her joke and give it a positive tweak. If what Sedaris says is true, then it’s likely that we all have soul twins somewhere in the world. It means that there are numerous people who share many of our perspectives and proclivities; that we might find cohorts who see us for who we really are. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Virgo, because I suspect the coming months will be an excellent time for meeting and playing with such people.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
A team of biologists unearthed a fascinating discovery in Costa Rica. When the group planted a single tree in pastureland that had no trees, biodiversity increased dramatically. For example, in one area, there were no bird species before the tree and 80 species after the tree. I suspect you can create a similar change in the coming weeks. A small addition, even just one new element, could generate significant benefits. One of those perks might be an increase in the diversity you engage with.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Smallpox has been eliminated thanks to vaccination, but it was once among the most feared diseases. Over the course of many centuries, it maimed or killed hundreds of millions of people. For 35 percent of those who contracted it, it was fatal. As for the survivors, their skin had permanent scars from the blisters that erupted. As disfiguring as those wounds were, they were evidence that a person was immune from future infections. That’s why employers were more likely to hire them as workers. Their pockmarks gave them an advantage. I believe this is a useful metaphor for you. In the coming weeks, you will have an advantage because of one of your apparent liabilities or imperfections or “scars.” Don’t be shy about using your unusual asset.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Sagittarian author Pearl Cleage sets the tone for the future I hope you’ll seek in the coming weeks. The Black feminist activist writes, “We danced too wild, and we sang too long, and we hugged too hard, and we kissed too sweet, and howled just as loud as we wanted to howl.” Are you interested in exploring such blithe extravagance, Sagittarius? Do you have any curiosity about how you might surpass your previous records for rowdy pleasure? I hope you will follow Cleage’s lead in your own inimitable style.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
“I can never rest from tenderness,” wrote author Virginia Woolf. I won’t ask you to be as intense as her, Capricorn. I won’t urge you to be constantly driven to feel and express your tenderness. But I hope you will be focused on doing so in the coming weeks. Why? Because the astrological omens suggest it will be “in your self-interest to find a way to be very tender.” (That’s a quote by aphorist Jenny Holzer.) For inspiration, consider trying this experiment proposed by Yoko Ono: “Try to say nothing negative about anybody: a) for three days; b) for 45 days; c) for three months.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“I gamble everything to be what I am,” wrote Puerto Rican activist poet Julia de Burgos, born under the sign of Aquarius. Her gambles weren’t always successful. At one point, she was fired from her job as a writer for a radio show because of her progressive political beliefs. On the other hand, many of her gambles worked well. She earned awards and recognition for her five books of poetry and garnered high praise from superstar poet Pablo Neruda. I offer her as your role model, Aquarius. The rest of 2022 will be a fertile time to gamble everything to be what you are. Here’s a further suggestion: Gamble everything to become what you don’t yet know you must become.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Piscean jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman was a trailblazer. He created the genre known as free jazz, which messed with conventional jazz ideas about tempos, melodies, and harmonies. In the course of his career, he won a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and MacArthur Fellowship “genius” grant. He was a technical virtuoso, but there was more to his success, too. Among his top priorities were emotional intensity and playful abandon and pure joy. That’s why, on some of his recordings, he didn’t hire famous jazz drummers, but instead had his son, who was still a child, play the drum parts. I suggest you apply an approach like Coleman’s to your own upcoming efforts.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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Bigger than Texas: Huge New Marine Park Will Protect ‘Australia’s Galapagos’

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Apr 16, 2022

Massive new marine parks will now protect and preserve the Australian oceans surrounding Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands—home to life found nowhere else on earth.

These two parks in the Indian Ocean will protect over 287,000 square-miles of spectacular seascapes (744k square km), an area greater in size than Texas, and twice as large as the Great Barrier Reef.

Australian Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley called it a “globally significant contribution to marine conservation and a further demonstration of Australia’s leadership in ocean protection”.

“The region, which is often described as Australia’s Galapagos Islands, supports unique underwater reefs and rare aquatic species which act as a natural laboratory, helping us to understand more about the evolution of the oceans.”

60 Commonwealth marine parks around Australia are now protecting 45 percent of the island country’s territorial waters.

WATCH: Amazing Video of Whale Sharks Teaming Up to Hunt With Other Predators in Rare View

Officials wanted to ensure that island fishermen could maintain their sustainable local food source and way of life.

“The offshore parts of these parks will be placed under the highest level of protection, while the inshore areas important to island communities will continue to enable sustainable fishing to occur,” said Nola Marino, the Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories.

Gaze at the local wildlife in this beautiful video from Australian Parks…

The government allocated $5.4 million to manage the marine parks—which is 99% offshore, and one percent inshore to support local fisheries.

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“How do you know what’s going on in the world? Everything’s going on! A far better question is what do you want to focus on?” – Peter Sage

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Apr 16, 2022

Quote of the Day: “How do you know what’s going on in the world? Everything’s going on! A far better question is what do you want to focus on?” – Peter Sage (chooses not to look at any news from mainstream media)

Photo by: awar kurdish

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Startup Designs Prefab Facades That Turn Energy-Sucking Buildings Into Power Providers

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 15, 2022

A German renovation firm is raising a lot of interest in their ability to make old buildings really energy efficient simply by putting a big ‘coat’ on them.

Taking a 3D scan of a house, they prefabricate wood panels of identical shape and scale to be attached to the outside, and have turned the most inefficient buildings in Germany into net-energy producers.

Called Ecoworks, the panels they make come with built in solar panels and insulation, meaning they can be installed on the host building in as little as 20 minutes.

They’re made from wood that’s been harvested after its achieved optimal carbon capture.

In a demonstration, an apartment block from 1930s that used 450 kilowatt-hours per square meter of space (catastrophically inefficient, even by American standards) was equipped with Ecoworks panels while the company monitored the changes in energy consumption.

It became so inexpensive to heat, cool, and power, that the solar panels in the roof made it a carbon-negative building, where before it was listed as one of the least efficient in the whole nation.

MORE: Solar Panels That Make Electricity at Night are Finally Here – And They’re Cheap and Don’t Need Batteries

This summer the startup has another seven projects lined up, identifying which structures will be best suited for the technology by using AI.

Soulless apartment blocks work best, but they’re trying as fast as possible to adapt the panels for use in family homes, schools, and even buildings in other countries.

In Germany alone, writes Adele Peters at Fast Company, 30 million buildings are in need of renovation over the next five years to meet prescribed climate targets.

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