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Apr 7, 2018

Researchers developing renewable energy approach for producing ammonia

Posted by in categories: energy, food, sustainability

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are developing a renewable energy approach for synthesizing ammonia, an essential component of fertilizers that support the world’s food production needs. The Haber-Bosch process developed in the early 1900s for producing ammonia relies on non-renewable fossil fuels and has limited applications for only large, centralized chemical plants.

The new process, published in Nature Catalysis, utilizes a plasma—an ionized gas—in combination with non-noble metal catalysts to generate at much milder conditions than is possible with Haber-Bosch. The energy in the plasma excites nitrogen molecules, one of the two components that go into making ammonia, allowing them to react more readily on the catalysts. Because the energy for the reaction comes from the plasma rather than high heat and intense pressure, the process can be carried out at small scale. This makes the new process well-suited for use with intermittent renewable sources and for distributed .

“Plasmas have been considered by many as a way to make ammonia that is not dependent on fossil fuels and had the potential to be applied in a less centralized way,” said William Schneider, H. Clifford and Evelyn A. Brosey Professor of Engineering, affiliated member of ND Energy and co-author of the study. “The real challenge has been to find the right combination of plasma and . By combining molecular models with results in the laboratory, we were able to focus in on combinations that had never been considered before.”

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Apr 7, 2018

How merit-based insurance can change clinics

Posted by in categories: health, innovation

Welcome to Oxford longevity related conference, free of charge.


Munjal Shah, CEO & Co-founder of Health IQ, discusses lowering premiums for better behavior.

Innovation series by Steven Loeb March 23, 2018 Short URL: http://vator.tv/n/4b46

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Apr 7, 2018

Researchers develop device that can ‘hear’ your internal voice

Posted by in category: futurism

New headset can listen to internal vocalisation and speak to the wearer while appearing silent to the outside world.

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Apr 7, 2018

The Making of ‘Pillars of Creation,’ One of the Most Amazing Images of Our Universe

Posted by in category: space

Pretty Scientific is a new Gizmodo series where we explore how the best images in science were created and why.

Three pillars of gas and dust sit among stars like towers of billowing smoke. It would take several years for light to cross from the top to the bottom of these dusty columns. This striking image from the Hubble Space Telescope remains, to this day, one of the most well-known astronomical images ever taken.

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Apr 7, 2018

How AI and Machine Learning Are Redefining Cybersecurity

Posted by in categories: business, cybercrime/malcode, mobile phones, nuclear energy, robotics/AI, transportation

We are now a connected global community where many digital natives cannot remember a time before the iPhone. The rise of smart homes means that we are increasingly attaching our lighting, door locks, cameras, thermostats, and even toasters to our home networks. Managing our home automation through mobile apps or our voice illustrates how far we have evolved over the last few years.

However, in our quest for the cool and convenient, many have not stopped to consider their cybersecurity responsibilities. The device with the weakest security could allow hackers to exploit vulnerabilities on our network and access our home. But this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Businesses and even governments are starting to face up to the vulnerabilities of everything being online. Sophisticated and disruptive cyberattacks are continuing to increase in complexity and scale across multiple industries. Areas of our critical infrastructure such as energy, nuclear, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing have vulnerabilities that make them a target for cybercriminals and even a state-sponsored attack.

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Apr 7, 2018

The Milky Way’s Center Is a Cornucopia of Black Holes

Posted by in category: cosmology

Astronomers have detected evidence of a handful of the likely thousands of light-gobbling objects in the middle of the galaxy.

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Apr 7, 2018

Orion Span says it’ll put space hotel in orbit by 2022, but some details are up in the air

Posted by in categories: habitats, space

The plan to launch the module into space, and take reservations from customers for multimillion-dollar trips, was announced today at the Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, Calif.

Orion Span says its hotel habitat, dubbed Aurora Station, will be about the size of a large private jet’s cabin, with 5,650 cubic feet of pressurized space. It’ll accommodate up to six residents at a time, including two professional crew members.

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Apr 7, 2018

First in-flight firing of Virgin Galactic spaceplane engine

Posted by in category: space travel

Virgin Galactic’s tourist-carrying spaceplane has taken a step closer to entering service after its chemical rocket engine was fired for the first time in the skies over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. With test pilots Mark “Forger” Stucky and Dave Mackay at the controls, the 60-ft-long (18 m) SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity pegged the speedometer at Mach 1.87 (1,424 mph, 2,290 km/h) within 30 seconds of igniting its engine.

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Apr 7, 2018

Here’s How A Few People Knew The Strongest Earthquake In Years Was About To Hit LA

Posted by in category: mobile phones

Seconds before the strongest earthquake in years shook Southern California, hundreds of people received an alert on their cell phones, giving them crucial time to prepare.

BuzzFeed News Reporter

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Apr 7, 2018

Yosemite Valley to close to visitors as powerful storm moves in

Posted by in category: futurism

Yosemite Valley will close to the public Friday ahead of a powerful storm that could bring flooding to the area, officials said.

Visitors were asked to leave by 5 p.m. and all overnight reservations were canceled through Saturday night, according to Yosemite National Park officials who say the storm may cause “significant impacts.”

After the storm passes, authorities will assess road and facility conditions to determine when Yosemite Valley, home to many of the park’s picturesque waterfalls and cliffs, can reopen.

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