Liquid metal discovery to make toxic water safe and drinkable

Researchers found that nano-filters made of aluminium oxide could be economically produced using virtually no energy from a fixed amount of liquid metal gallium and explained how when a chunk of aluminium is added to the core of liquid gallium at room temperature, layers of aluminium oxide are quickly produced at the surface of the gallium.

It was also discovered that these aluminium oxide nano-sheets were highly porous and its efficiency in filtering both heavy metal ions and oil contamination at unprecedented, ultra-fast rates.

 Researchers said these low cost and portable filters produced by this new liquid metal based manufacturing process could be used by people without access to clean drinking water to remove substances like lead and other toxic metals in a matter of minutes. This technology could be put to good use in Africa and Asia in places where heavy metal ions in the water are at levels well beyond safe human consumption. It is estimated that 790 million people, or one in 10 of the Earth's population, do not have access to clean water.

There are portable filtration products available that do remove heavy metals from water, but they are comparatively expensive, often costing more than $100. By contrast, aluminium oxide filters produced from liquid gallium could be produced for as little as 10 cents, making them attractive to prospective manufacturers. While aluminium is a plentiful and cheap metal, gallium is relatively expensive. But what makes gallium the hero in the process is the fact that it remains pure and unchanged after each production of aluminium oxide.

Major transformation ahead for Earth's ecosystems

International Scientists warned that Earth's ecosystem will risks a major transformation in the next century due to climate change. Some of these changes were already started to happen in the US through wildfires it had destroyed pine forests and transforming swaths of the territory into shrublands. These changes will likely to extend to savannas, deserts and woodlands n the next 100-150 years. It will upset the whole ecosystem. Climate change is something we have to give the greatest importance and should check it properly. Otherwise, it will affect the diversity of the planet. Human-caused climate change is different than other causes. The burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal emits heat trapped gases around the planet. the Earth is currently heating up at, much quicker pace. Researchers described their work as the most comprehensive study to date, based on pollen and plant fossil records from 594 sites worldwide dating back to between 21000 and 14000 years ago. every continent except Antartica is included. The most significant changes were seen in the mid to high latitudes of North America, Europe, and Southern South America. Shifting landscapes would affect drinking water, water recreation, river flow.

Source:(TOI, August 31)

RIVER POLLUTION: NGT directs the state to act

The news all about the increased in polluted river stretches in the country, the national green tribunal(NGT) has directed all states and union territories to prepare action plans within two months,

also, they introduce what was happened like they had to failed to check pollution, and they have not been able to stop dumping of waste, discharge of effluents in rivers and water bodies.

Tsunami hits Indonesian city after 7.5 magnitude earthquake

A tsunami of up to 2m hit a small city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi after a 7.5 quake struck offshore yesterday. the 1.5 to two-meter tsunami has receded, and the yesterday situation is very chaotic, people are running on the streets and buildings collapsed. already BMKG had issued a tsunami warning.  

2018 Arctic summertime sea ice minimum extent tied for sixth lowest on record

Arctic sea ice likely reached its 2018 lowest extent on Sept. 19 and again on Sept. 23, 2018. Analysis of satellite data showed that, at 1.77 million square miles (4.59 million square kilometers), 2018 effectively tied with 2008 and 2010 for the sixth lowest summertime minimum extent in the satellite record.

Arctic sea ice, the cap of frozen seawater blanketing most of the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas in wintertime, follows seasonal patterns of growth and decay. It thickens and spreads during the fall and winter and thins and shrinks during the spring and summer. But in the past decades, increasing temperatures have led to prominent decreases in the Arctic sea ice extents, with particularly rapid decreases in the minimum summertime extent. The shrinking of the Arctic sea ice cover can ultimately affect the planet's weather patterns and the circulation of the oceans.

One of the most unusual features of this year's melt season has been the reopening of a polynya-like hole in the icepack north of Greenland, where the oldest and thickest sea ice of the Arctic typically resides. In February of this year, a similar opening appeared in the same area, catching the attention of sea ice scientists everywhere. The first appearance of the hole raised concerns about the possibility that the region could became vulnerable if the original, thicker ice cover was replaced with thinner ice as the exposed seawater refroze. NASA's Operation IceBridge mission probed the area in March, finding that the ice was indeed thinner and thus more susceptible to be pushed around by the winds and ocean currents.

With the successful launch of NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, on Sept. 15, scientists will be able to use the data from the spacecraft's advanced laser altimeter to create detailed maps of sea ice thickness in both the Arctic and the Antarctic.

How some algae may survive climate change

Green algae that evolved to tolerate hostile and fluctuating conditions in salt marshes and inland salt flats are expected to survive climate change, thanks to hardy genes they stole from bacteria.These Picochlorum single-celled species of green algae provide clues to how nature can modify genomes, and suggest ways in which scientists may someday engineer more robust algae to serve as biofuels and provide other benefits.

A study appearing on the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, reveals how the miniaturized genomes of green algae have evolved from the larger genomes of their freshwater ancestors to become resilient primary producers of organic compounds that support ecosystems. This transition to a saltier and more hostile environment achieved by Picochlorum occurred over millions of years but parallels what is happening on a more rapid scale now due to climate change.

And the world's largest bird is Voromobe titan

Sept 29 2018
PARIS: After more than a century of conflicting evidence the scientists finally found the world's largest bird namely Voromobe titan. In the 19th century, the new breed over the creature, pillaging skeletons and fossilized eggs were discovered the biggest bird on earth. It is also like elephant bird, only the bones were distinct from the elephant bird specimens, in fact titan was entirely different genus with estimates of 860 kg.










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