Latest news with #InterestingEngineering
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Humans hurled massive mammoth tusk boomerangs 40,000 years ago
Boomerangs are some of humanity's oldest tools. In the northernmost region of Australia, 50,000-year-old cave art appears to depict Indigenous hunters throwing the weapons at prey, including kangaroos. While most associated with Australia, boomerangs are also documented around the world. One famous example was discovered in an ancient cave in southern Poland in 1985. Instead of using wood, these Early Upper Paleolithic ancestors crafted their tool from a mammoth tusk. And according to recent radiocarbon reevaluations and Bayseian probability modeling, researchers now believe the ivory weapon is even older than previously estimated. Their findings are detailed in a study published in the journal PLOS One. The conclusion comes after an international research team reviewed artifacts recovered from Obłazowa Cave, one of Poland's most important Paleolithic sites. Originally identified in 1985, Obłazowa Cave contains evidence of both Neanderthal and human activity spanning at least ten eras. Some of the most important finds relate to Homo sapiens who occupied the cave roughly 30,000 years ago. These included animal bone pendants, a potential whistle made from a snail shell, and human remains. Archaeologists at the time also unearthed a mammoth tusk boomerang estimated to date back to the same era. For nearly three decades, that specimen offered the tool's oldest known example in Europe. But after careful reexamination using more accurate radiocarbon dating methods, the boomerang's origin is likely closer to 40,000 years ago. As Interesting Engineering explains, the revised age can help researchers better contextualize an important time during the Upper Paleolithic known as the Early Aurignacian, when humans began migrating across Europe in large numbers. Even that long ago, archaeological evidence clearly shows Homo sapiens already engaging in creative, complex, and symbolic projects. These included the manufacturing of refined tools, decorative adornments and jewelry, as well as participating in elaborate ritualistic burials. At about 2.36 feet wide, the ivory boomerang wasn't designed to arc through the air and return to its user. Instead, hunters almost certainly intended the hefty weapon to accurately smack into their prey and kill it—or at least stun a creature long enough for them to close in on the target. 'From an economic perspective, creating and transporting a sizable object like the boomerang represents a unique commitment,' they wrote. 'The intentional thinning of the mammoth tusk to achieve symmetry reflects a notable investment in a context where mobility was essential. Since no ivory fragments were found at the site, the boomerang must have been crafted elsewhere and carried to Obłazowa Cave, underscoring its special status.' According to archaeologists, their latest research not only furthers their understanding of early human adaptive strategies, but highlights 'the nuanced interplay of technology, symbolism, and environmental interaction during the earliest phases of human dispersals in Central Europe.'While experts have previously confirmed the use of boomerangs at various locations including Australia, Central Europe, North Africa, and ancient Egypt, the tools were by no means ubiquitous across all cultures. This means that evidence of the weapons—let alone those carved from mammoth tusks—can serve as vital sources of information on human societal evolution.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists achieve 'world first' by heating plasma to multimillion degree temperatures: 'Helping to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos'
A research team in Germany recently achieved what it called "a world first in fusion research," exciting the clean energy community, Interesting Engineering reported. The research team is part of the world's largest stellarator facility, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), where scientists have been hard at work developing a more efficient way to generate fusion energy. And now, they've finally achieved their goal, generating high-energy helium-3 ions for the first time. Nuclear fusion is the process of using force to merge two atomic nuclei. The act of combining these nuclei results in a tremendous release of energy, which provides a great deal of power that can be used for everything from fuel alternatives to electricity on a commercial scale. Fusion is a clean and naturally occurring means of energy generation; in fact, it's the primary type of power and reaction that creates the stars. And it doesn't generate polluting emissions the way other fuel sources do, appealing to climate advocates. Therefore, the more we can scale our usage of fusion, the cleaner and less overheated our planet's atmosphere will be. For fusion to happen, the process must be made more efficient. Fusion occurs inside a superheated plasma, which is kept at multimillion-degree temperatures. Traditionally, this fusion results in high-energy "alpha particles" (helium-4 nuclei), but those particles can be prone to escape, which can cool the plasma and halt the entire process. That's why the team focused on generating smaller, lower-energy particles, which could maintain the fusion process in a more manageable way. They did this using ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH). As Interesting Engineering explained, ICRH entails sending electromagnetic waves into plasma at "the specific frequency at which helium-3 ions naturally orbit around the magnetic field lines" in order to help the particles absorb energy. "This is similar to pushing a child on a swing: to be effective, each push must be precisely in tune with the swing's natural frequency — in other words, it must be in resonance," the scientists wrote in their press release. "This is the first time that high-energy helium-3 ions have been produced in a stellarator using ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH): a world first in fusion research." Researchers highlighted how the findings will also help them better understand how the sun works, as these same resonance processes used at W7-X may occur in nature. "These findings show that fusion science is not only shaping the future, but also helping to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos around us," the press release concluded. Should we be pouring money into nuclear fusion technology? Yes — it'll pay off It's worth exploring Not from our tax dollars No — it's a waste Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
MIT chemical engineers make potentially game-changing breakthrough with crude oil: 'Creates a new way to apply it'
A team of chemical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has invented a new process to separate crude oil components, potentially bringing forward a replacement that can cut its harmful carbon pollution by 90%. The original technique, which uses heat to separate crude oil into gasoline, diesel, and heating oil, accounts for roughly 1% of all global energy consumption and 6% of dirty energy pollution from the carbon dioxide it releases. "Instead of boiling mixtures to purify them, why not separate components based on shape and size?" said Zachary P. Smith, associate professor of chemical engineering at MIT and senior author of the study, per Interesting Engineering. The team invented a polymer membrane that divides crude oil into its various uses like a sieve. The new process follows a similar strategy used by the water industry for desalination, which uses reverse osmosis membranes and has been around since the 1970s. Previous attempts to adapt this process for crude oil have had the hurdle of the membrane swelling and interfering with successful separation. By replacing the amide bond with an imide bond instead, the team made the film more hydrophobic, allowing hydrocarbons to pass through the membrane without this issue arising. "The main advantage of interfacial polymerization is it's already a well-established method to prepare membranes for water purification, so you can imagine just adopting these chemistries into existing scale of manufacturing lines," lead author Tae Hoon Lee explained, per IE. While protecting the planet from rapid overheating will take scaling down dirty fuel sources in favor of renewable energy sources like solar and wind, this innovation is a substantial step in maximizing the industrial efficiency of oil processing if brought to commercial scale. The technology has also opened the door to imitating its success with other organic systems, with the potential to use different membranes in tandem to isolate a variety of chemicals in complex mixtures. "This work takes the workhorse technology of the membrane desalination industry … and creates a new way to apply it to organic systems," said Andrew Livingston, a chemical engineering professor at Queen Mary University of London, per IE. Should the government be allowed to control how restaurants run their business? Never Only in some cases Only for chain restaurants Yes in all cases Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists make mind-blowing discovery after studying material that only exists exists for billionths of a second: 'Previously unimaginable'
Scientists have made liquid carbon in a lab for the first time, Interesting Engineering reported. Liquid carbon was thought to be impossible to study under normal conditions. The material only exists for billionths of a second under extreme pressure and temperatures of about 4,500 degrees Celsius, making this record-breaking technology limitless in its potential. Nuclear fusion, combining light atomic nuclei to release massive amounts of clean energy, has long been considered the holy grail of power generation. Fusion could change society by providing unlimited electricity without radioactive waste, helping cities, individuals, and companies save money compared to resource-intensive traditional energy methods. But fusion reactors require materials that can withstand high temperatures and radiation. That's where liquid carbon comes in. Thanks to its record-breaking melting point, liquid carbon could be both a coolant and a neutron moderator in future fusion plants. The research team from the University of Rostock and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf used the United Kingdom's DiPOLE 100-X laser system to create these extreme conditions. They fired high-powered laser beams at solid carbon samples, turning them into liquid for just fractions of a second while X-ray beams captured the atomic structure. "The [Science and Technology Facilities Council's] laser system has opened new research possibilities that were previously unimaginable," the researchers noted in their published findings. "This is the first time we have ever been able to observe the structure of liquid carbon experimentally," said professor Dominik Kraus, head of the Carbon Working Group at the University of Rostock. "We are looking at a complex form of liquid, comparable to water, that has very special structural properties." The team found that liquid carbon has four nearest neighbors around each atom, similar to a diamond's structure, which gives it strength and stability. This technological innovation will impact energy generation by creating more efficient, durable fusion reactors that could slash energy bills and improve resource efficiency for everyone. Diversifying clean energy sources reduces harmful air pollution that causes respiratory problems and heart disease in millions of people worldwide. The best way to take advantage of clean energy innovations right now is to install solar panels, bringing your home energy costs down to or near $0. EnergySage provides a free service that makes comparing quotes from vetted local installers easy and can save you up to $10,000 on a solar installation. While this discovery is a step forward, fusion power plants are still years away from powering your home. Other fusion projects are targeting the 2030s for commercial power, bringing us closer to unlimited clean energy. Do you think the U.S. should tax goods from China? Definitely No way Only certain goods I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
NDTV
18-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Scientists Use Human Urine To Make Dental And Bone Implants
Scientists have said that they will transform human urine into a valuable medical resource - as a dental and bone implant. We have seen treated human urine being repurposed as fertiliser and toilet flushing water, but to use it in making implants is rather bizarre. However, scientists believe that recycling human urine offers a sustainable solution to environmental challenges posed by conventional wastewater treatment. A study titled cost-effective urine recycling enabled by a synthetic osteoyeast platform for production of hydroxyapatite, which gives details about this discovery, was published in Nature Communications. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, collaborated with US and Japanese institutions to make a synthetic yeast system that converts urine into hydroxyapatite (HAp) - the main structural component of tooth enamel and bone mineral, which provides hardness. Notably, this biocompatible calcium phosphate mineral is widely used in bone and dental implants, archaeological restoration and biodegradable materials. The market for HAp is projected to exceed USD 3.5 billion by 2030, with a high sales price (over USD 80 per kg) enhancing the economic attractiveness of UD processes, the study revealed. "Inspired by the biological mechanisms of bone-forming cells, we develop a synthetic yeast platform, osteoyeast, which uses enzymes to break down urea and increase the pH of the surrounding environment," researchers said in the study. "This process achieves two goals at the same time," Interesting Engineering quoted Ico-author David Kisailus, UC Irvine professor of materials science and engineering, as saying. "On the one hand, it helps remove human urine from wastewater streams, mitigating environmental pollution and the buildup of unwanted nutrients; and on the other hand, it produces a material that can be commercially marketed for use in a variety of settings," Kisailus added. Human urine must be treated and handled properly to ensure safety and prevent the spread of diseases. The reuse of urine may face social and cultural barriers, requiring education and awareness efforts to promote acceptance. Overall, the reuse of human urine offers opportunities for sustainable resource management, water conservation and environmental protection. The team of researchers also think about the wider use of HAp, which is lightweight, strong and durable. "We are currently developing strategies to leverage his yeast platform with our 3D printing and structural knowledge to make multifunctional architected materials," Kisailus said.
