Supercritical CO2 pilot aims to make steam turbines obsolete

[New Atlas logo]( Energy [Supercritical CO2 pilot aims to make steam turbines obsolete]( [The 10 MW supercritical carbon dioxide turbine at the heart of the STEP pilot facility in Texas]( Steam turbines still produce most of the world's power, but supercritical CO2 promises to be much cheaper, and 10% more efficient as a medium than water, using 10X smaller turbines. A US$155-million pilot plant is now complete in San Antonio. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [Unleash your productivity with Microsoft Office, only $49.99]( When it comes to software, few names command the same respect and recognition as Microsoft Office. It's the Swiss Army knife of productivity tools, and when you opt for this “suite” deal, you're gaining a reliable ally for life. [Read more]( Science [All variants of COVID-19 virus can infect the brain, study finds]( [A study has found all variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can travel into the brain and spread from neuron to neuron regardless of how severe the acute disease is]( Striking new findings have demonstrated how all variants of virus that causes COVID-19 can spread into the brain and travel from neuron to neuron. This indicates losing one's sense of smell is not necessarily linked to the virus infiltrating the brain. [Read more]( Science [Water can evaporate with just light, no heat, says surprising study]( [A surprising new study suggests that light alone can evaporate water without heat – and even do so more efficiently]( Contrary to elementary school science class, it turns out that heat may not be necessary to make water evaporate. Scientists at MIT have made the surprising discovery that light alone can evaporate water, and is even more efficient at it than heat. [Read more]( Electronics ["Superatomic" material beats silicon for fastest semiconductor ever]( [Silicon could eventually lose its crown as the favored semiconductor material]( Scientists have found that a “superatomic” material is the fastest and most efficient semiconductor ever. Taking advantage of a tortoise-and-hare mechanism, the new material can transport energy much faster than silicon. [Read more]( Robotics [Quadruped robots may one day give seeing-eye dogs a run for their money]( [This obstacle-avoiding Unitree A1 robot can be steered via directional tugs on its leash]( While seeing-eye dogs can be very helpful to the blind, raising and training them is a long and expensive process. Scientists have therefore recently started investigating the possibility of outsourcing the job to dog-like quadruped robots. [Read more]( Urban Transport [Bamboo e-trike designed to deliver up to 250 kg of cargo]( [Currently in working prototype form, Bamboo Bicycle Club is looking to make the cargo e-trike available as a DIY home-build kit]( Though still not used in mainstream manufacturing, we've seen bike builders make use of bamboo for a number of years. My Boo tapped bamboo and flax for a cargo ebike back in May, and now the Bamboo Bicycle Club is working on a pedal-assist cargo trike. [Read more]( Architecture [Airport expansion goes green with intricate programmable exterior]( [MVRDV's upcoming Czech Lanterns will create three new buildings for the Václav Havel Airport in Prague, Czech Republic]( MVRDV has been commissioned to extend an airport in the Czech Republic. In response, the firm has designed three buildings with intricate facades that incorporate solar power and satellite images of the country. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Higher cell phone usage associated with lower sperm count in new study]( [Cell phone use was linked to sperm quantity, but not its morphology or motility]( A study of nearly 3,000 Swiss men over the course of 13 years has shown a link between frequent cell phone use and a decrease in sperm quantity. What's more, today's 4G and 5G networks may have less of an impact than older communications technology. [Read more]( Science [Scientists identify new accomplice in death of the dinosaurs – dust]( [Scientists have identified a new accomplice in the death of the dinosaurs – fine silicate dust]( The cascading effects of a giant asteroid impact is credited for killing off the dinosaurs. Now scientists have identified a new factor – fine silicate dust that hung in the atmosphere for well over a decade, blocking sunlight and cooling the planet. [Read more]( Medical [Spanish researchers open first biobank for living human brain samples]( [The world's first living biobank of brain samples has the potential to transform cancer research and treatment]( Researchers have created the world’s first biobank of living tissue collected from patients with metastatic brain cancer, providing a means of research and drug testing, with the data collected available to the international scientific community. [Read more]( Science [New DNA tech uses a single cat hair to hone in on crime suspects]( [From feline to felony: New DNA technique has the potential to detect if a specific cat owner has been at the scene of a crime]( Lending new meaning to the phrase ‘cat burglar’, a single feline hair left at a crime scene can be traced back to an individual animal through a new method that can highlight a unique, rare genetic ‘fingerprint’. You could say it turns the cat into a rat. [Read more]( Biology [Sunflowers salute the Sun in a totally different way to what we thought]( [Plant biologist Stacey Harmer has discovered that sunflowers respond to the Sun through a previously unknown mechanism]( The way a sunflower bends to follow the Sun across the sky each day can be quite dramatic. Now, scientists have uncovered something equally dramatic: it does it through unique genetic transcription, which rewrites what we know about its special Sun dance. [Read more]( Medical [Kids’ visits to healthcare services may be an ADHD early warning sign]( [A study has found a link between the number of attendances at healthcare services and childhood ADHD]( A study has found that the frequency by which children and young people attend healthcare services – for a wide range of complaints – may be a sign of undiagnosed ADHD, highlighting the need to look for signs other than the condition's core symptoms. [Read more]( Technology [Smart riot gun refuses to fire if aimed at someone's head]( [The FN Herstal Smart ProtectoR-303T riot gun]( To reduce accidental deaths during civil disturbances, firearms manufacturer FN Herstal has developed a gun that not only fires less-than-lethal elastomer projectiles, it has a digital smart sight that can recognize human heads and refuse to fire at them. [Read more]( Medical [Novel gel-free, waterproof ECG electrodes could be a game-changer]( [Researchers have created a waterproof, gel-free ECG electrode]( Researchers have developed an ultrathin, waterproof, gel-free ECG electrode for continuous heart monitoring that offers greater comfort than current devices on the market, while still precisely measuring the heart’s electrical activity. [Read more]( Medical [Brainwave-reading tech maintains optimum dosage of general anesthesia]( [The system automatically adjusts anesthetic dosages based on brain activity]( Administering general anesthesia is a tricky business, as you don't want to under- or overdo it. With that quandary in mind, scientists have now developed an automated system that continuously adjusts the dosage, based on the patient's brain waves. [Read more]( Wearables [Google looks to ultrasound to monitor heart rate through ANC headphones]( [Google researchers have developed a system that can transform any TWS ANC wearables into heart rate monitors via a software update]( Smartwatches that can monitor a wearer's heart rate use light pulses to detect changes in blood volume. But research from Google proposes using ultrasound from an earphone's speaker driver to look for tiny deviations in the surface of the ear canal. [Read more]( Music [Beautiful app-controlled mechanical music box extends the range]( [Building on the success of the original 20-note mechanical music box, the Muro Box N40 spans nearly four octaves, comes pre-loaded with a 30-tune offline playlist, and can be loaded with melodies via a companion mobile app]( Back in mid-2020, a project out of Taiwan launched on Indiegogo to produce a gorgeous little mechanical music box that could play tunes loaded in using a smartphone app. Now its makers are aiming for double the fun with the Muro Box N40. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). [Update profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( Copyright New Atlas © 2022