Microplastics deposited on the seafloor triple in 20 years

First high-resolution reconstruction of microplastic pollution from sediments obtained in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea

28-Dec-2022 - The total amount of microplastics deposited on the bottom of oceans has tripled in the past two decades with a progression that corresponds to the type and volume of consumption of plastic products by society. This is the main conclusion of a study developed by the Institute of Environmental ...

Researchers reproduce artificially the learning and forgetting functions of the brain with magnetic systems

21-Feb-2022 - With the advent of Big Data, current computational architectures are proving to be insufficient. Difficulties in decreasing transistors’ size, large power consumption and limited operating speeds make neuromorphic computing a promising alternative. Neuromorphic computing, a new brain-inspired ...

Better thermal conductivity by adjusting the arrangement of atoms

22-Jul-2019 - Adjusting the thermal conductivity of materials is one of the challenges nanoscience is currently facing. Together with colleagues from the Netherlands and Spain, researchers from the University of Basel have shown that the atomic vibrations that determine heat generation in nanowires can be ...

OLEDs become brighter and more durable

29-May-2018 - Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) truly have matured enough to allow for first commercial products in form of small and large displays. In order to compete in further markets and even open new possibilities (automotive lighting, head-mounted-displays, micro displays, etc.), OLEDs need to see ...

Low-carbon energy transition requires more renewables than previously thought

08-May-2018 - The transition to a low-carbon energy society will require more renewable energy sources than previously thought if current levels of energy consumption per capita and lifestyles are to be maintained. This is one of the main conclusions of a study by Lewis King and Jeroen van den Bergh of the ...

New synthesis method imitates the way molecules were formed at the dawn of life on Earth

29-Sep-2015 - Researchers from the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), with support from the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Service of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have developed a method for synthesising organic molecules very selectively, by assembling simple molecules and ...

Magnetic wormhole connecting 2 regions of space created for the first time

07-Sep-2015 - "Wormholes" are cosmic tunnels that can connect two distant regions of the universe, and have been popularised by the dissemination of theoretical physics. Using present-day technology it would be impossible to create a gravitational wormhole, as the field would have to be manipulated with huge ...

Renewable energy obtained from wastewater

26-Feb-2015 - Currently, there are treatments in which wastewater can flow out to the river or sea without causing any environmental problems. These technologies however entail high energy costs, mainly in aeration and pumping, and an elevated economic cost in treating the sludge left over from the treatment ...

New magnetic behavior in nanoparticles could lead to even smaller digital memories

02-Jan-2014 - Electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets spur on a scientific race to find smaller and smaller information processing and storage elements. One of the challenges in this race is to reproduce certain magnetic effects at nanometre scale. An international collaboration of scientists led ...

Scientists in Spain Develop a Panel of Genetic Markers for Tracing Meat from Farm to Fork

Researchers collaborate with Applied Biosystems to validate specific genetic polymorphisms for identifying individual pigs from commercial breeds

11-Dec-2007 - Scientists at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, have developed and validated an identity test that can be used to confirm the breed and origin of meat from farm animals. The test was developed in collaboration with Applied Biosystems , an Applera Corporation business, and uses a ...