1. A new form of gold, almost as light as air
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| Even when it seems unbelievable: this is a genuine photograph, in which nothing has been faked. The 20 carats gold foam is lighter than milk foam. (Photo: Gustav Nyström and Raffaele Mezzenga / ETH Zurich) |
The researchers were able to invent a new type of foam made of real gold, which is the lightest form ever produced from precious metals, it is a thousand times lighter than gold in its normal state, but despite this it is impossible to be able to tell the difference with your naked eye !
Imagine a solid block of 20-karat real gold, yet it does not sink, for example, into cappuccino foam, but rather does not sink into milk foam.
The almost impossible achievement by a team of researchers at the University of ETH Zurich, Germany, led by Raphael Meisinga, researcher and professor in the field of food and soft materials.
The topic is simply, as Mizinga says, that they produced a foam of gold, which is a three-dimensional network of gold that consists mostly of pores, which is as the team describes it: “the lightest gold ever known in history,” so what we called “the gold aerogel” Lighter than a thousand times lighter than water, which is almost as light as air ”Meisinga complements.
The amazing thing about it is that you will not be able to differentiate it from traditional gold with your naked eye, so aerogel has the same brightness as ordinary gold, but when you hold it your hand you will notice its light weight and high elasticity, unlike the known gold.
Aerogel is mainly composed of 98% air, and only 2% of solid materials. These solids consist of 80% gold, and less than 20% milk protein fibers !, which makes it almost identical to the 20-karat gold.
2. A new infectious disease test will make a difference in diagnosing diseases
The discovery, which could be one of the most important discoveries of the past year, as it demonstrated its ability to detect specific strains of bacteria and even track their impact on any disease.
“With this new technology, we will be able to develop molecular tools that are able to distinguish any bacteria up to their lineage or origin,” says Yingfu LiResearcher and professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University. “It will even have many broad applications.”
A molecular probe is a group of atoms or molecules used in molecular biology or chemistry to study the properties of molecules or other structures.
The researchers successfully managed in their first experiment to develop a molecular probe that was able to trace one of the most dangerous types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that caused the death of some of those infected with it. The test, which can be done in less than one hour, and compared to the original time that scientists need (48 hours), this is an amazing and amazing achievement.
The technology that Lee describes is inexpensive and can be worked on without a dedicated laboratory. Indeed, as Lee sees it, it will be able to deal with a wide range of bacteria, viruses, and other more serious diseases.
The technology that Lee describes is inexpensive and can be worked on without a dedicated laboratory. Indeed, as Lee sees it, it will be able to deal with a wide range of bacteria, viruses, and other more serious diseases.
3. Environment friendly diesel fuel:
It is well known that the production of fuel depends on the use of a catalyst. These substances act as the spark that initiates chemical reactions that convert raw materials into fuel.
In the case of diesel, small granules of catalyst are added to the raw material, enough to change the particles of the raw material, producing usable fuel. In the experiment carried out by scientists, the catalyst was divided into two substances, a mineral of platinum and acid in its solid state.
During the diesel production process, the particles move back and forth between platinum and acid. Each time a molecule contacts one of the two substances it changes slightly, until it is finally ready for use as a diesel fuel.
The belief that was prevalent in ancient and even this study, that the mineral and acid must be very close to each other for the catalyst to work.
But Professor Johann Martins, in cooperation with Professor Crane de Jong, discovered that this belief is wrong, but on the contrary, if there is a nanometer distance inside the catalyst, this produces better molecules for cleaner fuels.
The new method would improve the resulting diesel particles, making cars powered by this fuel emit significantly less carbon dioxide. The new technology is expected to be ready for circulation within 5-10 years.
4. Transparent screens for your smartphone:
Where a team of scientists in Pennsylvania discovered a new material that is very transparent and conducts electricity simultaneously, where it can be used to make a large display screen, or smart windows, or even touch screen phones. The strange thing is that it is very effective and its prices are much lower than the prices of the current screens!
The current screens we use are mainly made of tin oxide indium, the material that is currently used in 90% of the devices with displays.
During the last period, the price of indium has increased very dramatically, making the electronic devices screen the most expensive factor in the entire device, accounting for almost 40% of the product price. But a team of scientists led by Roman Angel Herbert, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, were able to use a very thin (10 nanometer) layer of unusual material called “bonded minerals” in which electrons move as a liquid. Whereas in most traditional metals such as copper, gold, aluminum, and silver, electrons move like gas, but in bonded minerals such as strontium vans and calcium vanes, electrons move like the liquid.
According to the researchers, the electron conductivity in this way produces high optical transparency along with the high conductivity of the metal.
5. Amazing future battery
Lithium-oxygen battery enables scientists to invent a battery that may be able to supply electric cars with energy in the future, of course along with a wide range of other devices.
Researchers at Cambridge University announced the creation of a laboratory model for the lithium oxygen battery that would overcome many barriers that hindered the development of this technology, and said that the new battery is characterized by a very high energy density, 93% better than its previous counterparts in terms of efficiency.
It can be recharged more than two thousand times. The battery, which is much better than the current lithium-ion batteries, is still years away from commercial use, but it is a big step in creating a large-capacity, low-cost battery that lasts for a relatively long period.
Researchers at Cambridge University announced the creation of a laboratory model for the lithium oxygen battery that would overcome many barriers that hindered the development of this technology, and said that the new battery is characterized by a very high energy density, 93% better than its previous counterparts in terms of efficiency.
It can be recharged more than two thousand times. The battery, which is much better than the current lithium-ion batteries, is still years away from commercial use, but it is a big step in creating a large-capacity, low-cost battery that lasts for a relatively long period.