Research & science

Research & science Programmable Monomaterial for High-Tech Athletic Shoes High-quality athletic shoes are usually made from a complex combination of materials. This has consequences for both production and recycling. In the ZiProMat project, Fraunhofer researchers have found another way. A sole made of programmable monomaterial performs various functions and is also made of the same material as the upper. The concept combines high-tech, sustainability and recyclability. Fraunhofer Research News · 4 May 2026 Research & science New Measurement Method Detects Field Emissions of Nitrous Oxide Nitrous oxide is the third most significant greenhouse gas in terms of climate impact after carbon dioxide and methane. It is primarily generated as a result of nitrogen fertilization in agriculture. The Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM has developed a compact and cost-effective measurement system that detects nitrous oxide emissions from farmland directly in the fie… Fraunhofer Research News · 4 May 2026 Research & science Wireless Endoscope Transmits Data via Light Medical imaging devices such as endoscopes transmit their data via cables to monitors and hospital information systems. In collaboration with partners, Fraunhofer researchers in the OWIMED project are working to make data cables superfluous in the operating room of the future. The project team has developed a prototype for an endoscope that uses light to transmit the images from a laparoscopic … Fraunhofer Research News · 4 May 2026 Research & science Biodegradable Seed Coating for Effective Seedling Protection and Supply While germinating, seeds must be supplied with sufficient water and protected from herbicides, as undisturbed crop development is key to ensuring stable and high yields. As part of the SeedPlus project, researchers from three Fraunhofer institutes have developed a biodegradable seed coating that features integrated water storage capacity and protection from herbicides to facilitate high germina… Fraunhofer Research News · 4 May 2026 Research & science Innovative Numerical Simulation Methods for Resilient Hydrogen Networks Green hydrogen is a key area of opportunity in the energy transition. However, the use of pipelines to transport this energy source is associated with a degree of risk. Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI, are developing a hydraulic simulation tool to assist with the planning of a resilient hydrogen infrastructure designed to safegua… Fraunhofer Research News · 4 May 2026 Research & science Scientists turn plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel using sunlight Scientists are using sunlight to turn plastic waste into clean fuels like hydrogen, offering a breakthrough solution to both pollution and energy challenges. While still in development, the approach could transform trash into a valuable resource for a low-carbon future. ScienceDaily — Recycling and Waste · 4 May 2026 Research & science Speed 'training' prepares bacteria for complex tasks, like munching plastics Millions of tons of plastic waste accumulate in landfills and oceans every year. One promising response is to engineer microbes to break the plastic down into useful chemical building blocks. However, teaching a bacterium to digest plastic efficiently demands fine-tuning not just one gene, but entire clusters of genes working in concert, like upgrading every machine on a factory assembly line r… Phys.org — 'e-waste' search feed · 4 May 2026 Research & science SARAH-2 Solar Radiation Data - joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) news · 2 May 2026 Research & science Cedars-Caltech Workshop - merkin.caltech.edu Caltech News · 2 May 2026 Research & science The king’s state visit was a success – but there is still a chasm to bridge between UK and US outlooks No act of royal diplomacy, however well executed, can deliver an instant reset in the US-UK relationship. Loughborough University — The Conversation institution feed · 1 May 2026 Research & science How Britain’s housing crisis contributes to its declining healthy life expectancy Poor housing affects education, employment, caring, sleep, relationships and dignity. University of Glasgow — The Conversation institution feed · 1 May 2026 Research & science When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida's historic flood New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn't a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk. Phys.org — 'e-waste' search feed · 1 May 2026 Research & science How close reading took over the internet via The Devil Wears Prada’s cerulean monologue We’re living in a golden age of close reading. University of Warwick — The Conversation institution feed · 1 May 2026 Research & science CIRCULAR LOGISTICS SERVICES: CONCEPTUALIZATION, CONFIGURATION AND VALUE-CREATION - research.chalmers.se Chalmers University of Technology News · 1 May 2026 Research & science Turning crisis into a super campaign: Lessons from KitKat KitKat’s success proves we have moved beyond the era of one-way communication and into the era of “navigating moments”. University of Edinburgh — The Conversation institution feed · 1 May 2026 Research & science Plastic Policy Development in the Philippines: Insights from Key Stakeholders Across the Plastic Value Chain dc.title: Plastic Policy Development in the Philippines: Insights from Key Stakeholders Across the Plastic Value Chain dc.contributor.author: World Bank dc.description.abstract: The Philippines’ blue economy - spanning maritime transport, fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism—is a growing contributor to economic output but is increasingly threatened by escalating plastic pollution. With substanti… World Bank Open Knowledge Repository — 'waste' search · 1 May 2026 Research & science Dolls beat screens for building children’s social skills, study finds Playing with dolls may help children build empathy and better understand other people’s thoughts and feelings. Cardiff University — The Conversation institution feed · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Which bird has the best song? These experts think they know Who makes the best case? University of Sheffield — The Conversation institution feed · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Lithium in the Appalachians could replace imports for a century or more, estimates suggest The southern Appalachians hold an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide, concentrated in the Carolinas, and the northern Appalachians hold an estimated 900,000 metric tons, concentrated in Maine and New Hampshire, according to estimates in a new USGS scientific paper published in Natural Resources Research. The lithium is present in pegmatites, large-grained rocks similar to granite. Phys.org — 'e-waste' search feed · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science What we cannot see in the operating room may matter just as much as what we can I study how the surgical team generate airborne particles through their movements and activities, and how these contaminants are distributed over short distances around the patient and surgical field (the surgical microenvironment). Invisible particles, real consequences: Rethinking contamination in operating rooms We all remember the time of COVID-19, when suddenly everyone became aware of vir… NTNU Norwegian SciTech News · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Smart motorways were halted over safety concerns – what’s the future for digital roads? Many people welcome technology that will improve road safety or reduce congestion. But the rollout has proved unsettling. Cardiff University — The Conversation institution feed · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Upload large data sets - Empa Scientific IT Empa News · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Register a new user - Empa Scientific IT Empa News · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Library guides and databases: Reference management software: What is reference management software - UCL | University College London UCL News · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Mining critical materials is creating 'sacrifice zones' that harm water and health of world's poor There is a troubling contradiction at the heart of the global transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: Modern technologies—everything from AI to wind turbines, as well as cellphones, electric vehicles and defense systems—depend on critical minerals. But many of the communities where those minerals are mined end up with polluted water and poorer health because of the mining. Phys.org — 'battery recycling' search feed · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Metro Manila air still carries toxic lead decades after gasoline phaseout Counterintuitively, despite the ongoing fuel crisis and the over two decades since the global phaseout of leaded gasoline, toxic lead still lingers in Metro Manila's air. By analyzing aerosol data from as far back as 2018 and 2019 using lead isotope fingerprinting, an international team including researchers from the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Physics and the Manila Observatory f… Phys.org — 'e-waste' search feed · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Thermo-kinetic and reactivity analysis of rice husk and its macromolecular constituents during thermochemical conversion for sustainable valorization Rice husk (RH), an abundant agricultural by-product, offers significant potential for sustainable energy generation and material recovery due to its lignocellulosic composition and high silica content. We conducted a detailed thermo-kinetic analysis of RH under inert and oxidative atmospheres. Initial characterization showed that RH is primarily composed of cellulose (56.6%, mass fraction), lig… Waste Disposal & Sustainable Energy (Springer) · 30 Apr 2026 Research & science Releasing goldfish into the wild can mess up ecosystems "It is critically important to inform the public that their pets can become pests that harm freshwater ecosystems." Futurity — Earth & Environment · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science Fertilizer can be made from local resources instead of fossil fuels The prices of mineral fertilizers are rising. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is working on alternative production methods: Researchers have developed various processes and demonstrated them on a pilot scale to recover nutrients from locally available waste streams. Fertilizers ready for immediate use can be obtained from digestion residues, manure, an… Phys.org — 'circular economy' search feed · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science New way to recycle lithium-ion batteries is faster and greener As demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to surge, new research could potentially help ease supply chain pressures and cut environmental harm. Futurity — Earth & Environment · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science Nanozymes against brain tumors - Empa Empa News · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science Une anomalie au LHC laisse entrevoir une percée majeure en physique des particules Une anomalie observée dans la désintégration de mésons B pourrait être le premier signe d’une physique encore inconnue. University of Edinburgh — The Conversation institution feed · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science Tips for Instance Admins - Empa Scientific IT Empa News · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science openBIS at Empa - Empa Scientific IT Empa News · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science Compute - Empa Scientific IT Empa News · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science Data upload to openBIS - Empa Scientific IT Empa News · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science A rush for critical minerals echoes oil extraction injustice as harms fall on world's most vulnerable, scientists warn Mining critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt fuels the "green" energy and digital transitions essential to meeting climate goals. But building the technologies that enable a sustainable future is generating severe, hidden environmental and health crises that the world is failing to track or address, warns a new report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and … Phys.org — 'circular economy' search feed · 29 Apr 2026 Research & science Natural rubber process boosts tire toughness about tenfold while preserving stiffness Natural rubber, tapped from trees as latex, is the world's most widely used bio-elastomer. Comprising long molecular chains that make it pliable and stretchy yet highly resistant to cracking and strain, natural rubber is foundational to countless products, including the heavy-duty tires in trucks, buses, and airplanes. Phys.org — 'circular economy' search feed · 28 Apr 2026 Research & science Your 'recycled polyester' leggings are not as sustainable as you think Recycled polyester activewear and swimwear are now everywhere. Major global brands sell leggings, swimsuits and puffer jackets with labels that claim they're "made from recycled plastic bottles." Millions of people buy these products believing they're making a more sustainable choice. Phys.org — 'circular economy' search feed · 28 Apr 2026 Research & science Sommeil, activité physique, alimentation : des améliorations même modestes sont liées à un vieillissement en meilleure santé Une étude sur une importante cohorte suggère que de légers changements dans les habitudes de sommeil, d’activité physique et d’alimentation sont associés à un vieillissement en meilleure santé. Loughborough University — The Conversation institution feed · 28 Apr 2026