Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions show

Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions

Summary: Taking inspiration from trees, scientists have developed a battery made from a sliver of wood coated with tin that shows promise for becoming a tiny, long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly energy source. Their report on the device — 1,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper — appears in the journal Nano Letters.

Podcasts:

  Our Sustainable Future: Decomposing BPA-containing plastic using a “fungus among us” | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Scientists are reporting discovery of a more sustainable way of disposing of plastics that contain bisphenol A (BPA) — without releasing that potentially harmful substance to the environment. The new method involves exposing polycarbonate plastic waste to ultraviolet light and heat. Just as cooking makes food more digestible for humans, this pretreatment approach makes polycarbonate plastic more digestible for certain fungi, which the scientists used to break down polycarbonate plastic. Their study appears in the ACS’ monthly journal Biomacromolecules. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  Combating Disease: Coal from mass extinction era linked to lung cancer mystery | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

For years, women in China’s Xuan Wei County in Yunnan Province — women who never smoked cigarettes — have been plagued by lung cancer. The mortality rates among female nonsmokers are the world’s highest — up to 20 times higher than average in China. A new study sheds light on the cancer epidemic and points to an unlikely source: volcanic eruptions occurring millions of years ago. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Providing Safe Foods: Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), that ubiquitous sweetener in soda, fruit drinks and processed foods, may pose another problem besides adding on the pounds. Researchers have found that heating the syrup promotes formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the corn syrup often fed to honey bees. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 New Fuels: An “artificial leaf” for making solar-energy | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Scientists are making progress toward development of an “artificial leaf” that mimics a real leaf’s chemical magic with photosynthesis — but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Promoting Public Health: Saving lives with the first dry powder inhalable vaccine for measles | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

The first dry powder inhalable vaccine for measles is moving toward clinical trials next year in India, where the disease still sickens millions of infants and children and kills almost 200,000 annually. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Providing safe foods: “Killer spices” provide eco-friendly pesticides for organic fruits and veggies | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Mention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. These well-known spices are emerging as organic agriculture’s key weapons against insect pests. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Promoting Public Health: Sandcastle worm’s secrets could yield new medical adhesive | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Scientists have copied the natural glue secreted by a tiny sea creature called the sandcastle worm in an effort to develop a long-sought medical adhesive needed to repair bones shattered in battlefield injuries, car crashes and other accidents. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Confronting Climate Change: “Green” roofs can help fight global warming | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

If you live in the city and you like fresh veggies, herbs and flowers, how about planting a garden on your roof? “Green” roofs, those increasingly popular urban rooftops covered with plants, could help fight global climate change. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Confronting Climate Change: Smoke to soak up future oil spills | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Experts estimate that people dump more than 200 million gallons of used oil each year into sewers, streams and backyards, resulting in a problem that has plagued wastewater treatment plants for decades. But an answer might be found in a material sometimes referred to as frozen smoke. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Promoting Public Health: Redefining DNA: Darwin from the atom up | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

DNA is the blueprint for every organism that ever swam, flew, crawled or walked on earth. Now, four billion years of evolution later, a few bold scientists have created a new genetic blueprint — with some profound applications. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

 Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: Targeting Ricin | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Today’s topic is research on new ways to detect and possibly treat poisoning from ricin, a potential bioterrorist agent. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Halleck, samplecat and acclivity.

 Our Sustainable Future: Small generator, big applications | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Today’s topic is research on creating a sustainable future. This discovery could render today’s landfill-bound batteries obsolete. Imagine if all you had to do to charge your iPod or your BlackBerry was to wave your hand, or stretch your arm, or take a walk? Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by crk365, man, rutgermuller, Halleck and ljudman.

 Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: New Solutions 2009 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

In this episode, scientists from DARPA investigate whether a lethal new kind of explosive threatens America's security. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ljudman and anton.

 Combating Disease: New Solutions 2009 - Much more than pasta and potatoes | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

When you think carbohydrates, spaghetti, rice and freshly baked loaves of bread usually come to mind. A group of scientists in Germany led by Peter Seeberger see carbs a bit differently. Much more than just pasta and potatoes, they envision carbohydrates as the basis of revolutionary new vaccines and drugs to battle malaria, HIV, and a bevy of other diseases. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12.

 Confronting Climate Change: The Quest for Permanent Solutions | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Today’s topic is research on global climate change. This discovery could help control the amount of carbon dioxide — the No. 1 greenhouse gas — entering the atmosphere. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by pushtobreak, sinatra314, acclivity and kjackson.

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