#Future of Environmental Engineering

[gearsandbranches]

Solar power - taste the sun

Without the sun, we would be (frozen) toast. That much is for sure. The sun directly or indirectly powers most forms of renewable energy: Without the sun, there would be no water cykle, so no water power. The differences in temperature and air pressure, set in motion by the energy of the sun, creates wind. And of course, we can use the sun in an array of ways to help us in our daily lives.

"The power of the Sun at the Earth, per square metre is called the solar constant and is approximately 1370 Watts per square metre (W/m2)." (https://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Educational/2/1/12, Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre). That is a lot of watts per square meters. The number differs by a few percent depending on time of the year and our actually elliptic orbit around the sun, but there is still a lot of energy to use.

We can use the thermal energy and the light waves of the sun to our advantage in the following ways:

Active solar heating uses solar collectors, water pipes go through a glazed or unglazed panel. The panel is dark coloured to absorb the most of the solar power. The water in the pipes is heated up and can be used for heating.

Passive solar heating uses the warmth of the sun without a panel, it is for example used in passive houses. The heat from the sun enters the house through big windows, the house is so well insulated that it keeps that warmth.

Daylight can be used as a source for light to avoid artificial lighting.

Concentrated solar collectors contain a parabolic structure that concentrates the solar rays in one point. In that point, there is a pipe containing water or a high temperature heat transfer fluid, for example mineral oil. The fluid will then as well be used to create stream for energy production.

Power Towers are... towers. Surrounded by mirrors that all reflect sunlight onto the receiver on the top of the tower. There is a tank containing either water, creating steam for direct energy production, or salt. The concentrated solar power is enough to melt that saltv (melting point is often at over 200°C) and it can be used to either produce steam for electricity directly or it can be stored for a few hours, making 24-hour energy production possible.

Photovoltaic can be used to produce electricity directly from sunlight. It is a pretty cool process, so I´ll explain it a bit more extensive. Photovoiltaic cells have two layers of silicon, a very common mineral, divided by an insulator. Silicon is a semiconductor, that is a material that normally doesn´t have free electrons, which make up electricity, but if you add a bit of energy, it frees electrons and makes an electrical current possible. Now, the two layers of silicon are also "doped" with impurities, the upper layer with, for example, phosphorus, which adds free electrons, and the lower layer with, for example, boron, which adds a slight positive charge. The upper layer is called n-type silicon, the lower layer p-type silicon. If the sun shines on the photovoltaic cell, it frees the electrons from the upper layer. They are naturally driven to the lower layer, which is lacking electrons, but there is an insulator between them. Add a cable that´s conducting electricity, lay it through your house, and connect the upper to the lower level. If the sun hits the solar panel, it frees the electrons, they are travelling through your cable, bam! Electricity! Since that was a bit complicated, here is a picture:

(Source: Cosmos Magazine)

The perk about photovoltaic is that it is made from very common materials and that it can be put virtually everywhere. The downsides of it, and most other forms of solar energy is the obvious: It depends on the sun shining. Only pretty big photovoltaic panels work if it´s cloudy and there are places on the earth where the amount of sunlight varies strongly during the year. I, for example, am living in Sweden and the amount of sunlight hours (if they exist at all) during winter is so small and the angle of the sun so low that solar power just won´t cut it.

However, there are places on the earth where a lot could be done with solar power. Only a small part of the Sahara desert would be needed to cover Africa´s and Europes entire need for energy. Only a small part of Nevada would be enough to cover the US´s. Then of course, the question is how to transfer that energy and the whole power grid would have to be worked over, but sooner or later, we would have to do that anyways. There is a LOT of potential for solar power and the prices for it have gone down significantly in the past years:

(Source: Peake (2018): Renewable Energy. Power for a sustainable future.)

So that was a bit about solar power. We can hope that this will be a big part of our way to a better, greener, brighter future.

Source for pretty much all of it: Peake (2018): Renewable Energy. Power for a sustainable future. Fourth edition. Oxford university press.

[scriptingthewhy]

The Path of Transformation: From Simplicity to Complexity and Back Again

AI-generated image. Hold on; this might get hairy. The Ascent: Ten Pillars of Progress From the ancient forests that nurtured humanity’s early survival to the skyscrapers and silicon chips that define our modern world, technology has been both a reflection of our ingenuity and a testament to our ambition. We’ve risen with the tools we’ve created, building complex systems that sustain our…

[shashipundir]

The Future of Construction is Here! Are You Ready? The construction industry is evolving faster than ever with cutting-edge technology! From AI-driven project management to 3D-printed buildings, the future is all about efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. 🏗️💡 🔹 Key Innovations Shaping Construction: ✅ AI & Machine Learning – Automating workflows & reducing delays ✅ 3D Printing – Faster, cost-effective, and sustainable buildings ✅ Green Building Materials – Net-zero energy & eco-friendly solutions ✅ Modular Construction – Speedy, low-waste, and future-ready homes ✅ Digital Twins – Smart technology for better infrastructure planning 💬 What do you think is the biggest game-changer? Drop your thoughts below! 👇 Stay ahead of industry trends! Follow @TheCivilStudies for the latest updates. #ConstructionInnovation #AIinConstruction #3DPrinting #Sustainability #FutureOfConstruction #TheCivilStudies

[techninja]

How Wetware Computers Are Being Used in Advanced Diagnostics

Wetware Computers: Pioneering the Next Era of Computing

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, wetware computers stand out as a revolutionary innovation that blends biological elements with traditional computing. These cutting-edge systems promise to transform the landscape of computing, offering unparalleled efficiency and capabilities. This article delves deep into the realm of wetware computers, exploring their principles, current advancements, and future implications.

What Are Wetware Computers?

Wetware computers, also referred to as biocomputers or organic computers, incorporate biological materials with conventional hardware. Unlike traditional computers that depend on silicon-based semiconductors, wetware computers use living cells and tissues to execute computational tasks. This synergy of biology and technology unlocks new potential, leveraging the innate complexity and efficiency of biological systems.

Core Components of Wetware Computers

Wetware computers feature several distinct components that set them apart from conventional systems:

Living Cells: The foundation of wetware computers consists of living cells, such as neurons or engineered bacteria, which process information via biochemical reactions.

Biological Circuits: These circuits mimic the functions of electronic circuits, utilizing biological materials to transmit signals and perform logical operations.

Interface Technologies: Advanced interfaces are developed to facilitate communication between biological components and electronic hardware, ensuring smooth integration.

The Mechanisms of Wetware Computing

Biological Processing Units (BPUs)

At the core of wetware computing are biological processing units (BPUs), akin to central processing units (CPUs) in traditional computers. BPUs exploit the natural processing abilities of biological cells to perform complex computations. For instance, neurons can form intricate networks that process information simultaneously, offering significant advantages in speed and efficiency over traditional silicon-based processors.

Biochemical Logic Gates

Biochemical logic gates are crucial elements of wetware computers, operating similarly to electronic logic gates. These gates employ biochemical reactions to execute logical operations such as AND, OR, and NOT. By harnessing these reactions, wetware computers achieve highly efficient and parallel processing capabilities.

Synthetic Biology and Genetic Modification

Progress in synthetic biology and genetic modification has been instrumental in advancing wetware computers. Scientists can now engineer cells to exhibit specific behaviors and responses, tailoring them for particular computational tasks. This customization is essential for creating dependable and scalable wetware systems.

Potential Applications of Wetware Computers

Wetware computers have immense potential across a variety of fields, including:

Medical Research and Healthcare

In medical research, wetware computers can simulate complex biological processes, providing insights into disease mechanisms and potential treatments. In healthcare, these systems could lead to the development of advanced diagnostic tools and personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to the individual’s unique biological profile.

Environmental Monitoring

Wetware computers can be deployed for environmental monitoring, using genetically engineered organisms to detect and respond to pollutants. These biocomputers can offer real-time data on environmental conditions, aiding in pollution management and mitigation.

Neuroscience and Brain-Computer Interfaces

The fusion of biological components with computing paves the way for significant advancements in neuroscience and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Wetware computers can help develop sophisticated BCIs, enabling direct communication between the human brain and external devices. This technology holds great promise for medical rehabilitation, enhancing the quality of life for individuals with neurological conditions.

Current Progress and Challenges

Advancements in Wetware Computing

Recent advancements in wetware computing have shown the feasibility of integrating biological components with electronic systems. Researchers have successfully created basic biocomputers capable of performing fundamental logical operations and processing information. These milestones highlight the potential of wetware computers to complement and eventually surpass traditional computing technologies.

Challenges and Obstacles

Despite promising progress, wetware computing faces several challenges:

Stability and Reliability: Biological systems are inherently complex and can be unstable. Ensuring the stability and reliability of biocomputers remains a significant challenge.

Scalability: Scaling wetware computing systems to handle more complex and large-scale computations is a critical hurdle.

Ethical Considerations: The use of living organisms in computing raises ethical questions regarding the manipulation of life forms for technological purposes.

The Future Prospects of Wetware Computers

The future of wetware computers is promising, with ongoing research and development aimed at overcoming current limitations and unlocking their full potential. As technology advances, we anticipate several key trends:

Hybrid Computing Models

Wetware computers are likely to complement traditional computing systems, creating hybrid models that leverage the strengths of both. This integration could lead to more efficient and powerful computing solutions, addressing complex problems that are currently beyond our reach.

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Advancements in Synthetic Biology

Continued advancements in synthetic biology will enable the creation of more sophisticated biological components for wetware computers. Improved genetic engineering techniques will allow for greater precision and control, enhancing the performance and reliability of these systems.

Ethical and Regulatory Frameworks

As wetware computing technology advances, the development of robust ethical and regulatory frameworks will be essential. These frameworks will ensure that the use of biological components in computing is conducted responsibly and ethically, addressing concerns related to the manipulation of life forms.

Conclusion

Wetware computers represent a transformative leap in the field of computing, merging the biological and technological worlds in unprecedented ways. The potential applications of this technology are vast, from medical research and healthcare to environmental monitoring and neuroscience. While challenges remain, the continued progress in this area promises to revolutionize the way we approach computation, offering new possibilities and efficiencies.

[goodoldbandit]

Diesel Motorcycles Exist: Exploring Innovation on Two Wheels

https://gob.stayingalive.in/revving-up-knowledge-unveil/diesel-motorcycles-exist.html In the vast world of motorcycles, innovation often takes center stage, driving enthusiasts to seek out new technologies and designs that push the boundaries of what’s possible. One such innovation that has sparked both curiosity and debate is the existence of diesel motorcycles. Yes, you read that right –…

[ericartem]

Genetic Engineering: A Moral Quandary or Humanity's Evolutionary Pathway

Content 16+ In the corridors of scientific progress, few domains elicit as much fervent debate and ethical introspection as genetic engineering. At its core, this field wields the power to sculpt the very essence of life, a power that invokes both awe and trepidation in equal measure. Is genetic engineering an audacious act of playing god, or is it the inevitable trajectory of human evolution, a…

[keferon]

Sigh. I wasn’t strong enough to stop. I wrote a fic too

———————————

Pilots have to be constantly monitored by special people who are trained to do diagnostics. Not just medics. Scientists, engineers. There's a surprising number of things that can go wrong with a person hooked up to a machine.

The thing is.

The procedure is designed to help.

Jazz isn't sure Prowl is getting help.

Organics are fragile.

Most of the ones Jazz had met were, at least. Flesh is more susceptible to environmental influences than metal. Flesh accumulates damage faster, both external and internal. It often generates it itself.

The processes and causes are often a mystery to Jazz, but he's familiar with the general concept.

Organics are fragile.

That's why Jaz isn't very surprised by the crowds of medical personnel scurrying around a human military base.

As Prowl explained to him, humans don't have the built-in ability to open a HUD and perform self-diagnostics. Most of the time all you get is a vague signal in the form of pain in the injured area or nausea or changes in body temperature and things like that.

Pilots have to be constantly monitored by special people who are trained to do diagnostics. Not just medics. Scientists, engineers. There's a surprising number of things that can go wrong with a person hooked up to a machine. It's weird for Jazz. He's used to coming in for physical exams only when something's obviously wrong. Pilots are supposed to get checks just in case anything about them in theory could start breaking down in the future.

The thing is.

The procedure is designed to help.

Jazz isn't sure Prowl is getting help.

He spots the scientist in purple pretty quickly. A crowd of white-haired pilots is a nightmare to identify but this particular organic catches his attention almost instantly.

He's quite...extravagant looking. And he's practically glued to Prowl. They're involved in something together that Jazz isn't sure about, but Prowl looks...wobbly...when he returns from his visits to Tarantulas. And not in a funny way.

Tarantulas holds a special interest in Prowl. Special access, too. Whenever Prowl is injured, Tarantulas is the one who must be contacted immediately. Prowl's mech system needs an upgrade - Tarantulas must be consulted.

Tarantulas slips into the crevices and oozes between the plates. His hands are all over Prowl's personal space and Jazz doesn't really know what he should do about it because Prowl apparently doesn't mind.

Tarantulas dictates what he can and can't eat. What medications he should take and what software he should use.

Tarantulas gives him these little white bracelets with the information he writes on them for the other medics, because Prowl is special for some reason and only Tarantulas has instructions for him.

Knockout wipes his hands with some kind of special napkin and jerks his head around

“If you're looking for Prowl, he's in the labs for a physical.”

Jazz pretends this information is as mundane to him as it is to everyone else on this base

“Why can't you or the other medics examine him?”

“None of us have time to deal with the creepy experiments Prowl is constantly involved in” snorts Knockout ”Last time I checked his blood could dissolve plastic. Haha figuratively of course! Don't look at me like that!”

Jazz smiles, but there's no friendliness behind that smile

“Is this scientist doing experiments on Prowl?”

“Ah. As a matter of fact. Yes. Listen...” Knockout hastily picks up the first aid kit and walks towards the med bays “You'd better ask him yourself. My shift ends in ten minutes, I'm not in the mood to start anything now.”

Jazz nods

“Suuure , no problem.”

“Can I ask what you do in there?”

Prowl has this...look. The one that shows up usually after he gets back from the labs.

In his head, Jazz calls it “'Wobbly.” It's like Prowl's little organic body's joints are coming loose. If he had joints of course (Wait, humans have joints? Right?).

Prowl squints glumly, looking up at him

“Working on improving my mobility on the field.”

Jazz lets out a quiet “oooh.”

Then pulls himself back together

“Shouldn't that involve working on your armor, and not ..uh. you?”

Prowl leans his back against the wall.

“Installing new thrusters on a mech of my class doesn't make sense. They'll increase its speed, but they'll also burn fuel faster.

And installing larger fuel tanks is something reserved for Strikers. There's no way Orion would approve such an upgrade for me.”

Jazz carefully sits down on the floor next to Prowl. It still doesn't give him a good angle on his human's face, but Prowl stares at the floor anyway so...

“And you found some kind of loophole huh?”

Prowl gives a barely perceptible shrug.

“I did some calculations and noticed that the fuel used to run the Heavy Mechs is much more efficient. It's slower to burn out, and gives significantly better performance. Which makes sense, considering it's needed to compensate for the weight of the heavy armor. Used in my mech, it would give me a ten percent increase in speed and twice as much active usage time.

Jazz glares at the top of Prowl's head.

“Sounds like an epic idea, but I'm sensing a 'but' coming...”

“But it's highly toxic.”

“It's what??”

Prowl rubs the bridge of his nose with his fingers

“Only heavy mechs can run this type of fuel because there's enough room in them to insulate the cockpit well enough from any possible chemical exposure.”

Jazz nervously pulls the servo toward Prowl but hesitates at the last second and places it on the floor next to him.

“Prowl. Prowl your armor is lovely but it's anything but heavy.”

“It is” nods Prowl “There isn't enough room in my mech to shield me from any negative effects, so Tarantulas is working on making me immune to them.”

“But that....kind of...why are you letting him? I'm no expert, but sitting inside poisoned armor can't be good for you. I don't know what he told you, but if you had asked even one other medic...”

Prowl finally lifts his head and stares into Jazz's optics for a couple seconds

“He didn't convince me of anything. I asked him to do it myself.”

“Prowl...”

“People have biases against Tarantulas but I assure you, he doesn't do anything I didn't consent to him doing. He likes to go outside the box in his research. He doesn't dismiss my ideas as too harsh. We collaborate.”

“.....”

“The result will be worth it. You'll see.”

Jazz is uncomfortable admitting it, but he sees.

The result is impressive.

Prowl can not only move fast, he can do it for a long time. He's getting more efficient (again), faster (again), better (Prowl's subjective assessment).

The maintenance team wears special masks when working on the internal systems of his mech. The fuel is toxic. Not to Jazz, but even Jazz wouldn't want it to get on his plating.

And humans are fragile.

All organics tend to be fragile.

And Prowl... little flesh-and-blood Prowl gets into this poisoned armor and it's considered acceptable? Because his organic body seems to have developed enough resistance to this kind of damage he only gets a “”mild, easily treatable“” poisoning? And Tarantulas adds another white bracelet to his arm with notes on what substances Prowl needs to put in his drinks to keep his internal components from accumulating damage.

Jazz isn't sure what to think about this.

Jazz doesn't know what to do about it.

And frankly. Does he have the right to get involved if this is what Prowl has chosen for himself?

Tarantulas is a creepy, haunting shadow hanging over Prowl at the slightest opportunity. Tarantulas takes Prowl to a lab and runs poison through his veins. Tarantulas adores Prowl for allowing him to do this.

Prowl insists that Tarantulas is helping.

Jazz doesn't think Prowl is getting help.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Welcome to my Tuesday morning PSA about plastics!

So--I was walking along the Bolstadt beach approach sidewalk here in Long Beach, WA yesterday afternoon, and I started seeing these little orange pellets on the ground that looked a little bit like salmon roe (but probably weren't). So I picked one up, and it was most definitely rubber. I went around picking up every one I could find, and while I didn't keep exact count I probably amassed 50-60 of them. I took this picture before depositing them in the nearest trash can.

These are airsoft gun pellets, and you can buy them in big jars containing thousands of them. That means that someone who decided that the beach was a great place to shoot their airsoft guns could easily litter the place with countless little bits of plastic rubber in less than an hour. We already have a huge problem here with people leaving trash, including tiny bits of plastic, all over the beach (you should see the gigantic mess after 4th of July fireworks when thousands of people come in from out of town, blow things up, and then leave again without picking up after themselves.)

But these airsoft pellets have a particularly nasty side effect. You know how my first thought was "wow, those look kind of like salmon roe?" Well, we have a number of opportunistic omnivore birds like crows, ravens, and several species of gull that commonly scavenge on the beach, especially along the approaches because people often feed them there. If I can catch the resemblance of an orange airsoft pellet to a fish egg, then chances are there are wildlife that will assume they're edible.

Since birds don't chew their food, they probably won't notice that the taste or texture is wrong--it'll just go down the hatch. And since they can't digest the pellets, there's a good chance they might just build up in the bird's digestive system, especially if the bird eats a large number of them--say, fifty or sixty of them dropped on the ground along the same fifty foot stretch of sidewalk. The bird might die of starvation if there's not enough capacity for food in their stomach--or they might just die painfully of an impacted gut, and no way to get help for it. If the pellets end up washed into the ocean, you get the same issue with fish and other marine wildlife eating them, and then of course the pellets eventually breaking up into microplastic particles.

You can get biodegradable airsoft pellets; they appear to mainly be gray or white in color rather than bright screaming orange and green. But "biodegradable" doesn't mean "instantly dissolves the next time it rains." An Amazon listing for Aim Green biodegradable airsoft pellets advertise them as "Our biodegradable BBs are engineered to degrade only with long-term exposure to water and sun and will degrade 180 days after being used." That's half a year for them to be eaten by wildlife.

I don't know, y'all. That handful of carelessly dropped rubber pellets just encapsulates how much people don't factor in the rest of nature when making decisions, even on something that is purely for entertainment like an airsoft gun. We could have had a lot of the same technological advances we have today, but with much less environmental impact, if we had considered the long-term effects on both other people and other living beings, as well as our habitats. We could have found ways from the beginning to make these things in ways that benefited us but also mitigated any harm as much as possible. Instead we're now having to reverse-engineer things we've been using for decades, and sometimes--like the "biodegradable" airsoft pellets--they still have a significant negative impact.

But--at least there are people trying to do things better, thinking ahead instead of just on immediate profit. We're stuck in a heck of a mess here, figuratively and literally, and changing an entire system can't be done in a day. Maybe we can at least keep pushing for a cultural shift that emphasizes planning far into the future--if not the often-cited "seven generations ahead", then at least throughout the potential lifespan of a given product.

[requinoesis]

I was in a long burnout during these times, slowly recovering. I was inspired to update the design of Roberto's family, my great hammerhead shark from the sharkfolk universe that I'm slowly creating, I hope you like it! Here are some details that I thought about them, maybe they will change in the future with new adjustments. 🦈✨

���Joanne Marama "Jojo" - She is the mother of the family and maintains a triamorous relationship with her two husbands. In a surprising turn of events, she became pregnant with both of them simultaneously, thanks to the characteristic of female sharks having two uteruses, allowing fertilization by different males. Professionally, she works as an eco-architect and is 56 years old.

⭐Fernando Marreto "Fer" - He is the first father of the family and father of Lorenza and Marcela. Hyperactive and enthusiastic, he presented Roberto with his old bass. Professionally, he is an environmental engineer and is 55 years old.

⭐Alejandro Martiello "Ale" - He is the second father of the family and father of Milena and Roberto. Calm, serene and compassionate, he presented Roberto with his old acoustic guitar. Professionally, he is a marine biologist and is 57 years old.

⭐Milena M.M. "Lena" - One of the old sisters, she is expecting a baby! During her maternity leave, she creates small jewelry to distract herself. She taught Roberto how to make jewelry, and he developed the habit of giving his friends bracelets and necklaces that he made himself. She is 30 years old.

⭐Lorenza M.M. " Enza " - The other older sister, mother of Francesca and Giovanni, often asks Roberto to take care of her nephews. She is 30 years old.

⭐Marcela M.M. “ Marcy ” – The closest sister, always giving Roberto life advice, should have been born at the same time as him. However, when she was born, Roberto remained in his mother's womb for another two years. She is 20 years old.

⭐Roberto M.M. "Rocky" or "Beto" - Finally, we have our beloved great hammerhead shark! Although he is the youngest, he is the tallest in the family. They thought that Roberto had some health problem that affected his height, but in the end, it is just a curious legacy of his ancestry. If you want to know a little more about Roberto, you can see here.

*O M.M. it would be an abbreviation of the surnames: 'Marreto de Marama' or 'Martiello de Marama'.

(I promise to answer the questions sent to me in my inbox at some point)

[jcmarchi]

New AI noise-canceling headphone technology lets wearers pick which sounds they hear - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/new-ai-noise-canceling-headphone-technology-lets-wearers-pick-which-sounds-they-hear-technology-org/

New AI noise-canceling headphone technology lets wearers pick which sounds they hear - Technology Org

Most anyone who’s used noise-canceling headphones knows that hearing the right noise at the right time can be vital. Someone might want to erase car horns when working indoors but not when walking along busy streets. Yet people can’t choose what sounds their headphones cancel.

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed deep-learning algorithms that let users pick which sounds filter through their headphones in real time. Pictured is co-author Malek Itani demonstrating the system. Image credit: University of Washington

Now, a team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed deep-learning algorithms that let users pick which sounds filter through their headphones in real time. The team is calling the system “semantic hearing.” Headphones stream captured audio to a connected smartphone, which cancels all environmental sounds. Through voice commands or a smartphone app, headphone wearers can select which sounds they want to include from 20 classes, such as sirens, baby cries, speech, vacuum cleaners and bird chirps. Only the selected sounds will be played through the headphones.

The team presented its findings at UIST ’23 in San Francisco. In the future, the researchers plan to release a commercial version of the system.

[embedded content]

“Understanding what a bird sounds like and extracting it from all other sounds in an environment requires real-time intelligence that today’s noise canceling headphones haven’t achieved,” said senior author Shyam Gollakota, a UW professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “The challenge is that the sounds headphone wearers hear need to sync with their visual senses. You can’t be hearing someone’s voice two seconds after they talk to you. This means the neural algorithms must process sounds in under a hundredth of a second.”

Because of this time crunch, the semantic hearing system must process sounds on a device such as a connected smartphone, instead of on more robust cloud servers. Additionally, because sounds from different directions arrive in people’s ears at different times, the system must preserve these delays and other spatial cues so people can still meaningfully perceive sounds in their environment.

Tested in environments such as offices, streets and parks, the system was able to extract sirens, bird chirps, alarms and other target sounds, while removing all other real-world noise. When 22 participants rated the system’s audio output for the target sound, they said that on average the quality improved compared to the original recording.

In some cases, the system struggled to distinguish between sounds that share many properties, such as vocal music and human speech. The researchers note that training the models on more real-world data might improve these outcomes.

Source: University of Washington

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

BMW has announced a move away from electric vehicles, stating that it has successfully addressed the challenges of hydrogen engine technology. The company revealed significant progress in hydrogen fuel cell development, which it sees as a more sustainable alternative to conventional electric cars. Unlike electric vehicles that depend on large batteries, hydrogen engines use lightweight fuel cells, offering faster refuelling and greater range.

BMW also emphasized the environmental benefits, highlighting that hydrogen-powered vehicles emit only water vapor, making them a promising solution for the future of eco-friendly transportation.

[reasonsforhope]

Pairing frogs and toads together might conjure memories of Arnold Lobel’s beloved characters — dressed to the nines in caramel coats and polyester — biking off toward adventure. 

But in the animal world, frogs and toads on nearly every continent are facing a much more harrowing adventure: a decades-long fight against a mysterious fungal virus that has afflicted over 500 amphibian species. 

Since the 1990s, scientists estimate that the chytridiomycosis disease caused by the fungal pathogen Bd (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) has led to the extinction of 90 amphibians. One of the lost species includes the Panamanian golden frog, which hasn’t been spotted in the wild since 2009. 

Fortunately, a new research study has finally pinpointed the virus that has been infecting fungal genomes for decades. 

“Bd is a generalist pathogen and is associated with the decline of over 500 amphibian species…here, we describe the discovery of a novel DNA mycovirus of Bd,” wrote Mark Yacoub — the lead author of the study and a microbiology doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside. 

In an interview with UC Riverside News, Yacoub said that he and microbiology professor Jason Stajich observed the viral genome while studying the broader population genetics of mycovirus (viruses of fungi). 

The discovery will undoubtedly have monumental impacts on future amphibian conservation efforts. This includes the possible launching of new research studies into fungal species strains, the practice of cloning and observing spores, and engineering a solution to the virus. 

But Yacoub cautioned that this is only the beginning. 

“We don’t know how the virus infects the fungus, how it gets into the cells,” Yacoub said. “If we’re going to engineer the virus to help amphibians, we need answers to questions like these.”

Still, as scientists strengthen conservation efforts to save frogs and toads (and salamanders too!) they also appear to be saving themselves. Yacoub pointed out several amphibian species around the world have begun exhibiting resistance to Bd. 

“Like with COVID, there is a slow buildup of immunity,” Yacoub explained. “We are hoping to assist nature in taking its course.”

Pictured: A Golden poison frog — one of the many species endangered by chytridiomycosis — in captivity.

Why are frogs and toads so important?

From the get go, every amphibian species plays an important role in their local ecosystem. Not only are they prey for a slew of animals like lizards, snakes, otters, birds, and more, but in an eat-or-be-eaten world, frogs and toads benefit the food chain by doing both. 

Even freshly hatched tadpoles — no bigger than a button — can reduce contamination in their surrounding pond water by nibbling on algae blooms. 

As they grow bigger (and leggier), amphibians snack on whatever insect comes their way, greatly reducing the population of harmful pests and making a considerable dent in the transmission malaria, dengue, and Zika fever by eating mosquito larvae. 

“Frogs control bad insects, crop pests, and mosquitoes,” Yacoub said. “If their populations all over the world collapse, it could be devastating.” 

Yacoub also pointed out that amphibians are the “canary in the coal mine of climate change,” because they are an indicator species. Frogs and toads have permeable skin, making them sensitive to changes in their environment, and they also rely on freshwater. 

When amphibians vanish from an ecosystem, it’s a symptom of greater environmental issues...

Herpetologist Maureen Donnelly echoed Yacoub’s sentiments in an interview with Phys Org, noting that when it comes to food chains, biodiversity, and environmental impact, the role of frogs and toads should not be overlooked. 

“Conservation must be a global team effort,” Donnelly said. “We are the stewards of the planet and are responsible for all living creatures.”

-via GoodGoodGood, April 22, 2024

[urbanrelics]

HAUT FOURNEAU 4

I adore visiting blast furnaces. They are the most spectacular sights I've ever got to witness. The intricacy of the engineering is quite simply astonishing. This particular specimen in Belgium, which has been under close surveilance since it was shut down in 2008, has been preserved in a remarkably good condition. Almost immediately after the closure, an interest group was established that wanted to preserve the blast furnace as an industrial landmark.

This blast furnace company, which is a defining feature of the city of Charleroi, was founded in 1836, during the heyday of the European steel industry. Like all other steel companies in the region, this blast furnace was also the subject of numerous takeovers and mergers. These mainly took place in the 1960s and 70s. It always remained a flourishing company, competitive on a global scale. However, the takeover by the Duferco group in 2001 heralded the beginning of the end…

The site was then operated under the name Carsid. After a fire in 2007, the furnace was temporarily shut down to carry out the necessary repairs. At the same time, capacity was increased and a number of environmental investments were made. The installation would now be operational for another ten years. Barely a year later, the blast furnace was shut down again, due to “poor prospects”. Due to the economic crisis and the declining demand for steel, the operation of the blast furnace company was no longer deemed profitable.

A “temporary” closure and the search for a buyer should bring relief. After more than three years of uncertainty and economic unemployment, the curtain finally fell for the blast furnace. Since HF4 is one of the best preserved blast furnaces in Europe, the Walloon government is striving to preserve the furnace as industrial heritage. Although a ministerial decree has been published to this effect, the demolition work on the site is progressing steadily…

Unfortunately Charleroi is one of the poorest cities in Belgium. There is no budget for the necessary sanitation and preservation works, which would run in the millions of euros. The futures is looking bleak for this beautiful piece of industrial heritage...

[trooperst-3v3]

One of my engineering students who also studies biology has requested a deadline extension for the confetti cannon project.

Since we're working with plant-based confetti, anyway, she really wants to genetically engineer a plant that will "fire" its own seeds. Like a really aggressive dandelion. That is also a blaster.

Her idea is to create a biological confetti cannon that is environmentally friendly, colorful, and (after some time to regrow) self-reloading. It will just take quite a lot of time to grow, crossbreed, and study plants until it is perfected. Maybe even years.

I'm not gonna lie, that sounds cool as hell. These younglings truly are our future. I told her she can have all the time she needs as long as she keeps me updated with frequent lab notes.

[erinwantstowrite]

opinions on ai?

This is the perfect time to share something I wrote a few months ago when I was upset about it:

AI is the bane of my existence and I hate it so much. Not only because of the environmental impact that it has, but because of how it gives us absolutely nothing of value in creative spaces and is actually a detriment to our future, rather than being "innovative" like companies want us to believe.

If you're using AI to write notes for you, or to answer questions, to write your essays and your discussion posts, you are hurting yourself. But eventually you will hurt others with your willing ignorance. You are not learning, you are not taking the time to push yourself to new bounds. You are not absorbing the information you need, and for why? Because it's hard? Life is hard. Learning is hard. If learning was easy, you wouldn't be learning anything at all. And one day when you need to use these tools you put down and gave to a program in order to do your job, you are going to get someone hurt in some way. If you're going into teaching and you didn't bother to learn about childhood development because you let an AI take your notes because you couldn't be half-assed to sit through an hour long lecture, you will fail every student that comes your way. If you're an engineer and you had AI do the math for you, something that you make will break and it could kill someone. Because the AI can not even count how many times the letter 'r' is in strawberry, but you're trusting it to make bridges or design buildings?

And in a creative sense, you are not an artist if you use AI. I will scream it from the rooftops if I have to.

You are not an artist if you use AI.

Because to be an artist is to put your very soul into what you create. And an AI has no soul. To be an artist is to lay yourself bare for people to witness and interpret, and it's scary but it's freeing. To be an artist is to make a message with your art, to have people a thousand years from now sit in a museum and feel connected to who you were so far in the past. To think that humanity may be different but we are also inherently the same. To be an artist is to despair over the process of creating your art because it's difficult, and time consuming, and damn does it drive you crazy. But then you get that end result and you realize you learned something about yourself, you got better at something that brings you joy, you created and now you see what you are capable of, and what you will be capable of in the future. To be an artist is to connect with someone because of what you made, and that someone includes yourself.

We keep telling young artists that they need to be better now, they need to quit if they aren't good at it on the first try. We keep acting like we didn't start from somewhere ourselves, like we were born with the fine motor skills and the talent needed to create. It's because our attention spans can't handle over 20 seconds and we need multiple videos playing to drown out our own thoughts. We have to look at comment sections to see the court of public opinion before we make a judgement ourselves. If anything is out of the ordinary or doesn't look the way we expect or want, it must be shamed. And this existence is exhausting because at the end of the day, we have done nothing of value. When coming across a video of a young artist who took the time out of their day to create, we need to encourage them to continue going, tell them that their work is worthy. Because it is. It is worthy because they made it. If we shoot them down before they can go anywhere, we've just killed an artist that could have painted the next Starry Night, or created a sculpture that millions of people would try to visit. We've shot down someone who could teach others how to create one day in their future. We shot them down and killed their inspiration and motivation, and they might turn to someone else to do it for them because they will believe they are not worthy enough or talented enough to make it.

When I was still in school, my favorite part of the year was seeing the projects put up on the wall. The silly displays our teachers put up to show a holiday with slightly wonky paper snowflakes, the posters that the art students made with "too many lightning bolts around the guitar", the signs for school dances, the yearbooks that students spent all year making, the English class posters that depicted scenes from what they were reading and they were made with stick figures or they had someone draw out butterflies. I loved seeing the decorations for Homecoming Week, loved looking ta the booths that everyone made for our career and science fairs. I liked when we put on talent shows still, when we did pep rallies and fashion shows and we saw everyone get together to have fun and not care if it was "perfect." No one there was a professional artist, not yet, but that didn't make it any less entertaining or creative.

We dance because we want to feel how our bodies move and express ourselves in ways words cannot. We paint and we draw and make pottery and quilts and pictures because at one point, all we had were cave paintings of our hands, and we still look at them with reverence for where we started. We sing and we drum and we laugh because music is a universal language that anyone can understand, and isn't that breathtaking? We write so that people in the future can pour themselves over our words and learn from us, so that kids can hide their books underneath their covers with a little flashlight when their parents put them to bed hours ago but they just can't put our story down they have to know what comes next! We cook for our loved ones and have family recipes that mean we've been tasting the same food that our family we never got to meet were eating too.

We create because humans are meant to create. We put our love into the process, we put our dreams and our hopes and our hard earned lessons into these creations.

AI will never have that. AI has none of the process, and therefore, it is not art. We can gripe about how art has different meanings all we want, we can shout that art is only art if it invokes an opinion or a thought, but that is not what makes art. Because there is still effort put into placing a shoe on a pedestal, or painting a yellow square, or painting a mural on a wall, or writing poetry in a tiny notebook at school, or melting crayons together, or anything that requires you putting it together. If AI is doing all the work for you, then you've accomplished nothing. And you stole from the people that actually did accomplish something. You stole not only their effort, but you stole their process, their feelings, their hope and their dreams and their ideas of the future.

AI is nothing and will ultimately become obsolete. Because humans will not stop creating just because companies are pushing for us to stop and hand it over to them. They want us to stop creating, they want us to pay them for it, they want us to put blind trust into what they're doing, they want us to forget that they are stealing from us. I will not forget. I will never forget. Because I was born to sing and dance and write and draw and cook, and when I die, my body will go right back to the Earth and perhaps flowers will grow around my grave. I will still be creating even then. And even if AI is still around and still trying to steal from us, I will die knowing that it could never do the same.