Teenager wins Google Science award for genius invention that could cheaply remove most microplastics from the ocean
Because micro-plastics are so small — some as tiny as grains of sand — scientists have had a hard time figuring out to remove them from the soil and the sea.
Now, an Irish teenager has come up with a promising solution for this seemingly impossible task — a magnetic liquid that attracts microplastics to itself.
18-year-old Fionn Ferreira was kayaking one day when he spotted a rock covered in oil from a recent spill. Clinging to the oil were a bunch of tiny pieces of plastic.
“It got me thinking,” Ferreira told Business Insider. “In chemistry, like attracts like.”
Plastic and oil are nonpolar, making them likely to stick together in nature
Ferreira wondered if the effect could be recreated using ferrofluid, a magnetic, oil-based liquid invented by NASA in 1963 to keep rocket fuel moving in zero gravity.
Today ferrofluid is used to control vibrations in speakers and to seal off electronics to keep debris out.
Ferreira makes a more environmentally friendly version of the liquid than the kind used in rocket fuel, using recycled vegetable oil and magnetite powder, a mineral found naturally on Earth’s surface.
When he first drops the liquid into a container of water contaminated with microplastics, it disperses and turns the water black.
Then he dips a magnet in the water, which pulls out all the ferrofluid, plastic and all, leaving clear water behind.
The method removed 88% of the micrplastics in his test samples.
The most difficult type of microplastic to remove was polypropylene, used to make all sorts of plastic packaging. Still, the ferrofluid removes 80% of polypropylene.
The easiest microplastics to remove were microfibers from plastic clothing such polyester, spandex and Lycra.
Washers and dryers are currently not equipped to filter these microfibers, which are a major source of ocean plastic pollution, so this is great news for that application.
Additionally, Ferreira‘s invention can be used at wastewater treatment plants as a sort of catch-all for microplastic pollution before it enters rivers, lakes and oceans.
Ferreira has won the Google Science award, $50,000 and educational funding for his invention.
Because micro-plastics are so small — some as tiny as grains of sand — scientists have had a hard time figuring out to remove them from the soil and the sea.
Now, an Irish teenager has come up with a promising solution for this seemingly impossible task — a magnetic liquid that attracts microplastics to itself.
18-year-old Fionn Ferreira was kayaking one day when he spotted a rock covered in oil from a recent spill. Clinging to the oil were a bunch of tiny pieces of plastic.
“It got me thinking,” Ferreira told Business Insider. “In chemistry, like attracts like.”
Plastic and oil are nonpolar, making them likely to stick together in nature
Ferreira wondered if the effect could be recreated using ferrofluid, a magnetic, oil-based liquid invented by NASA in 1963 to keep rocket fuel moving in zero gravity.
Today ferrofluid is used to control vibrations in speakers and to seal off electronics to keep debris out.
Ferreira makes a more environmentally friendly version of the liquid than the kind used in rocket fuel, using recycled vegetable oil and magnetite powder, a mineral found naturally on Earth’s surface.
When he first drops the liquid into a container of water contaminated with microplastics, it disperses and turns the water black.
Then he dips a magnet in the water, which pulls out all the ferrofluid, plastic and all, leaving clear water behind.
The method removed 88% of the micrplastics in his test samples.
The most difficult type of microplastic to remove was polypropylene, used to make all sorts of plastic packaging. Still, the ferrofluid removes 80% of polypropylene.
The easiest microplastics to remove were microfibers from plastic clothing such polyester, spandex and Lycra.
Washers and dryers are currently not equipped to filter these microfibers, which are a major source of ocean plastic pollution, so this is great news for that application.
Additionally, Ferreira‘s invention can be used at wastewater treatment plants as a sort of catch-all for microplastic pollution before it enters rivers, lakes and oceans.
Ferreira has won the Google Science award, $50,000 and educational funding for his invention.
Business Insider
An 18-year-old has found a way to use 'magnetic liquid' invented by NASA to remove harmful microplastics from water
At age 18, Fionn Ferreira developed a method for removing harmful plastic particles using a liquid invented by NASA.
pink noise
Pink noise is similar to white noise in that it contains sounds across all frequencies, but it has more variation: low frequencies in pink noise are louder and more intense than high frequencies, even if we can't detect it when we hear it. A study in 2012 in Journal of Theoretical Biology found that pink noise appears to help people reach deep sleep, while another in 2017 published in Frontiers In Human Neuroscience noted that it can help memory in older adults.
Overall, white noise may be a good short-term solution for helping your sleep or allowing you to concentrate on a task, but it's not a good idea long-term. The best way to help your auditory centers, says Dr. Attarha, is to replace unstructured noises with speech and music. Doing this, she says, "can reinforce the specialized abilities of our cells, and sustain the chemical, structural, and functional health of the brain."
It's an argument in favor of listening to Music at work rather than miscellaneous background rumblings, and for turning off that white noise machine at night unless you really need it.
Pink noise is similar to white noise in that it contains sounds across all frequencies, but it has more variation: low frequencies in pink noise are louder and more intense than high frequencies, even if we can't detect it when we hear it. A study in 2012 in Journal of Theoretical Biology found that pink noise appears to help people reach deep sleep, while another in 2017 published in Frontiers In Human Neuroscience noted that it can help memory in older adults.
Overall, white noise may be a good short-term solution for helping your sleep or allowing you to concentrate on a task, but it's not a good idea long-term. The best way to help your auditory centers, says Dr. Attarha, is to replace unstructured noises with speech and music. Doing this, she says, "can reinforce the specialized abilities of our cells, and sustain the chemical, structural, and functional health of the brain."
It's an argument in favor of listening to Music at work rather than miscellaneous background rumblings, and for turning off that white noise machine at night unless you really need it.
livescience.com
What Is Pink Noise?
Pink noise is a color of noise, not entirely unlike white noise.
न जगर्ति न निद्राति
नोन्मीलति न मीलति।
अहो परदशा क्वापि
वर्तते मुक्तचेतसः॥१७- १०॥
न जगता ही है और न सोता ही है, न ही आँखें खोलता या बंद करता है, अहा! उस परम अवस्था में कोई मुक्त चेतना वाला विरला ही रहता है॥१०॥
Aha! in that supreme state, where there is no wakening, no sleep, no opening or closing of eyes, rarely someone with liberated consciousness stays.॥. ( Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 17)
नोन्मीलति न मीलति।
अहो परदशा क्वापि
वर्तते मुक्तचेतसः॥१७- १०॥
न जगता ही है और न सोता ही है, न ही आँखें खोलता या बंद करता है, अहा! उस परम अवस्था में कोई मुक्त चेतना वाला विरला ही रहता है॥१०॥
Aha! in that supreme state, where there is no wakening, no sleep, no opening or closing of eyes, rarely someone with liberated consciousness stays.॥. ( Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 17)
Yarsagumba: Biological Gold or 'Himalayan Viagra'
Yarsagumba is a unique caterpillar-fungus fusion that occurs when parasitic mushroom spores (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) infect and mummify a ghost moth larva living in the soil. A spindly fungus later sprouts from the dead caterpillar host’s head. Two to six centimeters long, the fungus shoots above the soil, acting as a tiny, finger-shaped flag for harvesters to find.
This peculiar hybrid is the world’s most expensive biological resource. Yarsagumba thrives in the picturesque peaks of the Himalayas, at altitudes of between 3000 and 5000 meters, in Nepal and Bhutan, and also on the “roof of the world” — the Tibetan Plateau. In Tibet, it’s called “Yartsa gunbu,” which translates to “summer grass winter worm.”
Yarsagumba is a unique caterpillar-fungus fusion that occurs when parasitic mushroom spores (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) infect and mummify a ghost moth larva living in the soil. A spindly fungus later sprouts from the dead caterpillar host’s head. Two to six centimeters long, the fungus shoots above the soil, acting as a tiny, finger-shaped flag for harvesters to find.
This peculiar hybrid is the world’s most expensive biological resource. Yarsagumba thrives in the picturesque peaks of the Himalayas, at altitudes of between 3000 and 5000 meters, in Nepal and Bhutan, and also on the “roof of the world” — the Tibetan Plateau. In Tibet, it’s called “Yartsa gunbu,” which translates to “summer grass winter worm.”
Benefits :
▪️relieve exhaustion and fatigue
▪️decrease stress
▪️strengthen stamina
▪️strengthen kidneys
▪️strengthen lungs
▪️increase libido of men & women
▪️increase semen
▪️strengthen the immune system
▪️strengthen muscle
▪️relive phlegm congestion
▪️enhance calmness
▪️reducing arrhythmia
▪️preventing nephralgia
▪️strengthening the immune system
of tumor patients who have
received radiotherapy
▪️increasing the blood cells &
protein for producing blood plasma
▪️eliminating toxins and side effects
after certain type of therapies
▪️treatment of impotence
▪️treatment of neurasthenia,
▪️treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,
▪️treatment of cirrhosis
▪️strengthening flabby waist & knees
▪️lowering the lipoproteinemia level,
▪️preventing arteriosclerosis &
coronary heart disease
▪️stimulating sexual hormones
▪️delaying the ageing process
▪️relieve exhaustion and fatigue
▪️decrease stress
▪️strengthen stamina
▪️strengthen kidneys
▪️strengthen lungs
▪️increase libido of men & women
▪️increase semen
▪️strengthen the immune system
▪️strengthen muscle
▪️relive phlegm congestion
▪️enhance calmness
▪️reducing arrhythmia
▪️preventing nephralgia
▪️strengthening the immune system
of tumor patients who have
received radiotherapy
▪️increasing the blood cells &
protein for producing blood plasma
▪️eliminating toxins and side effects
after certain type of therapies
▪️treatment of impotence
▪️treatment of neurasthenia,
▪️treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,
▪️treatment of cirrhosis
▪️strengthening flabby waist & knees
▪️lowering the lipoproteinemia level,
▪️preventing arteriosclerosis &
coronary heart disease
▪️stimulating sexual hormones
▪️delaying the ageing process
The politicians ,businessmen and mainstream Media is tell us that Europe needs immigration due to low birth rates.
Europe lost 60% of its population in only 7 years during the Black Death in the mid 1300’s.
Our Problem‘s are not solved by a population —shift , Paradigm —shift.
Europe lost 60% of its population in only 7 years during the Black Death in the mid 1300’s.
Now think about all that Europeans have accomplished since the 1300’sOur Problem‘s are not solved by a population —shift , Paradigm —shift.
“As iron cast into fire loses its rust and becomes glowing white, so he who turns completely to God is stripped of his sluggishness and changed into a new man. When a man begins to grow lax, he fears a little toil and welcomes external comfort, but when he begins perfectly to conquer himself and to walk bravely in the ways of God, then he thinks those things less difficult which he thought so hard before.”
—Imitation of Christ
—Imitation of Christ
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Switzerland 🇨🇭
“Do not place much confidence in weak and mortal man, helpful and friendly though he be; and do not grieve too much if he sometimes opposes and contradicts you. Those who are with us today may be against us tomorrow, and vice versa, for men change with the wind. Place all your trust in God; let Him be your fear and your love. He will answer for you; He will do what is best for you.”
—Imitation of Christ
—Imitation of Christ
In the Kali age, the Brahmanas also abstain from sacrifices and the study of the Vedas... And, O son, the Brahmanas in that age also abstain from prayers and meditation while the Sudras betake themselves to these! The course of the world looketh contrary, and indeed, these are the signs that foreshadow the Universal Destruction.
Mahābhāratam Book 3 Aranyaparva,
Markandeya-Samasya Parva: #KaliYuga
Mahābhāratam Book 3 Aranyaparva,
Markandeya-Samasya Parva: #KaliYuga
Forwarded from Pavel Durov
In May, I predicted that backdoors in WhatsApp would keep getting discovered, and one serious security issue would follow another, as it did in the past [1]. This week a new backdoor was quietly found in WhatsApp [2]. Just like the previous WhatsApp backdoor and the one before it, this new backdoor made all data on your phone vulnerable to hackers and government agencies. All a hacker had to do was send you a video – and all your data was at the attacker’s mercy [3].
WhatsApp doesn’t only fail to protect your WhatsApp messages – this app is being consistently used as a Trojan horse to spy on your non-WhatsApp photos and messages. Why would they do it? Facebook has been part of surveillance programs long before it acquired WhatsApp [4][5]. It is naive to think the company would change its policies after the acquisition, which has been made even more obvious by the WhatsApp founder’s admission regarding the sale of WhatsApp to Facebook: “I sold my users’ privacy” [6].
Following the discovery of this week’s backdoor, Facebook tried to confuse the public by claiming they had no evidence that the backdoor had been exploited by hackers [7]. Of course, they have no such evidence – in order to obtain it, they would need to be able to analyze videos shared by WhatsApp users, and WhatsApp doesn’t permanently store video files on its servers (instead, it sends unencrypted messages and media of the vast majority of their users straight to Google’s and Apple’s servers [8]). So – nothing to analyze – “no evidence”. Convenient.
But rest assured, a security vulnerability of this magnitude is bound to have been exploited – just like the previous WhatsApp backdoor had been used against human rights activists and journalists naive enough to be WhatsApp users [9][10]. It was reported in September that the data obtained as a result of the exploitation of such WhatsApp backdoors will now be shared with other countries by US agencies [11][12].
Despite this ever-increasing evidence of WhatsApp being a honeypot for people that still trust Facebook in 2019, it might also be the case that WhatsApp just accidentally implements critical security vulnerabilities across all their apps every few months. I doubt that – Telegram, a similar app in its complexity, hasn’t had any issues of WhatsApp-level severity in the six years since its launch. It’s very unlikely that anyone can accidentally commit major security errors, conveniently suitable for surveillance, on a regular basis.
Regardless of the underlying intentions of WhatsApp’s parent company, the advice for their end-users is the same: unless you are cool with all your photos and messages becoming public one day, you should delete WhatsApp from your phone.
[1] – Why WhatsApp will never be secure
[2] – WhatsApp users urged to update app immediately over spying fears
[3] – WhatsApp Android and iOS users are now at risk from malicious video files
[4] – Everything you need to know about PRISM
[5] – NSA taps data from 9 major Net firms
[6] – WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton: 'I sold my users' privacy'
[7] – Hackers can use a WhatsApp flaw in the way it handles video to take control of your phone
[8] – WhatsApp is storing unencrypted backup data on Google Drive
[9] – WhatsApp hack led to targeting of 100 journalists and dissidents
[10] – Exclusive: Government officials around the globe targeted for hacking through WhatsApp - sources
[11] – Police can access suspects’ Facebook and WhatsApp messages in deal with US
[12] – Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.
WhatsApp doesn’t only fail to protect your WhatsApp messages – this app is being consistently used as a Trojan horse to spy on your non-WhatsApp photos and messages. Why would they do it? Facebook has been part of surveillance programs long before it acquired WhatsApp [4][5]. It is naive to think the company would change its policies after the acquisition, which has been made even more obvious by the WhatsApp founder’s admission regarding the sale of WhatsApp to Facebook: “I sold my users’ privacy” [6].
Following the discovery of this week’s backdoor, Facebook tried to confuse the public by claiming they had no evidence that the backdoor had been exploited by hackers [7]. Of course, they have no such evidence – in order to obtain it, they would need to be able to analyze videos shared by WhatsApp users, and WhatsApp doesn’t permanently store video files on its servers (instead, it sends unencrypted messages and media of the vast majority of their users straight to Google’s and Apple’s servers [8]). So – nothing to analyze – “no evidence”. Convenient.
But rest assured, a security vulnerability of this magnitude is bound to have been exploited – just like the previous WhatsApp backdoor had been used against human rights activists and journalists naive enough to be WhatsApp users [9][10]. It was reported in September that the data obtained as a result of the exploitation of such WhatsApp backdoors will now be shared with other countries by US agencies [11][12].
Despite this ever-increasing evidence of WhatsApp being a honeypot for people that still trust Facebook in 2019, it might also be the case that WhatsApp just accidentally implements critical security vulnerabilities across all their apps every few months. I doubt that – Telegram, a similar app in its complexity, hasn’t had any issues of WhatsApp-level severity in the six years since its launch. It’s very unlikely that anyone can accidentally commit major security errors, conveniently suitable for surveillance, on a regular basis.
Regardless of the underlying intentions of WhatsApp’s parent company, the advice for their end-users is the same: unless you are cool with all your photos and messages becoming public one day, you should delete WhatsApp from your phone.
[1] – Why WhatsApp will never be secure
[2] – WhatsApp users urged to update app immediately over spying fears
[3] – WhatsApp Android and iOS users are now at risk from malicious video files
[4] – Everything you need to know about PRISM
[5] – NSA taps data from 9 major Net firms
[6] – WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton: 'I sold my users' privacy'
[7] – Hackers can use a WhatsApp flaw in the way it handles video to take control of your phone
[8] – WhatsApp is storing unencrypted backup data on Google Drive
[9] – WhatsApp hack led to targeting of 100 journalists and dissidents
[10] – Exclusive: Government officials around the globe targeted for hacking through WhatsApp - sources
[11] – Police can access suspects’ Facebook and WhatsApp messages in deal with US
[12] – Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.
#
“Water is finer than earth; fire is finer than water; air is finer than fire; electricity is finer than air. Nevertheless, air is a dense element in comparison to the spiritual world and electricity is a dense element in comparison to the spiritual world. Electricity is very fine, but the voice is finer than electricity; the thought finer than the voice; the spirit finer than thoughts. The air is fine, and it carries the voice over a great distance. Electricity is fine and it carries light over a great distance. Nevertheless, how much more is every deed, every word and every thought of yours carried to all ends of the spiritual world.
“O how awesome it is to commit sinful deeds and to speak sinful words and to think insane thoughts! To what immeasurable distances are amassed from that on the waves of the spiritual sea! But do not go into the details of the unknown world.
“The main thing is that you know and that you measure how all of your deeds, words and thoughts unavoidably create an impression on all four sides: On God and the spiritual world, on nature, on men and on your soul. If you train yourself in this knowledge, you will attain a higher level of saving vigilance.”
St. Nikolai (Velimirovich)
#
“Water is finer than earth; fire is finer than water; air is finer than fire; electricity is finer than air. Nevertheless, air is a dense element in comparison to the spiritual world and electricity is a dense element in comparison to the spiritual world. Electricity is very fine, but the voice is finer than electricity; the thought finer than the voice; the spirit finer than thoughts. The air is fine, and it carries the voice over a great distance. Electricity is fine and it carries light over a great distance. Nevertheless, how much more is every deed, every word and every thought of yours carried to all ends of the spiritual world.
“O how awesome it is to commit sinful deeds and to speak sinful words and to think insane thoughts! To what immeasurable distances are amassed from that on the waves of the spiritual sea! But do not go into the details of the unknown world.
“The main thing is that you know and that you measure how all of your deeds, words and thoughts unavoidably create an impression on all four sides: On God and the spiritual world, on nature, on men and on your soul. If you train yourself in this knowledge, you will attain a higher level of saving vigilance.”
St. Nikolai (Velimirovich)
#
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/worlds-first-muslim-yoga-camp-begins-in-uttarakhands-kotdwar-2135972
NDTV.com
World's First Muslim Yoga Camp Begins In Uttarakhand's Kotdwar
The world's first Muslim yoga camp began at Kanva Ashram in Kotdwar town of Uttarakhand on Wednesday, with 500 Muslim men and women from different countries participating in the event.