soaks

Map of the total precipitable water vapor in the atmosphere at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time on December 4, 2023. A warm, moisture-laden weather system soaked western Washington and Oregon. A powerful atmospheric river streamed toward the U.S. Pacific Northwest in early December 2023. The long current of water vapor delivered warm, wet weather to much of western Washington and Oregon, toppling daily rainfall and temperature records and escalating flood and debris flow risks. Monitoring Atmospheric Conditions This map shows the…

Scientists at the University of Georgia have created a "superfoam" with two very valuable potential applications. It could be used not only to clean up oil spills, but also to keep infections from occurring at medical implant sites.Developed by a team led by Assoc. Prof. Hitesh Handa, the three-dimensional material consists of a PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) matrix which is augmented with graphene nanoplatelets and antibacterial copper microparticles. These additions give the foam a coarse, porous structure which is both…

Scientists investigating the way a certain type of fat behaves in response to cold have made a discovery that could have ramifications for cancer treatment. The breakthrough centers on the way the body metabolizes glucose, and hints at the possibility that chilly temperatures can help starve tumor cells of a vital fuel source they need to thrive.The research was carried out by scientists at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet and focuses on what's known as brown fat. Distinct from the persistent white fat that stores extra…

There is a lot for us still to learn about the dangers microplastics pose to the environment and the health of living organisms, but one thing is clear, their presence is widespread and only becoming more-so. Scientists have come up with a novel cleanup solution that takes its cues from nature, in the form of a fish-like robot that can move through the water and soak up small plastic pieces as it goes.The light-activated machine is the handiwork of scientists in China who were looking to improve on current approaches to…