A major new study has found that personal-care products, paints, indoor cleaners and other chemical-containing agents are the increasingly dominant sources of air pollution. Conducted by scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and universities in the United States, Canada and South Korea, and published in the journal Science, the study looked at products that release volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, petroleum-based substances that can contribute the formation of ozone and small-particulate pollution one released to outdoor air. According to the study, the contribution of these chemicals to the levels of VOCs has been significantly underrepresented in inventories for sources of pollution, and as the transportation sector becomes cleaner, the sources of air pollution of becoming more diverse. For example, VOCs can take a variety of forms and have complicated origins, and are released by trees and grass, as well as from cars, consumer and industrial products like pesticides, coatings, printing inks, adhesives, cleaning agents, and personal care products. To find out more check out Volatile chemical products emerging as largest petrochemical source of urban organic emissions.
Money, money, money!
Scientists have claimed that there is an ideal annual income to feel emotionally content, and having too much can actually diminish happiness, according to a study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. By analysing data from the Gallup World Poll, an ongoing international survey of more than 1.7 million people from over 160 countries, researchers from Purdue University in the United States have deduced from participant's responses relating to life satisfaction and well-being — called subjective well-being measures — that there is a magic number for 'income satisfaction'. The researchers found that the ideal income point is US$95,000 for life evaluation (overall life satisfaction) and US$60,000 to US$75,000 for emotional well-being (day-to-day happiness). These magic numbers are significantly higher in some countries than in others, and are broadly associated with how comparatively wealthy each nation is; for example, life satisfaction costs $125,000 in Australia, $105,000 in North America, and $100,000 in Western Europe – but only $70,000 in Southeast Asia, $45,000 in Eastern Europe, and $35,000 in Latin America. Globally, men tend to be satisfied with incomes of US$90,000, whereas women require US$100,000, and for people of low or moderate education, incomes of between US$70,000 and US$85,000 are considered ideal, compared with US$115,000 for people with higher education levels. A remarkable finding from the study is that people with income levels above the ideal exhibited a consistent decrease in happiness. To find out more check out Money only buys happiness for a certain amount.
Money, money, money!
Scientists have claimed that there is an ideal annual income to feel emotionally content, and having too much can actually diminish happiness, according to a study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. By analysing data from the Gallup World Poll, an ongoing international survey of more than 1.7 million people from over 160 countries, researchers from Purdue University in the United States have deduced from participant's responses relating to life satisfaction and well-being — called subjective well-being measures — that there is a magic number for 'income satisfaction'. The researchers found that the ideal income point is US$95,000 for life evaluation (overall life satisfaction) and US$60,000 to US$75,000 for emotional well-being (day-to-day happiness). These magic numbers are significantly higher in some countries than in others, and are broadly associated with how comparatively wealthy each nation is; for example, life satisfaction costs $125,000 in Australia, $105,000 in North America, and $100,000 in Western Europe – but only $70,000 in Southeast Asia, $45,000 in Eastern Europe, and $35,000 in Latin America. Globally, men tend to be satisfied with incomes of US$90,000, whereas women require US$100,000, and for people of low or moderate education, incomes of between US$70,000 and US$85,000 are considered ideal, compared with US$115,000 for people with higher education levels. A remarkable finding from the study is that people with income levels above the ideal exhibited a consistent decrease in happiness. To find out more check out Money only buys happiness for a certain amount.
Fear not, having sex is unlikely to give you a heart attack
Researchers from America have found that less than one percent of people had experienced a sudden cardiac arrest during, or just after, sex. Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study found that of the more than 300,000 people who die annually in the United States from sudden cardiac arrest, only about 1 in 100 men and 1 in 1,000 women experience sudden cardiac arrest relating to sexual activity. By examining data on more than 4,500 sudden cardiac arrests between 2002 and 2015 in Portland, Oregon, the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study found that 34 were related to sex, and most of these were men with a history of heart diseases. The study also found that sudden cardiac arrests occurred during sexual activity in 18 cases, 15 cases within minutes of it, and in one case the timing could not be determined. It is unclear from the study how exhausting the sexual activity was, how often they had sex, the type of intercourse or how long it lasted for the patients, but the results shows that there isn't a high risk of sudden cardiac arrest associated with sex. However, what was very clear from the study is that sexual partners aren't particularly willing to perform CPR, or don't know how, if a partner goes into sudden cardiac arrest. To find out more check out Sexual Activity as a Trigger for Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
New material could harvest electricity from the human body
Scientists from Switzerland have produced a material that can harvest electricity from the human body, and could have uses from pacemakers to clothing. The flexible material has been developed by researchers from the Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, and generates electricity when stretched and compressed using a phenomenon known as the piezoelectric effect, which is most commonly observed when a needle mechanically vibrates in the groves of record in an analog record player. Through the piezoelectric effect, the vibrations are converted into electrical pulses that generate sound waves; it's this conversion of mechanical vibrations into electrical energy that is exploited by the new material, and has only been observed in crystals before being demonstrated in elastic materials. Because of its thin, flexible, organic nature, the new material could work more seamlessly with the human body than current electronics, but producing it is very challenging. Polar nanoparticles and silicone must be laboriously shaped before they are connected, and then a strong electric field is introduced into the thin, elastic film to create the piezoelectric effect, which is achieved by exposing the material to extremely hot, and then cool, temperatures. To find out more check out A rubber power plant.
IBM takes lead in quantum computing
IBM has announced the development of a quantum computer capable of handling 50 qubits, taking the lead in the race to develop a functioning quantum computer. The announcement, made at last week's IEEE Industry Summit On the Future of Computing in Washington, D.C., the United States, places IBM at the cutting edge of research into quantum computing with the largest and most powerful quantum computer yet. Quantum computers differ from digital computers in that they process information using qubits instead of binary bits; bits can be a 0s or 1s, whereas qubits can also be a 0 and/or a 1, which is made possible by the quantum effects known as entanglement and superposition, making quantum computers capable of carrying out more complex calculations much faster than their digital counterparts. Maintaining the quantum state of qubits is key to developing a commercial quantum computer and one of the biggest challenges for the industry. IBM has managed to achieve this for a total of 90 microseconds (0.09 seconds), and is another record. To find out more check out IBM Raises the Bar with a 50-Qubit Quantum Computer.
Former NASA scientist suggests suing polluters to combat climate change
In a new twist on the 'polluter pays' principle of environmental protection, former NASA climate scientist James Hansen has suggested that if we are to seriously tackle the problem of climate change, we should sue the polluters responsible for it. By suing major polluters — around 100 companies have contributed more than 70 percent of the world's greenhouse gases in the past three decades — the funds generated could be used to help with mitigation efforts. Hansen's message is directed at world leaders who are currently meeting in Bonn, Germany, to plan a path for meeting the Paris Agreement, which came into force last November and aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by confining global temperature increases to below 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. Hansen argues that an enormous amount of money is urgently required to achieve the dramatic reductions in emissions necessary to stablise the climate, and for countries, particularly developing countries, to cope with the impacts from climate change. This money, he believes, should come from companies that have profited from the burning of fossil fuels that have greatly contributed to a warming planet. To find out more check out Fight Climate Change by Suing Polluters, Says Scientist.
Another study concludes that children of same-sex parents do just fine
One of the tenets of those who appose same-sex marriage is that the children of gay couples fare worse as they are deprived of a parent of the opposite gender. However, the bulk of studies on the welfare of children brought-up in same-sex households do not support this view, and is further echoed by another study, in which a team of researchers assessed data from the 2013 to 2015 US National Health Interview Survey, compiling information on the emotional and mental health difficulties of more than 21,000 children aged 4 to 17. Published in the journal Child Development, the researchers were unable to find any indication of increased emotional or psychological difficulties among children of homosexual parents, but did find that those with bisexual parents had slightly poorer questionnaire scores. Once the researchers took into account the parent's level of psychological distress, the observed differences vanished, concluding that any potential variation in the children's mental wellbeing was probably due to challenges that parents face from a society that stigmatises their sexual orientation and non-traditional relationships, and not as a direct consequence of their sexualities. The study provides further evidence to refute claims that the children of same-sex couples are disadvantaged, and suggests that negative consequences are more likely to be the result of the stigma itself. To find out more check out Parental Sexual Orientation and Children’s Psychological Well-Being:2013–2015 National Health Interview Survey.
Now you see, now you don't
Leafhopper insects sweat out microparticles that not only repel water, but also the wavelengths of light falling on them, which could be used in the quest to develop an invisibility cloak. Key to developing such a cloak is finding a way to absorb light so that it hides the object being viewed, and that's exactly how the leafhopper is able to evade predators, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications. In the study, researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the United States have created synthetic materials that mimic these microparticles, called brochosomes, by using nanoscale holes to absorb light from all directions across a wide range of frequencies. Brochosomes are like tiny soccer balls, but have proved challenging for scientists to recreate with artificial materials — until now. Using a complex electrochemical process, the researchers have produced similar microparticles able to capture up to 99 percent of light, from ultraviolet through visible and close to infrared. Although physicists believe that an invisibility cloak is impossible, as an antireflective coating the synthetic brochosomes could help to reduce signal noise in sensors and cameras, improve the capabilities of telescopes, and help solar panels to capture light more efficiently. To find out more check out Ultra-antireflective synthetic brochosomes.
2017 set to be in the top three warmest years on record
According to the World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO's) provisional Statement on the State of the Climate released this week, 2017 is set to be in the top three hottest years on record. The statement says that the average global temperature from January to September 2017 was 1.1°C above the pre-industrial era. 2016 is likely to remain the warmest as a result of a powerful El Niño, and 2017 and 2015 are second and/or third, and the period 2013-2017 will likely be the warmest five-year period of record. The past year has also seen many high-impact events, including catastrophic hurricanes and floods, and debilitating heatwaves and drought. And long-term indicators of climate change, such as increasing carbon dioxide concentrations, sea level rise and ocean acidification continue unabated. While Arctic sea ice coverage remains below average and previously stable Antarctic sea ice extent was at or near a record low. To find out more check out WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2017 - Provisional Release.