New Atlas

Good Thinking Audio available

Portable water-testing device binds and shines

Ben Coxworth April 15, 2019

Ordinarily, when drinking water is being tested for toxic heavy metals, samples have to be sent off to labs. And while there are portable testing systems, they do have some limitations. A new device, however, is claimed to work better – by copying a process that takes place within the human body.

Assoc. Prof. Yong Ken-Tye (left) and PhD student Stephanie Yap, with the water-testing device

Physics Audio available

"Snowball chamber" would detect dark matter using supercooled water

Michael Irving April 15, 2019

Although dark matter makes up roughly 85 percent of all matter, it’s still never been directly detected. Now researchers from the State University of New York at Albany have developed a new dark matter detector using supercooled water.

Supercooled water could be used as a new type of dark matter detector

Science Audio available

Scientists cool water to -263° C without freezing it

Nick Lavars April 11, 2019

Researchers in Switzerland have figured out a way to reduce the temperature of water to a very cool -263° C (-441.4° F) without freezing it, opening up some interesting possibilities around how we study molecular structures at extreme temperatures.

Researchers have figured out a way to keep water in a liquid state at temperatures approaching ...

Space Audio available

Mystery of methane and water on Mars deepens with first-year results of Trace Gas Orbiter

Michael Irving April 10, 2019

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has made a map of the distribution of watery minerals in the Martian surface, studied how the global dust storm affected the atmosphere, and intriguingly found very little methane, which calls into question the results of a study just last week.

An illustration of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter analyzing the atmosphere of Mars

Good Thinking

Smartphone-attached device detects arsenic in water

Ben Coxworth March 27, 2019

Although many of us may balk at the thought of drinking arsenic, the toxic chemical does occur naturally in the drinking water of some regions – and its levels definitely need to be monitored. An inexpensive new device allows people in developing countries to do so, and it works with a smartphone.

The prototype plastic arsenic-sensing device

Science Audio available

Blowing hot CO2 bubbles to purify wastewater

Michael Irving March 24, 2019

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra have tested a new method for sterilizing water using hot bubbles of carbon dioxide, which they've found to be both effective and efficient.

A new device uses hot bubbles of carbon dioxide to kill viruses and bacteria in water

Environment Audio available

Cove launches biodegradable alternative to plastic water bottles

Paul Ridden March 11, 2019

Most water in stores today comes in bottles made from petroleum-based plastic. After drinking the contents, too many of these bottles become a pollution problem. Cove is looking to change that with the launch of its biopolymer-based water bottles.

Spring water in Cove biodegradable PHA bottles will be available to Californians from May, 2019

Environment Audio available

DNA study shows bacteria mixing and matching genes to survive

Michael Irving March 7, 2019

You can check the health of an environment by taking a census of the microorganisms that call it home. Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a new way to get a larger snapshot of what’s going on, looking specifically at the genes bacteria pass around to help each other adapt to a changing world

Researchers have found a new way to study the genes that bacteria swap to give each ...

Space Audio available

Ancient Martian rivers revealed in newest satellite images

Michael Irving February 21, 2019

The Red Planet is notoriously dry and dusty, but its scarred surface shows that that wasn’t always the case. A new set of photos from the ESA's Mars Express orbiter demonstrates some pretty clear evidence of an ancient river network that once wound across the Martian landscape.

ESA's Mars Express orbiter has captured some stunning images of dry riverbeds on Mars

Energy Audio available

Real-world-ready artificial leaf can pluck carbon dioxide out of thin air

Michael Irving February 13, 2019

Over the last few years humans have tried to mimic nature with artificial leaves, but they’re never quite up to scratch. Now, researchers have designed a new version that could work under real-world conditions, sucking carbon dioxide out of the air and creating oxygen and synthetic fuels.

Researchers have developed a new design of artificial leaf that's able to pull carbon dioxide out ...