Northwestern University scientists can create batteries out of industrial waste

When sifting through old boxes or stacks of vintage papers, one often uncovers nostalgic relics from the past. But occasionally, these discoveries are far more valuable. Such was the case at the Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU) in Germany. While employees were digitizing their historic mineral collection of 130,000 exhibits, they stumbled upon one of the "rarest minerals on Earth." A handwritten letter in a drawer revealed the name of the mineral—Humboldtine. The LfU shared the details in a January 2024 press release, noting that more information would be published in Geologica Bavarica.

According to Mindat, an online mineral and rock database, humboldtine is “a rare authigenic mineral from the mineral class of organic compounds with the chemical composition Fe2+(C2O4)·2H2O.” It is a water-containing iron salt of oxalic acid, with color ranging in shades of yellow, mostly amber-yellow or lemon-yellow. With crystals small and prismatic, humboldtine forms when carbon compounds and iron-oxide react with water.

Studying tectonic plates helps geologists understand a landform’s geological history, locate rare metals, and predict future natural processes. In 2023, geologists from Utrecht University in the Netherlands made a stunning discovery while studying the Pacific plate. Suzanna van de Lagemaat, the team's lead geologist, found a massive, previously unknown tectonic plate once a quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. They named it the "Pontus plate." A detailed study of this discovery was published in the Gondwana Research Journal.

The search for Pontus began unknowingly over a decade ago when researchers from the same university found fragments of old tectonic plates deep in Earth’s mantle using seismic tomography. This technique uses seismic waves from earthquakes or explosions to create images of Earth’s interior. Suzanna conducted detailed investigations of the mountain belts in Japan, Borneo, the Philippines, New Guinea, and New Zealand to reconstruct the lost plates, according to a university press release.

The Himalayas, one of the most majestic mountain ranges on Earth, rise so high that they make humans feel like mere dots. Beyond their breathtaking beauty, the Himalayas are crucial for geological studies. Recent research in 2023 suggests that the Indian tectonic plate, which forms the base of the Himalayas, may be splitting in two due to an unusual process.

Image Source: Winter activities in the mountain, Ladakh, Zoji La Pass, India on June 15, 2023, in Zoji La Pass, India. (Photo by Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images)

True intelligence is more about perspective, observation, and intuition than test scores. Over the past century, researchers have sought unconventional ways to measure it. IQ tests are now widely used to assess candidates at top institutions, but one test making waves for its simplicity is the "world’s shortest IQ test," the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), which has just three questions.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Yan Krukov

With nearly 70% of Earth’s surface covered by water, our oceans hold some of the planet’s most intriguing geological and historical secrets. In 2022, marine biologists discovered a unique formation in an unexplored part of the Pacific Ocean—a structure they playfully nicknamed the “yellow brick road to Atlantis.” The Ocean Exploration Trust’s E/V Nautilus captured the breathtaking find on video and shared it on their YouTube channel.

Representative Image Source: Hagai Nativ, a marine biologist at the University of Haifa assisted by Dr Jessica Bellworthy [R] (Photo by Lukasz Larsson Warzecha/Getty Images)

From a balanced diet to regular exercise, many of us are dedicated to habits that might extend our lifespan. While stories of people living past 100 continue to inspire curiosity, scientists now believe they may have pinpointed the upper limit of human life without medical intervention. According to a report by UNILAD, statisticians at Tilburg University and Rotterdam's Erasmus University have delved into this very question.

Smiling senior man wearing beret sitting in armchair . (Representative image source: Westend61 for Getty Images)

The existence of God has been a point of debate for centuries, examined through both religious beliefs and scientific inquiry. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, known for his groundbreaking work in cosmology, addressed this question in his final book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions.

Image Source: Physicist Stephen Hawking smiles at a symposium to honor his birthday at the Center for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge on January 11, 2002, in Cambridge, England. (Photo by Sion Touhig/Getty Images)

The greatest scientific inventions in history have been made by those who notice the things hidden in plain sight that other people overlook. When the 14-year-old Sirish Subash, from Snellville, Georgia, was washing vegetables with his mother in his home kitchen, he saw something more than just vegetable peels and thought of the residue of pesticides on them. To counter the effects of chemicals on his body, he invented an AI-based device that can detect the presence of pesticides on grocery items to win the “3M Young Scientist Challenge,” according to NewsNation.

Pesticides are sprinkled on the crops for protection against rodents, insects, weeds, and germs. But most of the time, when crops are harvested and delivered to grocery carts, the remnants of pesticides linger on these food items, creating a risk of conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, dizziness, and even neurological conditions like autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, etc.

Female farmer Spreading fertilizer in the wheat field during winter season under the beautiful cloudscape. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Pixelfusion3D)

Although Subash was told by his mother to wash vegetables before cooking and eating them, he wondered, if this plain rinsing was enough to clean away the pesticides from the food. “My parents always insist that I wash my produce before consuming it. I wondered, how necessary is this really, and how effective is the washing,” Subash told MPR News. “Does it really work to ensure that your produce is clean?” This was the question that prompted him to invent a groundbreaking handheld device, PestiSCAND.

Mother and son washing vegetables (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Ana Cariane)

The device is based on a method called “spectrophotometry,” which measures how light of different wavelengths bounces off the surface of the item. “It works on a method called spectrophotometry. Now what this means is that it uses different ways that light interacts with different chemicals to look for different chemicals on the produce,” Subash told “Morning in America with Hena Doba,” as per NewsNation.

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According to My Modern Met, the device is set up with a sensor, a power supply, a display screen, and a processor, that employs a machine learning model to detect the presence of pesticide remnants in the produce. Users of the device need to download an app, point the scanner at the fruit or vegetable, and see the results. While testing the produce, the device accurately reported pesticide levels of around 85% in spinach and tomatoes.

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“Oftentimes there are these residues from pesticides that are found on produce. If we could detect them, then we could ensure that we weren't really consuming them,” Subash told MPR. “That’s the main goal of Pestiscand, to help people ensure that they aren’t consuming pesticides used so they can avoid any associated health risks.” The ninth-grader from Gwinnett School of Mathematics, and Science, developed the initial prototype of PestiSCAND with support from his mentor, Aditya Banerji, a senior research engineer in 3M’s Corporate Research Process Laboratory. For his noteworthy contribution, Subash ended up winning the grand prize of $25,000 cash and the prestigious title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” The prize money, he said, will fund his college education.

Fresh Okra at the market (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Laurie Rubin)

“This year's Young Scientist Challenge finalists have demonstrated an incredible ability to develop creative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges,” says Torie Clarke, EVP & chief public affairs officer at 3M.

Meanwhile, Subash said that although the product is not out in the market, he will continue to build improved prototypes. “I want to continue developing projects like ‘Pestiscand’ and eventually get them out to the world, to the market. That’s one of my goals for Pestiscand, to get it out to everyone,” he added.