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Volatile Organic Compounds: Home & Away
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evaporate or vaporize easily at room temperature, diffusing into the air we breathe. They transition...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 11, 20253 min read


NOx: Air Pollution & Tropospheric Ozone
NOx are nitrogen compounds, mainly nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These gases create serious environmental problems,...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 11, 20252 min read


Vehicle Emissions: Environment & Society
Vehicle emissions are the waste material of combustion, including gases and particulate matter (PM). With more than 1.4 billion vehicles...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 11, 20254 min read


Ozone Gas (O3) & the Ozone Layer
Ozone manifests as pale blue gas. The ozone layer, a concentrated region in the stratosphere, protects Earth from damage by UV rays....

Sylvia Rose
Apr 10, 20253 min read


Ethanol Biofuel: Methods, Pros & Cons
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol , is a clear, flammable liquid with a wine-like odor. It's produced by microbial fermentation of...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 8, 20254 min read


Biofuels: Creation & the Dark Side
Biofuels, made from organic materials, promise a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. While the sunny side of biofuel touts its...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 8, 20255 min read


The Heliosphere: Radiation & Solar Wind
The heliosphere protects the solar system from cosmic radiation. The vast, bubble-like region is dominated by the activity of the Sun,...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 8, 20252 min read


Solar Wind: Supersonic Tempest from the Sun
The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles emitted by the sun. This supersonic outflow of protons and electrons permeates...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 7, 20254 min read


Plant Health: Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria
Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) transform inorganic phosphorus from insoluble compounds into forms plants can easily absorb. PSB...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 7, 20253 min read


Gardening: Grow Beautiful Morning Glories
Morning glories are easy to grow and fairly low-maintenance. In balcony gardens they need a lot of water and at least a bucket-sized...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 6, 20254 min read


Plutonium-239 & Nuclear Power
Plutonium-239 is an artificial isotope in nuclear energy and technology. It's not usually found in nature, produced primarily in nuclear...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 5, 20254 min read


Nuclear Energy: Power & Process
Nuclear energy uses the power of the atom, the fundamental constituent of matter. Atomic energy is released through nuclear fission or...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 5, 20255 min read


Environment: Lithium-ion Battery Recycling
Lithium-ion batteries power many aspects of life including smartphones and electric vehicles. With rapid market growth comes the question...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 5, 20254 min read


Carbon-14 Diamond Battery: Nuclear Power
The world's first carbon-14 diamond battery comes from the UK. Purported to last for thousands of years, it presents a hope for...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 5, 20255 min read


Magnetotactic Bacteria: Magnetic Microbes
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) navigate their environment using magnetic fields. They're found in a variety of saline and freshwater...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 4, 20254 min read


Magnetite (Fe3O4): Magnetic Mineral
Magnetite is a magnetic mineral found in diverse geological settings. Its strong magnetism is an predominant quality. Magnetite makes up...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 4, 20256 min read


Creation of Magnetism in Rocks
Rocks hold within them hidden forces. While not all rocks are obviously magnetic, most carry a subtle magnetic field. It comes from their...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 3, 20254 min read


Gravity: Weather, Pollution & Ocean Tides
Gravity influences ocean tides and shapes the weather patterns. It attracts objects toward one another, causing swollen seas, cloud...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 2, 20254 min read


Gravity: Celestial Bodies & Space Travel
Gravity is the invisible force defining the paths of celestial bodies and spacecraft. It affects the way planets orbit and space...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 2, 20256 min read


Laser Weapons in Modern Warfare
A laser weapon is a type of directed-energy weapon (DEW) using lasers to inflict damage. Unlike traditional projectile weapons, which...

Sylvia Rose
Apr 1, 20252 min read
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