Narrator (calm but ironic):
"This is Ben. Ben is in trouble. Big trouble. All of this... could have been avoided if he had followed cybersecurity best practices. What happened? A technical failure… or something much worse? Welcome to your Cybersecurity Awareness Training."
Blood, sweat and antivenom
The blood of a snake enthusiast, who has been bitten by venomous snakes hundreds of times, has been used to develop a potent antivenom. The therapy protects mice against the venoms of 19 species of dangerous snakes, including the deadly king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). The research could lead to direly needed treatments, scientists say. However, its reliance on material from a person who performed dangerous experiments on himself makes it ethically murky. “We did not advise Friede to do this, and no one else needs to do this again,” says co-author Jacob Glanville, chief executive of biomedical firm Centivax.
A rose by any other geometry
The curled edges and pointed corners of rose petals form thanks to a geometric trick never before observed in nature. Using a combination of theoretical analysis, simulations and good old plastic sheets, physicists found that a type of mechanical feedback regulates the petals’ growth as they curl outwards. This feedback relies on 3D, or ‘extrinsic’ geometries, which push the edges of the petal into curls. The petal’s edge can’t form a single curl, so it forms multiple ones with cusps in between. As the petal continues to grow outwards, mechanical stresses at each cusp begin to turn what was a round edge into an angle.
Birdwatcher app reveals where birds thrive
North American bird populations are declining most severely in areas where they should be thriving.
Nevertheless, most species had pockets where their populations were growing. Researchers analysed 36 million birdwatchers’ observations shared using the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird app, alongside satellite data, to give unprecedented insights. “The locations where these species were thriving in the past, where the environments were really well suited to birds, are now the places where they are suffering the most,” says ecological statistician and co-author Alison Johnston. “The way I interpret this result is that it’s indicative of major changes in our world.”
Satellite will ‘weigh’ the worlds’ trees
A European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a satellite that will measure how much carbon is stored in rainforests by using long-wavelength radar that can penetrate into the canopy. The satellite, known as Biomass, will analyse ‘slices’ of trees at different heights to figure out how much carbon is locked up in the more than one and half trillion trees that make up the world’s rainforests. The satellite's huge 12-metre diameter antenna has earned it the nickname ‘space brolly’.
Canal microbes eat pollutants for breakfast
Some of the microbes living in the Gowanus Canal — a heavily polluted waterway in Brooklyn, New York — could make good candidates for cleaning up environmental contamination. Researchers identified 455 microbial species living in samples of water from the condemned canal, some adapted to living in extreme conditions. These microbes collectively used 64 pathways to break down organic contaminants and over 1,000 genes used to take in and detoxify heavy metals. If the microbes’ pollution-eating abilities are confirmed in the lab, the species could one day be utilized in bioremediation projects.
”For these, and other wildlife, nature, and environmental news items, go to www.nature.com/nature/
Kitchens and bathroom furniture? P-U-R! The powerful, highly water-resistant bond of the polyurethane adhesive ensures a long-lasting, seamless edge appearance of your furniture. Due to its thin consistency, the P-U-R penetrates deep into the microstructure of the substrate, resulting in a particularly fine, uniform joint. After curing, the adhesive sets in such a way that dirt particles cannot penetrate. It is also non-reactivatable and offers high heat resistance.
GLU JET P-U-R PRO The patented high-tech adhesive application system from HOLZ-HER, has a completely closed vacuum system and guarantees safe processing of P-U-R. The vacuum removes the hydrogen molecules from the P-U-R adhesive, which the adhesive needs to cure, thereby delaying the chemical curing of the adhesive as much as possible. This means that it can remain in the system for up to a whole working week. Rinsing and cleaning processes are substantially reduced. The vacuum is generated by a separate vacuum pump that operates independently from the rest of the machine technology. The vacuum performance is continuously monitored and automatically re-adjusted if necessary. Thanks to the integrated level indicator, the operator always has an overview! A high-tech main heater with a honeycomb structure, specially optimized for P-U-R, ensures maximum efficiency during melting. The entire unit is ready for use in just three minutes. Another highlight of the new unit is the complete all-round visibility, which is made possible thanks to the 90 degree swivel function. Thanks to the clever mechanics, pivoting is effortless.
Robust suspension on linear guides ensures precise and accurate positioning. The proven Glu Jet thin-film technology adapts flexibly to any panel thickness and is the basis for zero-joint optics. Load the program and off you go! The innovative swivel function makes the daily cleaning routine not only child's play, but also quick and thorough. The comb and slotted nozzle are cleaned of adhesive residue in just a few seconds using compressed air and a wire brush. Once cleaning is complete, the machine can be switched off. The vacuum pump activates completely automatically once the application unit has cooled down to below 50°C. With Glu Jet P-U-R-Pro, the high-tech adhesive can remain in the closed system for up to one working week.
Today we are going to edge white kitchen fronts. We use white P-U-R adhesive for this due to the joint color and the high moisture exposure. This is always delivered in a protective manner. As soon as the airtight packaging is opened, the adhesive cartridge should be loaded into the vacuum system as soon as possible. For a quick color change, we flush out the remaining adhesive from the system. Alternatively, the current adhesive can also be used completely! The transition to the new adhesive color is clearly visible! An application test shows a correct and clean adhesive pattern. Glu Jet is used to press the adhesive into the panel structure using measured pressure. Thanks to the 90 degree combed nozzle, spaced in a 1 millimetre grid, 38 fine traces of adhesive are precisely applied to a 38 millimetre thick panel. During subsequent pressing with the pressure unit, the adhesive can now spread within the narrow surface from the peak to the trough without excessive glue at the top and bottom. This creates a clean, visual zero joint. The white adhesive now helps to create a high-quality optical zero joint. The result speaks for itself! Thanks to the fast color change, the Glu Jet system allows a perfect zero-joint appearance on a vast range of decors. Of course, we will carry out the necessary cleaning, when required, to maintain the application unit. The machine can then be switched off.
