Movers and Shakers
The movers and shakers in the chemicals industry for December 2021 - Read in C&I Magazine.
Accidents happen
Accidents happen, cynics might say, but safety experts insist that accidents don’t happen by themselves. More likely, they are caused by somebody who could have acted differently and thus averted the accident. Even if they are the result of an unlikely coincidence of several inconspicuous contributing factors, there are likely to be several switches that could have been flicked the other way and stopped disaster from happening. Read the book review of the Ethics of Chemistry by Michael Gross.
Of bats and vampires
The myth of the vampire is centuries old. This creature was variously described as a blood-sucking fairy, snake-like with the head and torso of a woman or more often as a shape-changing humanoid creature. Most important and terrifying was its predilection for human blood and the fact that it was un-dead. Read John Mann's book review of Vampirology.
Advanced materials
Advanced materials highlight for C&I Magazine in Issue 12 2021 by Arno Kraft, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
Green insulation
Retrofitting a ‘living wall’ to a 1970s masonry cavity walled building can reduce heat loss through the structure by over 30%, according to a new study (Building & Env., doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108491).
Maize threat
A study of the recently arrived fall armyworm in Africa suggests that the pest has formed one single interconnected population on the continent. An examination of highly variable parts of their genomes suggested the fall armyworms were using long-distance flight and prevailing winds to frequently move throughout Africa, resulting in population mixing (Sci. Rep., doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-00298-3).
Smiles Better
The search continues for new and improved materials and treatments in dentistry, reports Katrina Megget
Methane reduction
An EU panel of scientists has given the thumbs-up to a feed additive that reduces methane emissions from cows. It could significantly lower the environmental footprint of meat, milk and dairy products, its developers claim.
Rocket science
UK-based R&D company Pulsar Fusion has successfully tested its first high-powered chemical rocket engine in the UK and Switzerland. But the UK company’s ambition stretches further – to develop a propulsion engine based on nuclear fusion capable of going to Mars.