Sensitive ultrasonic graphene microphones created by scientists

Graphene, a technological device from the University of Manchester which was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, has been utilized to create flexible and tough water filtration devices, digital touchscreens, drug delivery systems, and enhanced night vision contact lenses. It is a veritable wonder material; just this year it has formed the basis of an additional technological innovation – a microphone almost 32 times more sensitive than standard ones. This new invention is defined in the journal 2D Materials.

The graphene membrane, a mere 30 carbon atoms thick, was cultivated on a nickel-based foil utilizing a process called CVD (chemical vapor deposition). Within CVD, reactive, gaseous materials (like methane, a compound containing carbon) interact with a substrate, (the foil), to generate graphene. Following the graphene sheets beginning to crystallize out upon the foil, the nickel carefully was removed.

Normally, microphone performance is measured and tested by recording a sequence of sound waves over a frequency range, from the low 10 hertz to the higher 24 kilohertz – around the entire hearing range. Frequency is associated with a sound’s “pitch,’ whereby the amplitude is associated with its “loudness.” Sound waves that increase in frequency yet remain at consistent amplitudes were blasted at this graphene foil.

The more the membrane’s vibration matches up with the sound wave’s wave pattern, the more sensitive its’ deemed to be. The results, as compared with regular nickel-based membranes, were amazing. It exhibited a 32-fold rise in sensitivity around a substantial portion of the audio spectrum: 11 kilohertz, around a dizzying range of amplitudes.

Next 2 weeks decides fate of earth

This week the globe will witness as nations collect inside France for crunch climate discussions. Referred to as COP21, or the Twenty-first Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention upon Climate Change, lots has been made of the meeting. However, what are the talks exactly, and what are they attempting to accomplish?

The scientific consensus is that all of us should restrict global temperatures to under 3.2°F of warming beyond pre-industrial levels. Earlier in 2015 witnessed temperatures that were past the 1.8°F mark, and edged us nearer to the verge. To place the brakes on this, the globe must slash its greenhouse gas emissions. In order to do this, a contract on the degree of those slashes for every nation are going to need to be accomplished, with every nation signing for it in order to be ratified.

Various states will have various targets, with most of the largest emitters already having made dedications. For example, the European Union will decrease emissions by 40% as compared with 1990 levels by 2030; the United States agreed to slash theirs by 26 – 28% as compared with 2005 levels by 2025. Currently, China, the biggest greenhouse gas emitter, agreed that their emissions are going to peak by 2030, though most believe that it’ll happen earlier than this.

It’s a daunting task: In order to get 196 nations to concur on a legally binding dedication to restrict greenhouse gas emissions is like attempting to herd cats.

Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Men

…because all of us are in need of gift ideas for this holiday season. How is it again that time of year?  It does not always need to only be gloves and ties for the holidays; therefore, look at our choices and collect some fantastic holiday gift ideas for all of the amazing men within your life.  If you have a brother, husband, son, boyfriend, cousin, father, grandson, grandfather, dog or uncle to shop for, we are pretty certain we have you covered.  Shop our picks for this year’s ideas for the best men’s Christmas gifts!

Top ‘Gadgety’ 2015 Christmas Gift: Wooden iPhone 6s (or 6) Case

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Top Christmas Inspired Cologne:  Spicebomb

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Top Gift for the Man on the Run: iPad television Stand

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Top Shaver (to substitute the one you got for him in 2014):  Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer 7300 QT4070/41

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For the Guy of Style:  To Boot ‘Stallworth’ Cap Toe within Cognac Leather

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For Do-it-Yourself Drinkers:  Beer Making Kit by the Brooklyn Brew Shop – Because it always is a lot more fun to drink as you brew it yourself!

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For Techie Athletes: A Wireless Fitbit Band

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ForTrendsters: Olivewood Sunglasses by Warby Parker Robinson

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For those who need quiet: Quiet Comfort Noise Canceling In Ear Headphones by Bose

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For Techsters: MacBook Pro with Retina Display

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Still an excellent laptop as you require an upgrade, yet do not have a desire to break the bank.  A 13.3-inch notebook/laptop w/ retina display.  We still adore all things Apple.

Neptune-sized exoplanet has blue sky like the earth

Astronomers are able to learn much about planets with very little. A team of scientists, in this specific instance, had the ability to figure out that an exoplanet’s sky is blue. This planet includes the smallest on which Rayleigh scattering has been detected.

This discovery was probable due to the network at Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope. The astronomers monitored scattering on small particles inside the exoplanet environment, and they witnessed that these molecules scattered around blue light more.

Blue skies, unfortunately, do not equate to an environment such as ours. This exoplanet likely has a helium/hydrogen-dominated environment with hazes and high altitude clouds, according to research published inside the Astrophysical Journal. The scientists admit that it is probable the planet possesses an atmosphere robust in molecules like methane and water, yet they aren’t confident that the features viewed inside its light spectrum is real.

This planet, named GJ 3470b, will orbit a red dwarf that is 50% the Sun’s mass. This star possesses a temperature of around 6,000°Farhenheit and this planet will orbit around its star each 3 Earth days. Being so near to the star, the planet is very hot and called a hot Neptune.

The research is the initial high confidence detection of an exoplanet environment features utilizing observations that were taken with just 3.3’ and 6.6’ telescopes, showcasing the importance of meter class astronomy within boosting our comprehension of the universe.

Trailer – Captain America: Civil War

Marvel debuted its original trailer of Captain America: Civil War recently upon Jimmy Kimmel Live, and it is even more glorious than first imagined.

The trailer concentrates on the conflict in between Iron Man and Captain America, and it is filled with high octane battle scenes, a battered and bruised Iron Man, as well as Captain America’s discharge.

The movie, of course, picks up at the place Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, along with Steve Rogers leading an all-new Avenger team. However, after the Avengers produce collateral damage, political pressure will force them to put in a system of accountability and new governing body.

It’s amongst the better Marvel film trailers we have seen to date, as it’ll appear to catch the right tone of the upcoming movie. Couple this with the truth that they added in Martin Freeman to the cast, it is safe to bet our anticipation is at an all-time high.

Now, we all have something to actually look forward to following Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Captain America: Civil War’s release date is slated for May 6th, 2016.

Watch the trailer here:

Game preview – Ark: Survival Evolved on Xbox One

At present time, Ark: Survival Evolved is soaring upon STEAM’s trendiest games list. People clearly adore dinosaur games. Currently, developer studio Wildcard teased (through the official forum on Steam) that game Ark: Survival Evolved Xbox One release is “imminent.”

Even though we have known of Ark‘s impending Early Access-style release on Xbox One, now we know that it is much sooner than at first expected. In the meantime, the game sold more than two million copies to date upon PC, in spite of the truth that it still is in early access.

On PC, the price tag is $30, yet Xbox One players will have the ability to play a complimentary trial of the game prior to determining if they have a desire to spend their cash to dedicate to it. We do not know whether or not Wildcard is going to have the ability to keep up with the PC’s various updates for the Xbox One. However, hopefully, they will pay just as close attention to Xbox One edition as they will to the PC edition.

The full edition is going to release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One during some point in the year 2016.

Check out the video here:

Over 50% of world’s primates on the endangered species list

Over 50% the world’s primates, which includes monkeys, lemurs and apes are faced with extinction, international professionals warned last Tuesday.

This population crunch includes the consequence of massive scale habitat destruction – especially the clearing and burning of forests – and hunting of primates for food, as well as illegal wildlife trade.

The species that were long known to be at risk, which includes Sumatran orangutan, were joined upon the most endangered listing for the initial time by Philippine tarsier as well as, from Madagascar, the Lavasoa dwarf lemur, researchers that met in Singapore stated.

According to director of conservation at Britain’s Bristol Zoological Society and leading primatologist, Christoph Schwitzer, ‘These studies highlight the extent of the danger that faces most of the globe’s primates.’

It’ll include Lavasoa dwarf lemur – species just found 2 years before – as well as Roloway monkey from Ivory Coast and Ghana that, according to experts, ‘are on the brink of extinction’.

According to the statement, ‘In the world, there will include 703 primate sub-species and species. Vietnam and Madagascar house the massive figures of extremely threatened species.’

The statement added that red colobus monkey, in Africa, was underneath specific risk, as were a few of South America’s spider monkeys and howler monkeys. The statement also mentioned that ‘All those species are conspicuous and fairly large, making them primary targets for bush meat hunting.

Chair of the species survival commission of the IUCN, Russell Mittermeier, stated he hoped this report might urge governments to dedicate to ‘desperately necessary measures for biodiversity conservation’.

Facebook makes dealing with your ex on social media less bothersome

In today’s social media age it’s very difficult to handle relationships. Breaking up with somebody often means that you end up continuing to look at their photos online, you find out when they enter into a new relationship and exactly what they’re doing after you break up. While deleting someone as a friend on Facebook can send a strong message and make it difficult to potentially rekindle a romance later on, Facebook is introducing new features that make ending relationships easier.

This week Facebook launched a number of tools that sets different privacy alerts for people who have recently broken up over Facebook. This means that when a breakup occurs officially and a person changes their relationship status the social network will give each party the option to limit status updates, photos, videos and more that a former partner might see.

To go one step further these privacy options also allow users to edit some of their past posts giving partners the chance to un-tag themselves from previous photos all at once or through individual posts. This gives users the option to go absolutely nuclear and delete their relationship from Facebook altogether. Facebook won’t make these changes painful either and as you untagged yourself from photos Facebook won’t alert the other person to changes in tagging behavior.

It will be interesting to see exactly what these new relationship options can bring for dedicated Facebook users and those who are transitioning out of relationships over social media. These new options will be launched today throughout the US and for mobile users. Depending on the reception that Facebook gets with these initial changes to privacy option settings they may choose to roll out the update internationally from there.

Have you ever experienced issues with social media coming out of a relationship? Do you think these updates would be helpful to have on your Facebook? Comment below.

Netflix putting Lost in Space television series in works

Netflix has yet taken an additional measure at becoming the king of television as the streaming service announced they have landed the rights to a television series remake of Lost in Space, which they are currently putting into production.

Netflix was within a heated bid war over the sci-fi cult television classic prior to landing the project, according to a report at Deadline. Netflix stated that they have placed feature writers Burk Sharpless (Dracula Untold) and Matt Sazama on the project, with legendary television’s Neil Marshall predicted to direct the series.

The 1965 television series was set 30 years into the future, as well as centered around an attempt by the United States to colonize deep space by sending one family upon a 5 1/2-year exploration to an additional planet. An enemy agent will sabotage the mission, and take the ship off course, thereby becoming lost in space.

The remake series Lost in Space originally was attempted by NBC as a telefilm, prior to being rebooted as a WB series, in which it received the pilot treatment which was directed by John Woo. It did not receive a series order, unfortunately.

We always are on the lookout for brand new sci-fi television series to view, of course, and had the television series been won by a broadcast network, we may not be as interested. But, the truth that Netflix picked the series up might mean the series may take a somewhat darker tone.

What will happen if a candle is lit in space?

All of us have seen films which feature a fire inside the depths of space, the majority notably within the 2013 movie Gravity in which – alongside George Clooney smouldering away – viewers saw a fire break out upon their space station.

However, how could a fire really behave in microgravity? NASA scientists, fortunately, have been pondering that themselves for a long time.

Researchers, since 2009, onboard the ISS (International Space Station) have actively been performing experiment Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX) that sought to figure out how fire will behave in space and, most importantly, how to put it out.

As you light a candle, it’ll form a classic teardrop shape. But, that only is due to gravity. As the oxygen is consumed by fire, the hotter air will rise and cooler un-combusted air will sink to the bottom. However, without gravity, there isn’t any separation between heavier and lighter air, therefore the fire burns in every direction equally, and causes a slow-burning world of combustion.

Oddly, Flame Extinguishment Experiment discovered that combustion has the ability to occur without any visible flames.

Look at this DNews episode that displays wonderful and even odder demonstrations of fire inside space.