Show Notes:

Hubble Finds Evidence of Persistent Water Vapour Atmosphere on Europa | ESAHubble.org (01:13)

• A new analysis of archival images and spectra has now revealed that water vapour is present in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
  • Only on one hemisphere of the moon
  • Previously discovered the same phenomenon on the other moon, Ganymede (Episode 68)
• To make this discovery, Lorenz Roth of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, like they did with Ganymede, delved into archival Hubble datasets, selecting ultraviolet observations of Europa from 1999, 2012, 2014 and 2015 while the moon was at various orbital positions.
  • Taken with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS)
• With the STIS, they were able to detect the abundance of Oxygen in the atmosphere (one of the parts of water), and by interpreting the strength of emission at different wavelengths Roth was able to infer the presence of water vapour. 
• Roth says this discovery further increases our knowledge of the icy moons orbiting Jupiter, while laying the groundwork for future missions:
  • “The more we can understand about these icy moons before spacecraft like JUICE and Europa Clipper arrive, the better use we can make of our limited observing time within the Jovian system.”
• ESA’s planned JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission is scheduled to launch in 2022, and reach Jupiter in 2031.
  • Goal is to spend at least 3 years observing Jupiter and three of its largest moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa

• Understanding the formation and evolution of Jupiter and its moons also helps astronomers gain insights into Jupiter-like planets around other stars.

Ex-SpaceX Engineers Are Building a Cheap, Portable Nuclear Reactor | Interesting Engineering (06:42)

• A team of former SpaceX engineers is developing the “world’s first portable, zero-emissions power source.”
  • Bringing power to remote areas along with quick installation of new units in populated area 
  • According to a press release.
• Last year they secured $1.2 million in funding from angel investors for their startup Radiant.
• According to the startup, their prototype microreactor outputs more than 1MW, which Radiant says is enough to power approximately 1,000 homes for up to eight years.
• Radiant founder and CEO Doug Bernauer is a former SpaceX engineer who researched microreactors for Mars. 
  • He saw an opportunity for developing a flexible, affordable power source here on Earth, leading to him founding Radiant.
• They have two patents:
  • One of these was for a technology that reduces the cost and the time needed to refuel their reactor.
  • The other one improves efficiency in heat transference from the reactor core. 
• Microreactor Specs:
  • Use an advanced particle fuel that does not melt down and is capable of withstanding higher temperatures.
  • Helium coolant, which reduces the corrosion and contamination risks associated with traditional water coolant.
• Radiant has signed a contract with Battelle Energy Alliance to test its portable microreactor technology at its Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
• Jess Gehin, Ph.D., Chief Scientist at INL, talks about nuclear energy:
  • “In some areas of the world, reliance on diesel fuel is untenable, and solar and wind power are either unavailable or impractical … Clean, safe nuclear microreactors are emerging as the best alternative for these environments.” 

Energy-efficient AI detects heart defects | MedicalXpress (15:28)

• Over the past decade, AI has gained more and more everyday applications, including for recognizing images and spoken word.
  • However, it costs a lot of energy to run these mobile models, so developing low-power solutions are key.
• One way to make AI applications more energy efficient is to make the neural networks more similar to those of the human brain.
  • Issue is that it becomes more difficult to handle the signals coming in.
  • CWI researchers have solved that with a new algorithm.
• One of the researchers, Sander Bohté, discusses how their algorithm performed:
  • “We tested our computer algorithm on three benchmarks … These benchmarks consist of test sets of about ten gestures, a series of words and a continuous ECG signal. Our algorithm performs at least as well but much more energy-efficiently than traditional deep neural networks. In theory, we gain a factor of a hundred to a thousand.”
• An ECG or EKG, records the electrical signals in your heart. It can help a doctor identify an unusually fast heart rate (tachycardia) or an unusually slow heart rate (bradycardia). 
• Because of the energy savings and the ability to monitor a heart signal. This could have large ramifications for patients with heart issues that need monitoring.
• Bohté explains that, “[f]or detecting heart defects, it means that you can implant an ECG-recording chip and it will run for a year on a single battery.”
• In the coming years, neuromorphic chips will contain more and more spiking neurons, which will further expand the application possibilities of artificial intelligence in wearable chips. 

German Scientists Harness the Power of Photosynthesis for New Way To “Breathe” | SciTechDaily (21:02)

• German scientists have developed another method that allows tadpoles to “breathe” by introducing algae into their bloodstream to supply oxygen.
• Senior author Hans Straka of the study stated:
  • “The algae actually produced so much oxygen that they could bring the nerve cells back to life, if you will … For many people, it sounds like science fiction, but after all, it’s just the right combination of biological schemes and biological principles.”
• Straka thought while studying tadpoles, algae live harmoniously in sponges, corals, and anemones, providing them with oxygen and even nutrients. Why not in vertebrates like frogs?
• To explore the possibility, the team injected green algae into tadpoles’ hearts.
  • With each heartbeat, the algae inched through blood vessels and eventually reached the brain.
  • Shining light on these tadpoles prompted both algae species to pump out oxygen to nearby cells.
• The researchers tested whether or not neural activity could fire with algae supplying oxygen by depleting the tadpoles of oxygen in this “oxygen bubble bath,” and then illuminating the tadpole’s head.
• Neural activity restarted within 15 to 20 minutes, which is about two times faster than replenishing the bath with oxygen without the algae. 
  • The revived nerves also performed as well or even better than before oxygen depletion
• Next steps are seeing whether the injected algae can survive inside living tadpoles and continue oxygen production without causing an immune response.
• The researchers think their findings may someday lead to new therapies for conditions induced by stroke or oxygen-scarce environments, such as underwater and high altitudes.
  • Algae are far from ready to enter our blood circulation…for now!

Growing Crops Under Solar Panels Could Substantially Boost Energy Production | Interesting Engineering (27:26)

• Agrivoltaics is a term we may be hearing a lot more of in the coming years.
  • Where solar technology meets traditional farming
• These systems are straightforward: Solar panels are installed at a higher level so that plants can grow underneath them.
  • May be weird to hear but too much sunlight can actually stress the plants.

• Shading the crops means they will need less water, which usually evaporates quickly in an open field. Furthermore, plants “sweat,” cooling the panels above and increasing their efficiency. 
  • Win-win situation!
• The PV panels’ shadow resulted in cooler daytime temperatures and warmer overnight temps than the traditional method. 
• Also saw a reduced vapor pressure deficit, indicating that there was more moisture in the air. 
  • Jalapenos produced a similar amount of fruit in both, but with 65% less transpirational water loss.
  • Suggesting we could reduce our water use but still maintain levels of food production.
• One of the researchers on this project, Greg Barron-Gafford, discussed what they saw with shading the fruit:
  • “We found that many of our food crops do better in the shade of solar panels because they are spared from the direct sun … In fact, total chiltepin fruit production was three times greater under the PV panels in an agrivoltaic system, and tomato production was twice as great!”
•  Barron-Gafford also explained the impact the plants had on the solar panels:
  • “Those overheating solar panels are actually cooled down by the fact that the crops underneath are emitting water through their natural process of transpiration – just like misters on the patio of your favorite restaurant … All told, that is a win-win-win in terms of bettering our ‘how we grow our food’, utilize our precious water resources, and produce renewable energy.”