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  • AERONET Boosts Satellite Data for Mineral Exploration

    AERONET Boosts Satellite Data for Mineral Exploration

    Key points

    • AERONET operates more than 500 ground-based remote sensing sites around the globe measuring atmospheric aerosols.
    • New atmospheric monitoring instruments recently installed at our Perth site are the latest in the network.
    • Atmospheric monitoring is crucial for accurate data from optical satellites.

    In October of 1957, the USSR launched the world’s first artificial satellite into orbit around Earth. Today, we’re combining Earth observation with image processing in the search for mineral resources.

    Satellites now play a significant role in mineral exploration by providing remote sensing data that helps geologists identify areas with potential mineral deposits.

    Remote sensing from satellites

    Remote sensing, collecting and studying information from a distance, began seriously with the beach ball-sized Soviet satellite Sputnik 1.

    Satellites equipped with multispectral and hyperspectral sensors capture data across various wavelengths of light. Different minerals reflect and absorb light differently, creating unique spectral signatures. This helps geologists map rock types and geological structures, like faults, folds and fractures. This information helps to identify areas which may be worth closer investigation for prospective minerals.

    But satellite data is also affected by atmospheric interference from clouds, dust and aerosols. That’s where measurements of atmospheric characteristics become crucially important to process satellite data into useful, reliable and standardised information.

    AERONET: a network of atmospheric aerosol measurements

    AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) is a global network of ground-based instruments that provides high-quality, long-term observations of aerosol optical properties. It plays a critical role in correcting satellite data, especially for atmospheric and surface reflectance studies.

    AERONET operates more than 500 ground-based remote sensing sites around the globe. The robotic network was established more than three decades ago by NASA and the PHOTONS (PHOtométrie pour le Traitement Opérationnel de Normalisation Satellitaire).

    In 2024, CSIRO installed new atmospheric monitoring instruments at the Australian Resources Research Centre in Perth. This includes an automatic weather station, air quality sensor, hemispherical sky cameras and a Sun photometer.

    This data is now feeding into the international AERONET network of ground-based instruments measuring atmospheric aerosols, ensuring celestial data streams provide accurate observations from our Southern skies.

    CSIRO scientists are also using the rooftop installation in Perth to test remote sensing instrumentation prior to installation in other remote locations in Australia.

    Atmospheric monitoring intruments on rooftop
    New atmospheric monitoring instruments recently installed at the Australian Resources Research Centre in Perth site are the latest to join the AERONET network.

    Seeing through the clouds

    Dr Ian Lau is an Earth observation specialist and has worked with AERONET since 2016. His work focuses on extracting mineralogical and environmental information from data.

    Ian said accurate remote sensing data relied on identifying and removing data contaminated by clouds.

    “Clouds can block direct sunlight, artificially skewing some measurements from optical satellites,” said Ian.

    “Cloud cover can also change quickly, causing rapid changes in the measured data.

    “With a set of algorithms applied to raw data, a cloud-screening procedure detects and either flags or removes data points that are likely affected.”

    Remote sensing for Australian conditions

    Australia is a major source of specific atmospheric aerosols, including dust and smoke. Our deserts are the largest dust source in the Southern Hemisphere. Bushfires and burning are commonplace.

    Sitting within the AERONET network is AeroSpan . Operated by CSIRO, Aerospan’s network of automated instruments located to characterise the primary sources of Australian continental aerosols like dust and smoke.

    Why satellite calibration/validation is valuable

    People in desert with scientific intruments
    Radiometric Calibration Network (RadCalNet) sites provides a dataset of traceable and standardised products that researchers and commercial satellite providers use to calibrate and validate the accuracy of optical satellite sensors.

    “Quality control of sensors and ground-based data validation helps us develop realistic products for mineral exploration,” says Ian.

    “With satellite calibration data from Southern Hemisphere Earth observation in high demand, good quality data helps researchers better understand our regional conditions.”

    Calibration is the process of setting up instruments to provide consistent and accurate measurements. Calibration ensures that the reading from the instrument is consistent with other instruments.

    “Calibration links data to known, accurate ground and atmospheric data collected at specific sites,” said Ian.

    “With this data verified, we can be confident that the data from satellite remote sensing is also accurate and reliable.”

    Ian is part of the team developing a proposed autonomous calibration site for next generation satellite-based instruments capturing highly detailed spectral information.

    “Because different minerals reflect light across various wavelengths, we rely on accurate atmospheric correction for optical satellite data,” he said.

    “Many smaller satellites launch, often without the resources for rigorous calibration and validation in orbit. These satellites rely on Radiometric Calibration Network (RadCalNet) sites.”

    A RadCalNet provides a dataset of traceable and standardised products that researchers and commercial satellite providers use to calibrate and validate the accuracy of optical satellite sensors.

    Adding to the network of global calibration sites

    Earth observation satellites such as EnMap and PRISMA use sensors operating in the visible to shortwave infrared wavelength range, utilising sunlight reflected off Earth’s surface.

    CSIRO is working on commissioning a new RadCalNet site 200 km north of Perth in WA’s Nambung National Park, home of the Pinnacles Desert.

    “It makes for an excellent calibration site because it provides a highly reflective and stable surface,” said Ian.

    The consistency provided by validated data means it has had accurate atmospheric correction applied and has been precisely wavelength calibrated to detect the presence of certain minerals. This gives a more precise analysis of the spectral signatures of rocks and soils.

    “If you’re identifying prospective regions for more detailed investigation, it’s important to have very good quality data and ensure that the products are correct,” he said.

    “You don’t want to be predicting there are mineral deposits or vectors towards the mineral deposit when you’ve got some false positives.”

    Two people with instruments in sandy desert
    CSIRO is working on commissioning a new RadCalNet site 200 km north of Perth in WA’s Nambung National Park, home of the Pinnacles Desert.

    Expanding wavelengths for the future

    Instruments such as the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) satellite typically operate with nine spectral bands, but researchers and scientists are demanding more wavelengths. More wavelengths mean more data.

    Hyperspectral satellite imagery, which operates twelve bands across the electromagnetic spectrum, will allow for improved retrieval of atmospheric constituents like methane and carbon dioxide.

    “The ASTER satellite had a limited number of specific spectral bands, similar to having only a few TV channels,” Ian said.

    In contrast, hyperspectral satellites offer many more ‘channels’, allowing for better differentiation of minerals, improved signal-to-noise ratio, and enhanced coverage.

    /Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.

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  • Novel AI-powered retina tracker detects eye disease in under one second

    Novel AI-powered retina tracker detects eye disease in under one second

    A novel AI-powered retina tracker can analyze retinal images with near-perfect accuracy in under one second, according to a study being presented Monday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. The researchers say the findings offer hope for sight-saving screenings for diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases that are fast, affordable, and accessible worldwide.

    The application, an AI-based model integrated into Simple Mobile AI Retina Tracker (SMART), uses cutting-edge deep learning algorithms to analyze retinal fundus images quickly and accurately, on internet-powered devices including basic smartphones. The SMART AI application enables ophthalmologists to streamline patient screening, empowers primary care providers to incorporate eye exams into routine visits, and expands access to high-quality retinal assessments in regions lacking specialized ophthalmic care.”


    Jansi Rani Sethuraj, B.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N., presenting author of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, Texas

    Diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of preventable blindness, affects over 100 million people globally as the incidence and prevalence of diabetes continue to rise worldwide.

    Two researchers, Ramya Elangovan and Kavin Elangovan of AIM Doctor in Houston, Texas, sourced several thousand anonymized retinal images from multiple datasets representing diverse populations spanning six continents. These images were used to train and validate deep learning models capable of detecting and staging diabetic retinopathy with over 99% accuracy in under one second. The tracker was also able to differentiate diabetic retinopathy from similar eye pathologies. Healthcare professionals from multiple international institutions independently validated the application’s reliability and usability, underscoring its global applicability.

    “By democratizing eye care through universally accessible mobile technology, this innovation has the potential to screen billions globally, reducing vision loss from diabetic retinopathy while transforming healthcare delivery systems,” said the chief mentor of this project, Elangovan Krishnan, M.B., B.S., P.G.D.H.M., M.Tech., M.S., Ph.D., of AIM Doctor. “This research proves that AI can be a force for good, bridging gaps in care and bringing hope to millions at risk of losing their sight.”

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  • Reserved seats lawmakers can’t vote in KP Senate polls before taking oath: ECP

    Reserved seats lawmakers can’t vote in KP Senate polls before taking oath: ECP

    The facade of the renovated ECP office in Islamabad. — ECP website/File
    • ECP urges CM to advise governor for KP assembly session.
    • Cites need for completion of electoral college for Senate polls.
    • Voting for Senate elections scheduled to be held on July 21.

    ISLAMABAD: Ahead of the upcoming Senate polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has informed the province’s governor and chief minister that the notified members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) on the reserved seats cannot take part in the assembly session or vote in Senate polls, if not administered oath, The News reported on Tuesday.

    ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan wrote letters to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and urged that an assembly session be called immediately for oath-taking of the returned candidates to ensure the completion of the electoral college.

    He said the electoral body is under a constitutional obligation to conduct the Senate elections in KP for which date has been set for July 21. But he noted that the matter of administering the oath to returned candidates was still pending and delayed.

    Citing the SC constitutional bench’s verdict, he stated that on July 2, 2025, a notification of successful candidates on reserved seats for women and non-Muslims was issued but these members have not yet been sworn in, so they cannot participate in the assembly session or vote.

    The ECP secretary pointed out that earlier, the KP Assembly speaker was requested on July 4 to administer oath to the members elected on reserved seats. The speaker informed that the assembly session is not currently underway; he cannot call a session.

    The ECP secretary maintained that according to Article 109 of the Constitution, the governor has the power to summon a session of the provincial assembly at his discretion. “In light of the above constitutional and legal imperatives, I have been directed by the Hon’ble ECP to request his Excellency, the Governor of KP, to exercise the powers conferred under Article 109 of the Constitution and to summon the session of the Provincial Assembly at the earliest to ensure administration of oath by the Speaker from the elected members on the reserved seats and for the conduct of Senate election in the province,” reads the letter.

    In the letter to the chief minister, he said that in view of the constitutional and legal imperatives, the commission has also requested the KP governor to invoke his powers conferred upon him under Article 109 of the Constitution to summon the provincial assembly to meet for administration of the oath to the members-elect of the reserved seats for women and non-Muslims for completion of the electoral college for ensuing Senate election and enabling them to cast their votes.

    The secretary also referred that Peshawar High Court Peshawar has already passed the judgment dated 27-03-2024 in W.P No 1617-P/2024 case titled Shazia Tamash Khan etc. versus Federation of Pakistan etc. (which is still in field) whereby directions have been issued to Chief Minister KP and the provincial cabinet to take all material steps in terms of Article 105 of the Constitution for summoning the session and administering the oath to the returned candidates on the reserved seats for women and non-Muslims.

    In view of the above, he wrote “the commission considers it appropriate to request the chief minister to issue advice to the governor for summoning of the KP Assembly in terms of Article 105 read with Article 130 of the Constitution, immediately to ensure the administration of the oath by the Speaker to the elected members on reserved seats to carry out the conduct of Senate election in the province”.


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  • ‘Dublin was an early adopter of me’ – The Irish Times

    ‘Dublin was an early adopter of me’ – The Irish Times

    The children are at school, and Bill Callahan is enjoying the stillness of an empty house.

    “When I was a kid I hated school, but now I love school. I understand now why school was invented,” the cult indie songwriter says, his speaking voice steeped in the same mordant wit that has been a defining feature of his releases for the past 30 years.

    On a typical morning he will take advantage of the temporary absence of his wife, the film-maker Hanly Banks, and their two children, to work on music, adding to a repertoire of dark, deadpan songs that, beginning in the early 1990s, have earned him a loyal international following.

    There was a time when he would never discuss his daily routine with a stranger. For many years, in fact, he refused to talk to journalists altogether, a reluctance born of introversion and an understandable aversion to having his art dissected. But, as is often the way, middle age and parenthood have brought a new mellowness. At 59, this high priest of 1990s bedroom angst has become a low-key king of chill.

    “I think a lot of young people’s depression – quote, unquote – is actually just confusion and a sort of lack of rootedness,” Callahan says ahead of his show in Dublin this weekend. “As you get older you figure some things out. You start to put down some roots. The music reflects [that]. Man, if I was still writing like I did when I was 23, I’d be in a bad state. If I still had that same outlook.”

    [ Bill Callahan: ‘America is a very fractured country. We’re not one people’ ]

    His outlook back then was bleak to the point of almost bumping up against self-parody. Consider his fourth album, Wild Love, from 1995, and lyrics such as “When you’re down on your luck, and you just can’t cope … Don’t turn to me ’cause I’m no hope.”

    Wild Love was one of 14 LPs he put out under the stage name Smog. Those albums hardly made him a superstar, but his fans were steadfast, and he had moments in the spotlight. His fantastically morbid ballad Cold-Blooded Old Times, for instance, featured on the soundtrack to the hit movie adaptation of Nick Hornby’s book High Fidelity.

    By 2005, however, he had grown tired of his stage name, which he felt restricted him as an artist – though his label, the Chicago alternative powerhouse Drag City, disagreed, saying that Smog’s abstruseness as an alias gave him huge creative latitude. He went ahead and became Bill Callahan anyway.

    “Changing the name was to demarcate a change for myself,” he told Pitchfork in 2007. “A reminder. My record label discouraged it. I said I wanted change. They said, ‘The cool thing about Smog is that it could be anything and still be Smog.’ But even this began to feel like a twisted sheet, something that limited movement. Even having the concept that it could be anything at all felt restrictive. As if the wide-openness defined it.”

    [ Bill Callahan: Looking out a window that isn’t there ]

    In reverting to Bill Callahan, he became a different songwriter. Though still steeped in his trademark pithiness, and defined by his indie-disco-Sinatra singing, the songs become more outward-looking and increasingly characterised by a generosity of spirit and soulfulness.

    Those qualities are front and centre of his most recent studio album, Ytilaer, from 2023, a project written in the aftermath of the pandemic that functions as a plea to put away our screens and connect with life as it is lived, minute by minute. “We’re coming out of dream,” he croons on its opening track, First Bird, a song about engaging with the world and stepping away from the ersatz comforts of the digital realm.

    He hasn’t changed completely, however. On stage and in person, his laconic wit is always near the surface. He laughs a lot as he talks – when he’s on stage there’s a sense that he’s chuckling in the face of an uncaring cosmos if for no other reason than that it’s better than crying.

    “It’s how I live my life. I approach most of life with humour. Leading with humour – it’s the fun way to live. It is fun to try to get people to laugh. And for other people to try to get other people to try to be humorous too.

    “It’s my modus operandi … I was depressed when I was in my early 20s. Like a lot of early-20-year-olds. But you might as well. It’s too much if you don’t throw some humour in there. Nobody wants to hear it.”

    Callahan put out his first live album last year. It’s a maximalist affair featuring a saxophone player and lashings of guitar and strings. His performance in Dublin will be more stripped down, for mostly practical reasons.

    “I have been doing a lot of solo shows in the past few years, largely because the cost of living all over the world … it’s going up. But the fees I get paid have stayed the same. It’s really hard to bring a band on the road. I’ve been doing a lot of solo things.”

    He’s had to find ways of making a one-man show feel bigger and more dramatic. It can’t just be a guy on stage with a guitar and a heart of woe.

    “Two or three years ago I started using a looper and backing tracks of some sort. Or a loop or a drone or something like that. Just to make it … as if I’m playing with somebody. It’s so much easier playing just one instrument by yourself. When you’re not a virtuoso, it’s hard to make that compelling.”

    He adds: “Even if you add just the slight, little noise – one piano note that you’ve looped – it transforms everything. Then I’m interacting with something that isn’t me, even if I made that loop. It’s almost like having a bandmate up there. I can interact. That makes what I’m playing sing. It gives it more dimension.”

    Callahan has long had a following in Ireland. Early in his career he was championed by DJs and journalists here, particularly Donal Dineen, through his No Disco series on RTÉ.

    “Dublin was an early adopter of me. It’s kind of waxed and waned over the years – sometimes just due to the economy. Sometimes different countries get into different albums,” he says. “One record might be big in Spain, and Germany doesn’t like it, and then the next one, Germany loves it, and Spain’s not that into it.”

    He pauses, and there it is again: that flash of humour, bright as sunshine in deepest winter. “It’s really quite strange.”

    Bill Callahan plays the National Concert Hall, in Dublin, on Sunday, July 20th

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  • Teen obesity and diabetes may weaken lifelong bone strength

    Teen obesity and diabetes may weaken lifelong bone strength

    Obesity and type 2 diabetes in adolescence can interfere with bone development, potentially increasing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis later in life, according to a study being presented Monday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

    The teen years are the most critical for building lifelong bone strength, according to lead researcher Fida Bacha, M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. “While adults with type 2 diabetes are known to have increased risk of fractures, this has not been investigated in youth with type 2 diabetes,” Bacha said. “We wanted to understand how childhood obesity and early type 2 diabetes affect bone health as children grow.”

    The researchers followed 48 teenagers for a year, including 26 girls, with an average age of 15.5 years. Of these, 27% had normal weight, 31% were classified overweight with normal blood sugar, and 42% had overweight with impaired blood sugar control, including prediabetes (4 teens) or type 2 diabetes (16 teens).

    The researchers measured the teens’ body fat, fitness, blood sugar and insulin levels. Their bone structure and strength in the lower leg (tibia) and forearm (radius) was measured using high-resolution imaging.

    The study found that teens with obesity, and especially those with type 2 diabetes, showed less improvement in bone strength and quality over time compared to their peers who were of normal weight. This was true for both the leg and arm bones. Higher insulin levels (a sign of insulin resistance) seemed to contribute to less increase in bone strength. Insulin resistance is a condition where the body’s cells do not respond effectively to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

    Obesity and early type 2 diabetes in adolescence don’t just affect weight or blood sugar-they can quietly interfere with bone development during the most critical years for building lifelong bone strength. That means teens with these health issues may face a greater risk of fractures and osteoporosis as they get older.”


    Fida Bacha, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas

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  • expert reaction to scoping review of over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression

    A review published in Frontiers in Pharmacology looks at over-the-counter herbal products and dietary supplements used for depression.

     

    Prof Stella Chan, Charlie Waller Chair in Evidence-based Psychological Treatment, University of Reading, said:

    “This review paper synthesised findings from a large volume of research studies investigating the effects of over-the-counter (OTC) products on depressive symptoms. It was appropriately conducted with a systematic search and provided a helpful summary of what had been studied and their findings. However, it is crucially important for readers to understand that this was a narrative review paper, meaning that it was only a summary of the findings reported from existing research papers. These papers would inevitably vary in terms of their scientific quality, including some that might report biased or misleading findings due to limitations such as small sample sizes and poor designs. Meta-analyses (that is, analyses that involve combining all existing data into a single dataset) need to be conducted before conclusive statements can be made about the effectiveness of these products.

    “Additionally, this review paper excluded studies on individuals with more complicated co-morbid conditions. Individuals with more complex mental health needs should be particularly vigilant and avoid making personal health decisions based solely upon narrative review papers.”

     

     

    ‘Understanding the research landscape of over-the-counter herbal products, dietary supplements, and medications evaluated for depressive symptoms in adults: a scoping review’ by first author et al. was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology at 05:00 UK time on Tuesday 15th July.

     

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1609605

     

     

    Declared interests

    Prof Stella Chan: No COI

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  • Nothing Headphone 1 Now Shipping With Retro Design And KEF-Tuned Sound

    Nothing Headphone 1 Now Shipping With Retro Design And KEF-Tuned Sound

    The first pair of headphones from the London-based brand, Nothing, follows its traditional design philosophy and adds KEF-tuned sound. Launched alongside the Nothing Phone 3 on July 1, the Headphone 1 are shipping starting today, July 15. They cost $299 / GBP 299 / INR 21,999 and are positioned to take on flagship headphones from Sony, Bose and Apple.

    Here’s what you need to know about the new audio product from Nothing.

    Retro Vibes Bring A Fresh New Look

    If you are tired of similar-looking headphones from Sony, Bose and the likes, the Nothing Headphone 1 might interest you. Instead of opting for a round or oval design, the headphones are squircle with an oval cassette tape-like translucent back. The headband extends easily and has a cushion for added comfort. They fold flat but don’t fold up and sit in a Sonos Ace-like carrying case.

    ForbesGlyph Matrix On Nothing Phone 3: Everything You Can Do With The New InterfaceBy Prakhar Khanna

    At 329 grams, the Nothing Headphone 1 aren’t the lightest pair of headphones. For context, the new Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra both weigh 254 grams, while the AirPods Max are heavier at 385 grams. That said, the Nothing Headphone 1 should be comfortable to wear for most people.

    Nothing combined aluminum with high-tech plastic elements to design the earcups, which are said to be oil-resistant. The memory foam-equipped earcups offer good seal for passive noise cancellation and sit comfortably over the ears. Although, the ear pads can get sweaty in warm weather and aren’t user-replaceable. Nothing says you’ll need to visit their service center if you damage them.

    Buttons Over Touch Sensors

    The Nothing Headphone 1 offer various ways to interact with them, and a touch sensor isn’t one of them. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with three controls on the right earcup:

    • Button: A customizable button on the outer frame, which launches your smart assistant or Channel Hop when paired with a Nothing Phone 3. As the name suggests, Channel Hop switches between multiple media platforms, such as your music player, video player, or podcasting app.
    • Roller: Present where your thumb would reach naturally, the Roller is used to adjust volume levels. It can also be pressed, which triggers play/pause, and a long press toggles between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.
    • Paddle: A new kind of button, the Paddle can be pushed left or right to skip tracks, or long pushed forward and backward to fast-forward or rewind a song, respectively.

    There’s another Bluetooth button on the bottom-right corner of the right earcup’s cushion. You can press it to put the headphones in pairing mode.

    KEF-Tuned Sound And Good Noise Cancellation

    The Nothing Headphone 1 feature 40mm drivers with a nickel-plated diaphragm, which includes rim and dome. As per the company, it helps enhance clarity in the highs and power in the bass. In practical usage, they sound clean in the seemingly big soundstage.

    They balanced sound, but that’s not to say the bass is weak. They lack the depth of Sennheiser or Bose headphones but offer well-defined low frequencies with clear and lively highs. These aren’t bass-heavy, but they sound full and clean enough to please most listeners.

    ForbesSonos Ace Review: My New Favorite Travel HeadphonesBy Prakhar Khanna

    The Nothing Headphone 1’s ANC works very well at suppressing ambient noise like public chatter or airplane engines. They pack six microphones, four of which are used for voice calls to supress minimal background noise in your voice on calls.

    You can choose from low, medium, high and adaptive modes to adjust ANC to your liking. When set to high, it isn’t far behind the likes of Sony XM5 and Bose QC Ultra headphones. The transparency mode is decent and keeps your surroundings sounding natural.

    Nothing Headphone 1: Price And Availability

    The Nothing Headphone 1 are now available for sale across the U.K., U.S.A., and India for GBP 299, USD 299 and INR 21,999, respectively. You can get them for as low as INR 19,999 (approx. $235) as a special introductory launch day price in India.

    The new Nothing headphones are available through Amazon and the company’s website in the U.S.A. As for India, you can purchase them through Flipkart, Myntra, Vijay Sales, Croma and all leading retail stores starting today.

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  • What Our Nose Does Naturally: Liquid-Coated Air Filters Capture More Pollutants

    What Our Nose Does Naturally: Liquid-Coated Air Filters Capture More Pollutants

    The mucus that coats nasal hairs plays a central role in cleaning the air we breathe. It filters out pollen and dust particles that could otherwise reach deep into the lungs. An international team of researchers, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) in Mainz, has demonstrated that this natural principle can also be applied to technical air filters, such as those used in air conditioning systems. By coating the filters with a thin liquid layer, even the tiniest particles can be captured and bound more effectively than with conventional dry filter systems—without obstructing the airflow.

    Inspired by the mucus-covered nasal hairs in the human body, the researchers developed a filter that uses a microscopically thin liquid coating to trap particles through capillary forces. Liquid bridges form between the dust particles and the fibers of the filter, preventing the particles from detaching and leading to compact dust aggregates. Unlike conventional filters, which gradually become clogged and restrict airflow, the new filter remains permeable for longer—while still providing excellent filtration performance.

    “This technology is a step toward long-lasting, energy-efficient filtration systems,” explains Dr. Michael Kappl of the Max Planck Institute in Mainz, one of the contributing authors. “What’s particularly impressive is that even ultra-fine particles in the nanometer range are reliably captured.”

    The project brings together expertise from South Korea (Chung-Ang University, Incheon National University), the USA (University of Cincinnati), and Germany (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research). Leading the effort was the team of Professor Sanghyuk Wooh (Chung-Ang University, Seoul), which developed the core idea and design.

    Professor Hans-Jürgen Butt, Director at MPI-P, emphasizes the importance of international collaboration: “Air purification is a global issue—and this work shows how interdisciplinary research across continents can lead to tangible solutions.”

    This new filter technology is suitable for a wide range of applications, including ventilation and air conditioning systems, industrial exhaust systems, medical protective masks, clean rooms, such as dust and smoke filters in urban environments. Due to its high particle-capturing efficiency combined with low energy consumption, the technology has the potential to reduce long-term costs and lower environmental impact.

    Original publication

    Junyong Park, Chan Sik Moon, Ji Min Lee, Sazzadul A. Rahat, Sang Moon Kim, Jonathan T. Pham, Michael Kappl, Hans-Jürgen Butt, Sanghyuk Wooh; “Bioinspired capillary force-driven super-adhesive filter”; Nature, Volume 643, 2025-6-18

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  • How BYD caught up with Tesla in the global EV race – Financial Times

    How BYD caught up with Tesla in the global EV race – Financial Times

    1. How BYD caught up with Tesla in the global EV race  Financial Times
    2. Tesla Finances vs. BYD Finances — Nonsense Myths Long Out Of Date  CleanTechnica
    3. Op-Ed: China Has US Smoked on Cars  Newser
    4. Why Americans Can’t Buy World’s Best Electric Car  RealClearMarkets
    5. Former GM executive NYT opinion piece says changes must be made in auto industry to compete with China  Repairer Driven News

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  • Gravitational shockwave: LIGO catches a 225-solar-mass black-hole smash-up

    Gravitational shockwave: LIGO catches a 225-solar-mass black-hole smash-up

    The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration has detected the merger of the most massive black holes ever observed with gravitational waves using the US National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded LIGO observatories. The powerful merger produced a final black hole approximately 225 times the mass of our Sun. The signal, designated GW231123, was detected during the fourth observing run of the LVK network on November 23, 2023.

    LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, made history in 2015 when it made the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space-time. In that case, the waves emanated from a black hole merger that resulted in a final black hole 62 times the mass of our Sun. The signal was detected jointly by the twin detectors of LIGO, one located in Livingston, Louisiana, and the other in Hanford, Washington.

    Since then, the LIGO team has teamed up with partners at the Virgo detector in Italy and KAGRA (Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector) in Japan to form the LVK Collaboration. These detectors have collectively observed more than 200 black hole mergers in their fourth run, and about 300 in total since the start of the first run in 2015.

    Before now, the most massive black hole merger — produced by an event that took place in 2021 called GW190521 — had a total mass of 140 times that of the Sun.

    In the more recent GW231123 event, the 225-solar-mass black hole was created by the coalescence of black holes each approximately 100 and 140 times the mass of the Sun.

    In addition to their high masses, the black holes are also rapidly spinning.

    “This is the most massive black hole binary we’ve observed through gravitational waves, and it presents a real challenge to our understanding of black hole formation,” says Mark Hannam of Cardiff University and a member of the LVK Collaboration. “Black holes this massive are forbidden through standard stellar evolution models. One possibility is that the two black holes in this binary formed through earlier mergers of smaller black holes.”

    Dave Reitze, the executive director of LIGO at Caltech, says, “This observation once again demonstrates how gravitational waves are uniquely revealing the fundamental and exotic nature of black holes throughout the universe.”

    A record-breaking system

    The high mass and extremely rapid spinning of the black holes in GW231123 push the limits of both gravitational-wave detection technology and current theoretical models. Extracting accurate information from the signal required the use of models that account for the intricate dynamics of highly spinning black holes.

    “The black holes appear to be spinning very rapidly — near the limit allowed by Einstein’s theory of general relativity,” explains Charlie Hoy of the University of Portsmouth and a member of the LVK. “That makes the signal difficult to model and interpret. It’s an excellent case study for pushing forward the development of our theoretical tools.”

    Researchers are continuing to refine their analysis and improve the models used to interpret such extreme events. “It will take years for the community to fully unravel this intricate signal pattern and all its implications,” says Gregorio Carullo of the University of Birmingham and a member of the LVK. “Despite the most likely explanation remaining a black hole merger, more complex scenarios could be the key to deciphering its unexpected features. Exciting times ahead!”

    Probing the limits of gravitational-wave astronomy

    Gravitational-wave detectors such as LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA are designed to measure minute distortions in space-time caused by violent cosmic events. The fourth observing run began in May 2023, and additional observations from the first half of the run (up to January 2024) will be published later in the summer.

    “This event pushes our instrumentation and data-analysis capabilities to the edge of what’s currently possible,” says Sophie Bini, a postdoctoral researcher at Caltech and member of the LVK. “It’s a powerful example of how much we can learn from gravitational-wave astronomy — and how much more there is to uncover.”

    GW231123 will be presented at the 24th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR24) and the 16th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves held jointly at the GR-Amaldi meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, July 14-18, 2025. The calibrated data used to detect and study GW231123 will be made available for other researchers to analyze through the Gravitational Wave Open Science Center (GWOSC).

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