universityofliverpool
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Scientists track fish health by 'finding Nemo'
While a Fitbit isn't much use to a flounder, a team at the University of Liverpool has figured out the next best thing. Dr Lynne Sneddon's team created a system that non-invasively monitors the welfare of our sub-aquatic friends. Two cameras monitor how healthy fish swim in three dimensions, while software picks out any critters showing irregular patterns. Any real-life Nemos get given a health score, alerting carers to which animals might need attention.
Dry water absorbs greenhouse gases, boggles the mind
Apparently, something called dry water has been kicking around since 1968, although it wasn't until recently that scientists at the University of Hull and, later, the University of Liverpool, have begun to take it seriously. It's made by encasing a water droplet in sand that's been modified to be hydrophobic -- that is, it won't absorb water, giving this "water" the consistency of powdered sugar. There seem to be a gazillion potential uses for the stuff, all of which our friends who are chemical engineers will undoubtedly find fascinating, including: soaking up carbon dioxide (it's three times more effective at absorbing the greenhouse gas than "wet" water), storing methane, and as a catalyst to speed up production of succinic acid, which is used to make a wide array of drugs, food ingredients, and consumer products.
