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Science News for November 23, 2018


Biorefining of microalgae

A team of researchers at the University of Konstanz is developing an integrated biorefining process to produce chemical building blocks from microalgae. The process uses supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent and aims to simplify the extraction stage, making it more eco-friendly and efficient.

Ultracold quantum mix

A team of researchers has successfully created a Bose-Einstein condensate of Dysprosium and Erbium atoms, demonstrating quantum degeneracy of these species. This achievement opens up novel research possibilities for dipolar quantum matter due to the long-range interaction among the two species.

SourceUniversity of Innsbruck·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 23, 2018

Can Superman trigger heroic helping in people?

Priming individuals with superhero images, such as Superman, increases their likelihood of engaging in prosocial behaviors. However, the study found no direct effect on perceptions of meaning in life. The research used both self-reported and actual helping behavior experiments to explore this phenomenon.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Psychology·DateNov 23, 2018

Ocean circulation in North Atlantic at its weakest

A recent study by HKU researchers found that ocean circulation in the North Atlantic is at its weakest since the past 1,500 years. The weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is attributed to global warming and associated melt of the Greenland Ice-Sheet, which has significant implications for climate change.

SourceThe University of Hong Kong·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateNov 23, 2018