# data[].attributes.headline
Converting trash to valuable graphene in a flash

# data[].attributes.subject
Converting trash to valuable graphene in a flash

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
atmosphere: The envelope of gases surrounding Earth or another planet.

atom: The basic unit of a chemical element. Atoms are made up of a dense nucleus that contains positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons. The nucleus is orbited by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.

bond: (in chemistry) A semi-permanent attachment between atoms - or groups of atoms - in a molecule. It's formed by an attractive force between the participating atoms. Once bonded, the atoms will work as a unit. To separate the component atoms, energy must be supplied to the molecule as heat or some other type of radiation.

capacitor: An electrical component used to store energy. Unlike batteries, which store energy chemically, capacitors store energy physically, in a form very much like static electricity.

carbon: The chemical element having the atomic number 6. It is the physical basis of all life on Earth. Carbon exists freely as graphite and diamond. It is an important part of coal, limestone and petroleum, and is capable of self-bonding, chemically, to form an enormous number of chemically, biologically and commercially important molecules. (in climate studies) The term carbon sometimes will be used almost interchangeably with carbon dioxide to connote the potential impacts that some action, product, policy or process may have on long-term atmospheric warming.

carbon dioxide: (or CO ) A colorless, odorless gas produced by all animals when the oxygen they inhale reacts with the carbon-rich foods that they've eaten. Carbon dioxide also is released when organic matter burns (including fossil fuels like oil or gas). Carbon dioxide acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat in Earth's atmosphere. Plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen during photosynthesis, the process they use to make their own food.

carbon footprint: A popular term for measuring the global warming potential of various products or processes. Their carbon footprint translates to the amount of some greenhouse gas - usually carbon dioxide - that something releases per unit of time or per quantity of product.

cement: To glue two materials together with a binder that hardens into a rigid solid, or the viscous glue used to affix the two materials. (in construction) A finely ground material used to bind sand or bits of ground rock together in concrete. Cement typically starts out as a powder. But once wet, it becomes a mudlike sludge that hardens as it dries.

circuit: A network that transmits electrical signals. In the body, nerve cells create circuits that relay electrical signals to the brain. In electronics, wires typically route those signals to activate some mechanical, computational or other function.

climate: The weather conditions that typically exist in one area, in general, or over a long period.

climate change: Long-term, significant change in the climate of Earth. It can happen naturally or in response to human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests.

compression: Pressing on one or more sides of something in order to reduce its volume.

copper: A metallic chemical element in the same family as silver and gold. Because it is a good conductor of electricity, it is widely used in electronic devices.

cure: (in manufacturing and chemistry) The process of finalizing some chemical process that makes a product or surface strong and useful. For instance, cement and paint may feel dry to the touch within an hour or two, but will not really be strong until they have fully cured (a process that may take another one or more days).

electricity: A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons.

electrode: A device that conducts electricity and is used to make contact with non-metal part of an electrical circuit, or that contacts something through which an electrical signal moves. (in electronics) Part of a semiconductor device (such as a transistor) that either releases or collects electrons or holes, or that can control their movement.

electronics: Devices that are powered by electricity but whose properties are controlled by the semiconductors or other circuitry that channel or gate the movement of electric charges.

graphene: A superthin, superstrong material made from a single-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms that are linked together.

greenhouse gases: Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing heat. Carbon dioxide and methane are two examples of such gases.

high school: A designation for grades nine through 12 in the U.S. system of compulsory public education. High-school graduates may apply to colleges for further, advanced education.

innovation: (v. to innovate; adj. innovative) An adaptation or improvement to an existing idea, process or product that is new, clever, more effective or more practical.

joule: The amount of energy needed to produce one watt for one second. Joule is a standard unit of energy.

kelvin: A temperature scale that has units the size of those on the Celsius scale. The difference, 0 kelvin is absolute zero. So 0 kelvin is equal to -273.15 Celsius. That means 0 Celsius is equal to 273.15 kelvins. NOTE: Unlike with the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales, there is no use of the term "degrees" for numbers on the kelvin scale.

laser: A device that generates an intense beam of coherent light of a single color. Lasers are used in drilling and cutting, alignment and guidance, in data storage and in surgery.

manufacturing: The making of things, usually on a large scale.

methane: A hydrocarbon with the chemical formula CH4 (meaning there are four hydrogen atoms bound to one carbon atom). It's a natural constituent of what's known as natural gas. It's also emitted by decomposing plant material in wetlands and is belched out by cows and other ruminant livestock. From a climate perspective, methane is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide is in trapping heat in Earth's atmosphere, making it a very important greenhouse gas.

nanotechnology: Science, technology and engineering that deals with things and phenomena at the scale of a few billionths of a meter or less.

organic: (in chemistry) An adjective that indicates something is carbon-containing; also a term that relates to the basic chemicals that make up living organisms. (in agriculture) Farm products grown without the use of non-natural and potentially toxic chemicals, such as pesticides.

particle: A minute amount of something.

petroleum: A thick flammable liquid mixture of hydrocarbons. Petroleum is a fossil fuel mainly found beneath the Earth's surface. It is the source of the chemicals used to make gasoline, lubricating oils, plastics and many other products.

physicist: A scientist who studies the nature and properties of matter and energy.

plastic: Any of a series of materials that are easily deformable; or synthetic materials that have been made from polymers (long strings of some building-block molecule) that tend to be lightweight, inexpensive and resistant to degradation.

polymer: A substance made from long chains of repeating groups of atoms. Manufactured polymers include nylon, polyvinyl chloride (better known as PVC) and many types of plastics. Natural polymers include rubber, silk and cellulose (found in plants and used to make paper, for example).

quartz: A type of mineral made from silicon dioxide. The most common mineral on Earth, it can occur in any rock type: igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary.

surfactant: A chemical that decreases the attraction between water molecules. Manufacturers use such compounds to make it easier for water to spread on surfaces and to mix with other substances (such as oil).

tensile strength: The maximum lengthwise stress a material can take without breaking.

viscous: (n. viscosity) Adjective referring to something that is thick, sticky and hard to pour. Molasses and maple syrup are two examples of viscous liquids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Converting trash to valuable graphene in a flash

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
atmosphere: The envelope of gases surrounding Earth or another planet. atom: The basic unit of a chemical element. Atoms are made up of a dense nucleus that contains positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons. The nucleus is orbited by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.

# data[].attributes.headline
A new book captures how genetics fills in the story of life’s evolution

# data[].attributes.subject
A new book captures how genetics fills in the story of life’s evolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When descendants of ancient fish first hauled themselves onto dry land, they didn't do so with lungs evolved specifically for that reason. The need to breathe air ultimately led to a change in the function of an organ the fish already had. Likewise, when birds took to the air millions of years later, they did so using feathers that may have originally evolved as insulation or as a way to attract mates.

In Some Assembly Required, Neil Shubin, a paleontologist, explores these and other great evolutionary innovations, as well as the invisible genetic changes that made them possible. The book is an impressive chronicle of what genetic research over the last few decades has done to complement the story of evolution, a tale once told through fossils, anatomy and physiology alone.

For instance, studies show that the genes fish need to build swim bladders - the organ that helps control buoyancy - are the same ones lungfish and humans use to build lungs. Such repurposing, of both genes and anatomical features, is a recurrent theme in the tree of life, Shubin notes.

In some cases, genetic mutations trigger the production of new proteins, which can either serve new functions or perform old tasks more efficiently and, in turn, enhance the survival of the organism. In other cases, mutations cause genes to be switched on or off earlier or later in development and at different places in an embryo. These changes can alter the development of skulls, fins, limbs and other anatomical features, and sometimes result in totally new features.

Many of these tweaks may arise when genes duplicate themselves, a process that allows one copy of a gene to retain its original function but frees up the additional copy to change and gain a new purpose. For instance, research suggests that the gene NOTCH2NL, which originated via duplication of a more primitive gene and is found in humans but not monkeys, triggers the growth of brain cells when inserted into the DNA of lab mice. The gene probably contributes to humans' big brain, scientists have proposed.

Viral infections have also led to evolutionary changes in the host, Shubin points out. Syncytin, a protein that plays a vital role in the placenta of mammals, is a viral protein that lost its ability to infect other cells. At some point in the evolution of mammals, the protein was incorporated into its hosts' genetic code and put to work, creating intercellular pathways that enable nutrients and other substances to flow between mothers and embryos.

By taking a historical perspective and recounting the gradual accumulation of knowledge about genes and their effects, Shubin transforms a complicated topic into a smooth and fascinating read.
Buy Some Assembly Required from Amazon.com. Science News is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Please see our for more details.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A new book captures how genetics fills in the story of life's evolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When descendants of ancient fish first hauled themselves onto dry land, they didn't do so with lungs evolved specifically for that reason. The need to breathe air ultimately led to a change in the function of an organ the fish already had.

# data[].attributes.headline
Diamond samples in Canada reveal size of lost continent

# data[].attributes.subject
Diamond samples in Canada reveal size of lost continent

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Canadian scientists have discovered a fragment of an ancient continent, suggesting that it was 10% larger than previously thought.

They were studying diamond samples from Baffin Island, a glacier-covered land mass near Greenland, when they noticed a remnant of North Atlantic Craton.

Cratons are ancient, stable parts of the Earth's continental crust.

The North American Craton stretched from present-day Scotland to North America and broke apart 150m years ago.

Scientists chanced on the latest evidence as they examined exploration samples of kimberlite, a rock that often contains diamonds, from Baffin Island.

"For researchers, kimberlites are subterranean rockets that pick up passengers on their way to the surface," University of British Columbia geologist Maya Kopylova said. "The passengers are solid chunks of wall rocks that carry a wealth of details on conditions far beneath the surface of our planet over time."

Ms Kopylova and her colleagues says the sample bore a mineral signature that matched other portions of the North Atlantic Craton.

"Finding these 'lost' pieces is like finding a missing piece of a puzzle," Ms Kopylova is quoted as saying in an article published by the University of British Columbia's website.

The samples were taken from deep below the Chidliak Kimberlite Province in southern Baffin Island. Previous reconstructions of the Earth's plates had been based on shallow rock samples formed at depths of one to 10km (six miles).

Ms Kopylova said the discovery adds about 10% to the known size of the craton. "Our knowledge is literally and symbolically deeper," she said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Diamond samples reveal size of lost continent

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Canadian scientists have discovered a fragment of an ancient continent, suggesting that it was 10% larger than previously thought. They were studying diamond samples from Baffin Island, a glacier-covered land mass near Greenland, when they noticed a remnant of North Atlantic Craton. Cratons are ancient, stable parts of the Earth's continental crust.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read: Earth has had a secret second moon for months now Gray places the shift around March 7. Since then, 2020 CD3 has been bound by the sun's gravity, which means it's not our mini-moon anymore. This was always going to happen. The mini-moon was what astronomers call a "temporarily captured object."

# data[].attributes.headline
A microbe-killer sets to work at the flick of a switch

# data[].attributes.subject
A microbe-killer sets to work at the flick of a switch

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A microbe-killer sets to work at the flick of a switch

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ordinary lighting can activate a compound that attacks bacteria lurking on hospital surfaces. Ordinary lighting can activate a compound that attacks bacteria lurking on hospital surfaces.

# data[].attributes.headline
Vaping additive yields an ‘exceptionally toxic’ by-product

# data[].attributes.subject
Vaping additive yields an ‘exceptionally toxic’ by-product

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Vaping additive yields an 'exceptionally toxic' by-product

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When heated, an ingredient in some e-cigarette mixtures is transformed into a dangerous gas. When heated, an ingredient in some e-cigarette mixtures is transformed into a dangerous gas.

# data[].attributes.headline
What scientists learned after firing a small cannonball into a near-Earth asteroid

# data[].attributes.subject
What scientists learned after firing a small cannonball into a near-Earth asteroid

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
what scientists learned after firing a small cannonball into a near-earth asteroid - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What scientists learned after firing a small cannonball into a near-Earth asteroid

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft fired a copper cannonball a little bigger than a tennis ball into a near-Earth asteroid named Ryugu. Now, scientists have had a chance to analyze the data to learn more about this asteroid some 195 million miles away.