Flamboyant Future Info Buzz

   Source :  https://cbe.udel.edu/news/2019/01/07/could-termites-power-a-clean-coal-revolution/     When termites munch on wood, the small bits are delivered to feed a community of unique microbes living in their guts, and in a complex process involving multiple steps, these microbes turn the hard, fibrous material into a nutritious meal for the termite host. One key step uses hydrogen to convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon—a process called acetogenesis—but little is known about which gut bacteria play specific roles in the process. Utilizing a variety of experimental techniques, researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have now discovered a previously unidentified bacterium—living on the surface of a larger microorganism in the termite gut—that may be responsible for most gut acetogenesis. "In the termite gut, you have several hundred different species of microbes that live within a millimeter of one another. We know certai...

Aquatic internet that sends data through light beams could enable divers to instantly transmit footage from under the sea to the surface. The  internet  is an indispensable communication tool, connecting tens of billions of devices worldwide, and yet we struggle to connect to the web from under water. "People from both academia and industry want to monitor and explore underwater environments in detail," explains the first author, Basem Shihada.  Wireless internet under the sea would enable divers to talk without hand signals and send live data to the surface. Underwater communication is possible with radio, acoustic and  visible light  signals. However, radio can only carry data over  short distances , while acoustic signals support long distances, but with a very limited data rate. Visible light can travel far and carry lots of data, but the narrow light beams require a clear line of sight between the transmitters and receivers. Now, ...