Predicting the Wind
To sell their energy, wind-farm operators need to predict when they can deliver the power,
but wind is skittish and unpredictable. Researchers are hoping that
artificial-intelligence techniques will make wind-energy forecasts more accurate. A method
developed at Northern Ireland's University of Ulster assesses past wind-flow patterns to
predict energy output up to 12 hours in advance and within a 12% margin of error. Current
utility expectations work within a 50% margin, according to researcher Piers Campbell.
"The need for forecasting is essential in increasing the competitiveness of wind
energy as a renewable power source," he says. The assessment techniques could also
help wind farmers select the most suitable sites for operation.
Source: University of Ulster, York Street, Belfast BT15 1ED, United Kingdom. Web site www.ulst.ac.uk.
Childless Seniors
Loneliness and depression are not inevitable for childless adults later in life,
according to a University of Florida study. Contrary to popular beliefs about the benefits
of having children, the study found that elderly persons without children are no more
vulnerable to depression than those with children. The benefits of having children come
from having good relationships with them; without those strong relationships, the senior
parents were more likely to report psychological problems than were their childless peers,
according to sociology professor Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox. Sweeping social changes over recent
decades have made people more open to a variety of life patterns, removing much of the
stigma and guilt of childlessness that once led to pity from others and depression among
the elderly, she suggests.
Source: University of Florida, News and Public Affairs Office, 207 Tigert Hall,
Gainesville, Florida 32611. Web site www.ufl.edu.
Wearable Power
Fabrics with solar-electricity-generating cells could be considered a holy grail for
portable power, and several teams of researchers are working on various aspects of the
goal. Solar cells are currently too small, delicate, and expensive to use in fabrics as
wearable power sources, but scientists in the United Kingdom are working toward bigger,
tougher, and cheaper cells. These could be rolled out as large solar carpets to provide
power for tents in refugee camps or for emergency workers, for instance. Among the
problems to tackle are replacing crystalline silicon, which represents more than half the
cost of solar cells, with a cheaper material (such as titanium oxide or polymers) and
creating electrical connections that hold current even when the fabric is bent. If such
fabrics could be developed, potential uses include solar clothing for emergency workers
and battery-free power in extreme environments.
Source: University of Bath, Public Relations Office, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom. Web
site www.bath.ac.uk.
Can We Stick Like Geckos?
The tiny hairs on geckos' soles allow the lizards to climb the slickest of surfaces.
This natural attach-unattach-reattach capability intrigues human developers of adhesives.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed an adhesive tape that mimics
geckos' feet, demonstrating the feasibility of self-cleaning, reattachable dry adhesives.
Such artificial micro-hair adhesives could one day be used for "gecko gloves,"
enabling humans to climb the walls as easily as Spider-Man.
Source: University of Manchester, Public Relations Office, Oxford Road, Manchester M13
9PL, United Kingdom. Web site news.man.ac.uk/index_html.
Fireflies Help Fight Cancer
Genes from fireflies could help get cancer cells to self-destruct. The gene that activates
a firefly's bioluminescence is inserted into cancer cells, causing them to glow. A
photosensitizing agent is added, making the cells produce toxic substances and causing
them to commit suicide. This principle is already used in photodynamic therapy--using
bursts of light to attack tumors. Inserting the light source directly into the cells makes
it possible to attack tumors deep in the body without using an outside light source that
could damage healthy tissue on the way, according to researchers at University College
London and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.
Source: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 605 Third Avenue, New York, New York
10158. Web site www.licr.org.
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