Posted at 8:00 a.m.
Less flaring than expected
Flaring (“gas burning”) in methane and oil wells in the United States is 10 times less efficient than expected, according to a new study from the University of Michigan. It allows 9% of the natural gas to pass, whereas it should normally burn more than 98% of the gas leaks escaping from the wells, explain the climatologists at the end of September in Science, from fine atmospheric measurements. The difference in efficiency is equivalent to nearly 300,000 cars. Methane is a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent in the long term than CO2. In Canada, the oil industry’s goal is to reduce its methane emissions by 45% by 2025.
Quiz
What new mission has been entrusted to drones by British engineers?
PHOTO PROVIDED BY UCL
Britain’s aerial drone and the 2m structure it built
To build houses. In Nature in mid-September, researchers at University College London demonstrate how drones can build three-dimensional structures. Their proof reaches 2 m, with an accuracy of 5 mm from the plans. These researchers argue that drones could be used first, in very tall constructions.
The number
7119
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PHOTO FROM NASA WEBSITE
Debris from the probe landing Perseverance
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PHOTO FROM NASA WEBSITE
Piece of rope from the parachute Perseverance
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PHOTO FROM NASA WEBSITE
Fragment of the heat shield used during the landing of the probe Perseverance
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PHOTO FROM NASA WEBSITE
Debris from the probe landing Perseverance : the parachute, visible as a thin line, and to its right a piece of the shield
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PHOTO FROM NASA WEBSITE
Debris from the probe landing Curiosity in 2012
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PHOTO FROM NASA WEBSITE
The heat shield used during the landing of the probe Opportunity in 2004
1/6
This is the number of kilograms of waste left by humanity on Mars, according to a calculation by a roboticist from the University of West Virginia. He did the analysis for The Conversation test site, after NASA unveiled several photos of litter related to the probe landing in August. Perseverance. This total includes debris from the landings as well as nine probes that stopped working: March 3 and 6, viking 1 and 2, stay, Beagle 2, phoenix, Spirit and Opportunity.
Inflammation from vasectomy
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SYLVIE BRETON LABORATORY
The spherical cells seen in this image are immune system cells called CD45+ leukocytes. The CD45+ cell located at the top right engulfed 11 spermatozoa.
Laval University biologists believe they have determined the cause of the scrotal pain that affects one in ten men after a vasectomy. It would be the accumulation of sperm in the epididymis, a 7 m long tube where they complete their maturation. In the magazine Andrology in mid-September, they suggested that drugs could target a protein involved in inflammation of the epididymis.
Threats and brain size
PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A nigga (Amatitlania nigrofasciata)
The presence of a predator causes the brain volume of a Central American fish to swell by 18%, according to a new study by biologists from Concordia University. This increase is observed in juveniles of theAmatitlania nigrofasciata – known as a nigro to aquarium enthusiasts — and disappears in 11 days when the predators are gone. In the Proceedings of the Zoological Societyin mid-September, Montreal researchers explain that the next step is to understand the reasons and consequences of these swollen heads.