Mold destroys works of art. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

Mold destroys works of art

17.04.2019

Scientists in Costa Rica have discovered several new varieties of a mold growing wildly in an unusual location in a collection of lithographs created by 19th-century French artist Bernard Romaine Julien.

Microorganisms are accelerating the decay of printed artworks, which are part of the oldest copies of the art collection of the University of Costa Rica, which were purchased as teaching aids in painting techniques.

In order to preserve the lithographs, Herald Coneyo Barbosa, of the Department of Chemistry at the University and the Fine Arts Research Institute, is working with colleagues to create an aerosol that would kill or slow down at least the growth of mold and stop the natural oxidation process that destroys art works.

Max Chavarria, a molecular biologist at the Costa Rica National Center for Biotechnological Innovation, studied 20 of the more than 1000 lithographs in the collection to determine which microbes affect the artwork. He isolated from 21 mold samples two varieties of fungi unknown to science until now.

The researchers hope the new chemicals will effectively combat microbes and oxidation and help keep art collections safe wherever they are.

<< Back: The oldest molecule in the universe discovered 17.04.2019

>> Forward: Notebook HP Chromebook 15 16.04.2019

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

City lights 12.03.2002

Chicago astronomers are protesting against a plan to light up an 18-kilowatt aircraft beacon every evening on one of the city's skyscrapers.

The high-efficiency lamp produces light with a power of 7 billion candles, in the middle of the beam its brightness corresponds to 52 million ordinary hundred-watt light bulbs. The cost of this lighting fixture is $88 million. The building, 172 meters high (37 floors), was completed in 1929. From 1930 to 1981, an aviation beacon was already shining on it, the beam of which described a full circle over the city. There is no need for such a landmark for aircraft in our time, and they want to revive the lighthouse only for purely decorative purposes, in order to return to the city one of its former symbols.

However, according to astronomers, the light of the lighthouse will interfere with the new educational institution - an observatory open to all comers, which is currently being built near Chicago. In addition, opponents of the project point out that the powerful beam will confuse migratory birds and interfere with the pilots of low-flying small aircraft. However, the developers promise to install special light shields and hoods, turn off the light for the bird migration season and say that the beam will not describe a circle, as before, but only an arc of a third of a circle.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews