TIMING EINSTEIN
Albert Einstein postulated that the speed of light and the laws of physics remain constant while the passage of time is actually variable, depending on your velocity. Up to now, his famous Theory of Relativity has remained untested. But ultra-precise clocks placed on the International Space Station and other space missions might just prove whether Einstein was incorrect. If so, the discovery could dramatically change our understanding of the universe. That is what some scientists are thinking, because recent theories attempting to combine gravity and particle physics suggest relativity might not always apply. There may be subtle changes in space and time that cannot be measured easily on Earth. So scientists from several universities propose using the space station -- which orbits Earth at about 18,000 miles an hour -- to register relativity's effects. "By comparing extremely precise clocks that can operate under zero gravity, minuscule changes in the ticking rate might be found" as the station circles the planet, researchers said.
ORGANIC FARMING: BAD NEWS AND GOOD
Organic farming methods produce crop yields that are, on average, 20 percent smaller than conventional crops, Swiss researchers report, based on a 21-year comparison of the two methods. But organic farming more than makes up the difference, in terms of ecological benefits. Researchers grew side-by-side crops using both organic and conventional methods, including potatoes, barley, winter wheat, beets and grass clover. They kept crop rotation, varieties and tillage the same for both. Overall, the scientists found the organic systems were able to produce more with less energy and fewer resources. Amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients added to the soil were 34-51 percent lower for organic crops than conventional crops. Organic soils were home to a larger and more diverse community of organisms, such as soil microbes, which govern nutrient cycling in soils, and root-colonizing fungi, which help plants absorb the nutrients. Insects were almost twice as abundant and more diverse, including pest-eating spiders and beetles. Earthworms were more abundant as well, and weeds were more diverse, including some specialized and endangered species. "These results should be encouraging for farmers, because they can see that yields are stable over time, and that soil fertility has increased," the researchers said.
MEASURING CARBON IN SOILS ALMOST INSTANTLY
A new laser-based sampling device can make very quick analyses of farm soils, which could help reduce the amount of harmful carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The system, developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers, is based on a technology called Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, or LIBS. It can make on-the-spot field measurements of a soil's carbon content with 95 percent or better accuracy. Current carbon-measurement techniques require bulky soil samples and weeks of analysis in distant laboratories. But LIBS enables users to analyze a soil sample in about 15 minutes. Productive soils need substantial amounts of carbon along with other nutrients in order to be healthy, but improper tillage and crop-planting can release much of the carbon into the atmosphere. Knowing how much carbon a soil contains could allow large tracts of arid land or once-productive farmland to become carbon "sinks," or banks, thereby reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases. Also, increasing carbon in degraded soils can improve soil quality. And preventing carbon loss from soil mismanagement could help "healthy" lands retain their vitality and value, researchers said.
HOT POLYMER CATCHES CO2 BETTER
A new high-temperature polymer membrane can separate and capture carbon dioxide produced by industrial processes, which could help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers developed the membrane. It can operate at temperatures as high as 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Current commercial polymer membranes for gas separation are limited to maximum operating temperatures of 300 degrees F. Growing concern about environmental impact, such as global warming, from the vast amounts of carbon dioxide released from fossil fuels combustion, has prompted scientists to study ways to capture carbon. Researchers estimate about 30 percent of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions result from industries.
(Editors: For more information on EINSTEIN, contact Alan Kostelecky at 812-855-1485 or [email protected]. For ORGANIC FARMING, Lisa Onaga at 202-326-7088 or [email protected]. For SOILS, Bill Dupuy at 505-665-9179 or [email protected]. For POLYMER, Shelley Thompson at 505-665-7778 or [email protected])
