https://nordictimes.com/science/scientists-have-found-organisms-that-can-break-down-plastic-at-colder-temperatures/

Science

Scientists have found organisms that can break down plastic at colder temperatures

Published 17 May 2023

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: David Stanley/CC BY 2.0

Researchers have found plastic-melting organisms in Svalbard.

Previously, organisms have only been found that can break down plastic at higher temperatures, such as at least 30 degrees Celsius.

Now, Swiss researchers have found organisms that can melt plastic even at lower temperatures, which they believe could contribute to better solutions for breaking down the increased plastic consumption in cheaper and more carbon-neutral ways.

Plastic consumption has become an increasing problem throughout the world as plastic contributes to a negative impact on the environment, animals and human health.

A large proportion of plastic does not break down completely, becoming microplastics that can take hundreds of years for nature to break down. Animals and humans then ingest these microplastics. For example, researchers at the Free University of Amsterdam recently found that 80% of participants in a study had microplastics in their blood.

In recent years, researchers have found more and more organisms that can break down plastics, which may also help to make them available for industrial use and break down larger quantities. There are a number of fungi, bacteria and even worms that can do this.

One problem is that these organisms need heat to survive and break down the plastic. Often at least 30 °C is needed, which is very costly and, according to researchers, not enough to achieve a so-called ‘carbon-neutral solution’.

Now, a group of researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has found organisms that can break down plastic at lower temperatures.

The researchers collected samples from 19 strains of bacteria and 15 strains of fungi found on plastic waste in Greenland, Svalbard and also in Switzerland. The bacteria and fungi were then grown under dark conditions and at temperatures between 4 °C and 20 °C. The study, published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Microbiology, explains that several tests were carried out on the organisms to examine their ability to melt different types of plastic materials.

It was found that 56% of the strains, i.e. eleven fungi and eight bacteria, were able to break down bio-based polyurethane (PUR). At the same time, 14 fungi and three bacteria were also able to digest plastic mixtures of PBAT and PLA.

– It was very surprising to us that we found that a large fraction of the tested strains was able to degrade at least one of the tested plastics, says Dr. Joel Rüthi, who led the study.

The organisms were most effective at temperatures around 15 °C, but lower temperatures also worked for some of them.

The next step for researchers is to identify specific plastic-degrading enzymes produced by these strains, which could then lead to using these organisms to degrade plastics on an industrial scale and at lower temperatures.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Plastic is an umbrella term for many different materials with different uses. Most commonly, plastic is made from fossil raw materials, but it is also made from renewable raw materials.

There are also plastics made from bio-based raw materials such as sugar cane; however, this does not mean that they break down more easily in nature and are often just as difficult to degrade as plastics made from fossil raw materials.

Much of the plastic ends up in the sea, which is often disposable packaging and plastic bags. Often, the plastic waste has been dumped on land and then ends up in the sea in various ways, where it has an impact by, for example, fish and other animals getting stuck in the waste or by slowly breaking down into microplastics that are then eaten by marine wildlife.

https://nordictimes.com/science/researchers-extreme-climate-phenomenon-dates-back-250-million-years/

Science

Researchers: Extreme climate phenomenon dates back 250 million years

Published 16 January 2025

– By Editorial Staff

Photo. Fabio Lamanna/iStock

El Niño can cause both floods and extreme droughts.

El Niño causes extreme droughts, floods and forest fires in many parts of the world. However, scientists have shown that this is not a new phenomenon – it was already happening 250 million years ago.

Today, it is popular to link almost all types of noticeable weather and climate anomalies to human influence – and politicians and the media alike often claim that humans are to blame for natural disasters of various kinds.

The exact causes of weather-related phenomena are often difficult to pinpoint. However, even when the continents came together to form the supercontinent Pangea, there were various forms of “extreme weather”, and scientists have discovered that El Niño is much older than previously known.

The ocean phenomenon recurs along with the Southern Oscillation atmospheric phenomenon in the eastern Pacific between approximately every two to seven years. The two phenomena are linked by the common name ENSO (El Niño – Southern Oscillation) and usually last for 9 to 12 months.

The phenomenon affects the temperature, speed and strength of ocean currents and leads to extreme weather in the form of droughts, floods and forest fires, affecting millions of people in places like South America and Australia.

“Long before human history”

Until now, it has been unclear how far back in time the climate phenomenon extends. But in a new study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), an international team of researchers concluded that El Niño and the Southern Oscillation have a history of at least 250 million years.

– Through climate simulations, we found that ENSO has been a leading climate phenomenon long before human history. This was a major discovery for us, says Zhengyao Lu, a physical geography researcher at Lund University who participated in the study.

The research team used a global climate model and calculations of atmospheric and oceanic processes to map the history of ENSO over a period of ten million years. They also found that the weather phenomenon was significantly stronger in several earlier historical periods than today.

– A better understanding of ENSO’s history can give us new insights into how the phenomenon may change in the future. The results suggest that ENSO will continue to be the most significant source of annual climate variability globally, Lu explains.

Could lead to better forecasts

The new study is said to help scientists develop more realistic climate models in the future in terms of topography, greenhouse gas levels, solar radiation and bathymetry. Zhengyao Lu says the research will provide important information for future climate projections.

– Recent and future extreme El Niño events may be driven primarily by anthropogenic climate change. But on a timescale of 250 million years, natural variability and other factors have led to major changes. In any case, understanding how this climate phenomenon behaves in an increasingly warming world is of utmost importance, he concludes.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/science/avid-readers-have-distinctive-brains/

Science

Avid readers have distinctive brains

Published 2 January 2025

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: Jacoblund/iStock

It's never too late to train your brain if you want to.

Proficient readers have “distinct features of brain anatomy” that others lack. This is according to phonetician Mikael Roll, who also urges Swedes to train their brains by reading more books.

– Better reading ability is linked to a larger anterior part of the temporal lobe in the left hemisphere compared to the right, which makes it easier to understand words and thus to read, he explains.

Data from Statistics Sweden (SCB) shows that the number of Swedes who read for pleasure is steadily declining – last year, one in two men said they read no books at all in their spare time. In 2008 to 2009, 40% of the population over the age of 16 said they read books every week – a proportion that has fallen to 31% in 2021.

Mikael Roll is a researcher in neurolinguistics at the Language and Literature Center at Lund University and has analyzed data from over 1000 participants. He points out that there are two areas in the left hemisphere that are crucial for linguistic abilities, and that the structure of these areas was different in Swedes who were good at reading books.

One region is the anterior temporal lobe, which helps associate and categorize different types of meaningful information.

– To understand the meaning of a word like “leg”, this brain region connects visual, sensory and motor information, he explains.

Need to understand the sounds of language

The second region is called Heschl’s gyrus and is a fold in the upper temporal lobe where the auditory cortex is located.

– Better reading ability is linked to a larger anterior part of the temporal lobe in the left hemisphere compared to the right, making it easier to understand words and thus to read.

– Reading is not just a visual skill. To be able to pair letters with speech sounds, we first need to be aware of the speech sounds, which has long been known in research on children’s reading development, Roll continues.

The brain is malleable

A thinner left Herschl’s gyrus has previously been linked to dyslexia, but Roll also made other findings.

– My research shows that this variation in cortex thickness is not just a difference between people with and without dyslexia. It spans the larger population, where a thicker auditory cortex correlates with more proficient reading.

Fortunately, the brain is malleable. Photo: iStock/Halfpoint

He believes that an underlying mechanism may be the presence of more overlapping, interacting neurons that process information in a more coherent way but emphasizes that phonology is a complex skill.

– Clearly, the structure of the brain can tell us a lot about reading ability. However, it is important to note that the brain is malleable – it changes as we learn a new skill or practice an already acquired one, he points out.

“Pick up a good book”

Other researchers at Lund University have previously observed that the thickness of the cerebral cortex in language areas actually increased in young adults who studied language intensively, and similarly, reading is likely to shape the structure of the left Heschl’s gyrus and temporal lobe.

– So if you want to keep your Heschls thick and healthy, pick up a good book and start reading, urges Mikael Roll, who is concerned about what happens if reading becomes less and less of a priority.

– Our ability to interpret the world around us and understand the thoughts of others would certainly diminish. In other words, that cozy moment on the couch with a book is not just good for you – but for humanity, he concludes.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/science/researchers-doomsday-prophecies-are-nothing-new/

Science

Researchers: Doomsday prophecies are nothing new

Published 1 January 2025

– By Editorial Staff

Painting: Viktor Vasnetsov (1887).

The four horsemen of the apocalypse.

The media and politicians feed people in the West with alarms that humanity and the entire planet are threatened by climate change, disease, war and death – a narrative that shapes a bleak worldview and creates stress and mental illness in many.

Researchers at Lund University, however, point out that the idea that the world is about to end is by no means a new phenomenon, but has been common throughout humanity’s documented history.

– In fact, we have always been as close or as far from an apocalypse, if by that we mean a global catastrophe that wipes out or radically alters life. The idea that human life is fragile and can come to an abrupt end is as old as humanity, explains Blaženka Scheuer, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor of Old Testament Exegetics at Lund University.

Already in Sumerian and early Jewish writings, long before the birth of Jesus, stories of devastating disasters and doomsday-like events were written. In the Bible’s Book of Revelation, it is described, among other things, how the sun turns black, the stars fall down and the moon is colored red like blood.

According to Scheuer, it is the Book of Revelation that has colored people’s views and thoughts about the end of the world in the following centuries – and still does.

– Because the Bible has played such a major role in history, people have related in different ways to the imaginary world of the Book of Revelation, which has, however, changed shape over the course of history. Not infrequently, people have interpreted pandemics and disease from this apocalyptic narrative. The plague but also COVID-19 are such examples, she says.

“Served as a comfort”

She encourages anyone curious about ancient people’s reflections and thoughts on crises and threats to read the Book of Revelation – but also warns that it is difficult to read and unstructured.

– At the same time, it is good to remember that the Book of Revelation, when it was written in the 90s AD, served as a comfort and encouragement for those suffering severe persecution to endure. Looking forward to a time when evil will be defeated once and for all gave them hope.

Although feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of crises and disasters as something overwhelming and beyond control have always existed, Blaženka Scheuers believes that it is up to each new generation to learn how to deal with its own challenges and not become numb.

– We may be able to protect ourselves from an earthquake, but we cannot really influence it. When it comes to climate change, wars and authoritarian regimes, we are not without agency. We can actually have an impact, she says.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

At the End of the World is an interdisciplinary research group at Lund University where researchers investigate how apocalyptic thoughts and currents shape historiography, legal-political thinking and populist rhetoric as well as media reporting on AI, climate threats and migration.

The program runs over 6 years (2023-2028) and includes 23 researchers from disciplines such as history, law, history of ideas, media history, ethnology, political science, philosophy of religion, gender studies, church history, art history, exegetics and theology.

https://nordictimes.com/science/researchers-old-poor-and-sick-hit-hardest-by-cashless-society/

Science

Researchers: Old, poor and sick hit hardest by cashless society

The war on cash

Published 22 December 2024

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: FJZEA/iStock

Those who cannot use digital payment solutions are forced to live a very limited life.

Physical cash risks becoming a thing of the past as Sweden is on track to become the first completely cashless country in the world.

This development is negative for many, but it hits the most vulnerable the hardest – namely the elderly, the sick, and the poor.

Since 2007, the amount of cash in Sweden has halved and today over 80% of the population uses digital payment services such as Swish – often on a daily basis. Researchers at Lund University note that many places in Sweden are already completely cashless and that this means that those who, for various reasons, cannot use digital solutions are effectively excluded from society.

An interview study conducted by Professor Lena Halldenius and Associate Professor Moa Petersén at Lund University shows that those with the lowest incomes are also the least able to cope with the forced transition to the cashless control society.

“This includes the elderly, homeless, or mentally ill who often don’t even have a bank account and cannot afford to invest in digital technology”.

“Some of the people we interviewed are homeless or have mental health problems. Others live on a very low income. The barriers they face are both practical and cultural. They feel like criminals, undervalued and excluded from participating in much of daily life”, the researchers write in the international news platform of The Conversation.

“Felt like a thief”

These people can no longer shop in many stores, pay bills or otherwise participate in society in the same way as before, and are instead forced to confine themselves to “cash bubbles” where paying with physical money still works.

“Cash works like a local currency, isolated from the rest of the economy. In the cash bubble, you can buy necessities and go to no-frills cafes, but you can’t pay for parking and you can’t pay bills without help. Volunteers at local community groups told us that they spend most of their time doing people’s banking for them”, it adds.

One specific example concerns an elderly woman who had saved up money to buy a gift for her grandchild – but is refused to do so at the checkout with her grandchild in hand – because the shop no longer accepts cash.

– I felt like a thief, the woman explains.

“Expensive to be digitally poor”

Homeless people sleeping in cars can no longer use the parking meters – because they no longer accept cash. Instead, an illegal market has emerged where people with smartphones and bank accounts pay for their parking at a significant extra cost.

“It’s expensive to be digitally poor”, it states.

Not being able to shop in stores, pay bills and fees, or be part of Swedish society leads to feelings of shame, anger and resignation – while those who use cash are increasingly suspected and stigmatized.

“Digitalization has made people lonely”

Sweden today has become a country “where digital money is good and cash is associated with crime and dirt”, the researchers warn.

“In Sweden, as in many other countries, a fully cashless economy feels inevitable in the coming years. But as we have found, people who rely on cash due to poverty are left without the means to manage independently or even to pay their bills“.

– It’s not just cashlessness. I feel that human beings have disappeared. We live like robots; click here, click that. Digitization has made people lonely, explains one interviewee with resignation.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Polaris of Enlightenment

Polaris of Enlightenment