Self-repair Hydrogel

For years, people have been trying to create and/or find a substance with the ability to heal itself. And thus, the self-reparing hydrogel was created. 

A hydrogel is a semi-solid squishy substance. It can be applied in the medical world, as in tissue engineering. 

The main point in a self-healing hydrogel was finding a way to have the polymer chains that have been severed to find and relatch onto each other. They then, created a way to do this, naming the method the "dangling side chain" molecules. The molecules hang on from the main chain, and they give the chain that has been hurt, something to latch on to. 

This can be useful for working with things with acid. You can suture a perforated stomach or create a layer inside a container to hold acidic materials. Bioegineers now try to create different type of hydrogels to use in different situations. The self-healing hydrogel may be able to lead to self-reparing plastics and other different materials.

So to the future!!!

http://youtu.be/wZhwGfOnydY  < link to a video on self healing hydrogels

   Knoff, Joshua. "Smart, Self-Healing Hydrogels Repair Themselves After Sustaining Damage." Popsci.com. N.p., 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-03/smart-self-healing-hydrogels-repair-themselves-after-sustaining-damage>.

America on Volcano Power?

   A company by the name of Altarock Energy, wanted to use geothermal energy, by pumping water 10,000 feet under the Newberry Volcano. If successful, AltaRock could spin turbines and use renewable energy. During the process, 219 earthquakes were detected, as the water broke through the rocks and made small waterways. This process was called EGS. Enhanced Gemothermal Engineering. Most geothermal energy is found in the Ring of Fire areas. The euqipment for this process if very expensive. However, it can power 10% of America. Unfortunatley Altarock was highly unpopular for damaging the surroundings around the volcano. Eight millions pounds of water had already been pumped underground and people was starting to deem Altarock unsafe. 

Do you find this process useful or harmful? Comment below!

Lecher, Colin. "Could a Volcano Power America." Popsci. N.p., 7 June 2013. Web.

How enhanced geothermal engineering can potentionally fuel a power plant. [Image credit: AltaRock Energy, U.S department of energy] 

Ivanpah

Aioannides. Ivanpah Solar Power Facility Online.jpg. 13. Taken from the Side of the Road near |15, n.p.

Above is a photo of the bird-burning Ivanpah. The world's largest solar plant, Ivanpah helps generate electricity for 140,000 homes during busy hours of the day. Large mirrors, 75.6 square feet, are angled toward the tower. There are 173,500 mirrors in total. Ivanpah towers 459 ft. high. This is all found in Primm, NV, California. Ivanpah is also known for scorching birds that fly over and temporarily blinding pilots. Complaints have been voiced. Though, blinding pilots and killing birds, doesn't do a lot of good, I think, Ivanpah can help us in the future, for powering more homes, and helping the world through solar power. 

What do you think? Comment below. 

"Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System." NREL Concentrating Solar Power Projects. Alliance of Sustainable Energy, 19 Feb. 14. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.