12 Science
12 Science November 1 2022 | World and Press Artificial leaf turns sunlight, water, and CO 2 into clean fuel SCIENCE Scientists say the device could be used to provide fuel for ships or people living on small islands. mit Audiodatei By Charlie Parker An artificial leaf floats on the River Cam near St John’s College, Cambridge. | Photo: Virgil Andrei/University of Cambridge ing them on the River Cam, which showed that they could convert sunlight into fuels as “efficiently as plant leaves”. 3 It was the first time that clean fuel had been generated on water, they said, adding that if it was scaled up, the technology could be used on polluted waterways, in ports, or even at sea, where they could help to reduce the global shipping industry’s reli- ance on fossil fuels. “Solar farms have become popular for electricity production; we envision similar farms for fuel synthesis,” Virgil Andrei, from the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry at Cambridge, said. “These could supply coastal settlements, remote islands, cover industrial ponds, or avoid water evaporation from irrigation canals.” 4 The leaves work when water 1 INVENTORS at Cambridge University have developed artificial leaves that produce clean fuel as they float on water. The ultra-thin, lightweight, and flexible devices use solar technology that mimics photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into food, to create a carbon-neutral fuel. As they float, they transform sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into a liquid fuel that can be stored. This differs from conventional solar cells, which generate an electrical current. 2 Scientists at the university created a prototype in 2019, but it was too “bulky” to be scaled up for commercial use. The initial design used thick glass substrates and moisture-protective coatings, which made it heavy and fragile. They have spent the past few years remodelling the device using miniaturisation techniques to make it light enough to float on water. The researchers said this week that they carried out successful tests of the leaves by placand CO 2 are present and sunlight hits a panel that has been coated in a semiconductor powder. It absorbs the light, and electrons in the panel become “excited” before joining with the CO 2 . Protons are released from the water, which then reduces the CO 2 , and a chemical reaction creates formic acid, which can be stored. 5 The team is led by Professor Erwin Reisner, who hopes the technology could revolutionise the shipping industry, where cargo vessels powered by fossil fuels transport 80 per cent of global trade. “We wanted to see how far we can trim down the materials these devices use, while not affecting their performance,” he said. “If we can trim the materials down far enough that they’re light enough to float, then it opens up whole new ways that these artificial leaves could be used.” 6 Reisner added: “Many renewable energy technologies, including solar fuel technologies, can take up large amounts of space on land, so moving production to open water would mean that clean energy and land use aren’t competing with one another. In theory, you could roll up these devices and put them almost anywhere, in almost any country, which would also help with energy security.” 7 The team was tasked with finding a way of downsizing their initial design by attaching light absorbers to lightweight “substrates” that are protected against water infiltration. They used thin-film metal oxides and materials known as perovskites, which can be coated on to flexible plastic and metal foils, and covered them with micrometre-thin, water-repellent carbon-based layers that prevented moisture degradation. 8 “This study demonstrates that artificial leaves are compatible with modern fabrication techniques, representing an early step towards the automation and up-scaling of solar fuel production,” Andrei said. “These leaves combine the advantages of most solar fuel technologies, as they achieve the low weight of powder suspensions and the high performance of wired systems.” 9 The leaves are not ready for commercial applications as additional improvements will need to be made, including creating a method to collect the fuel from the leaf. © The Times, London/News Licensing This article originally appeared in The Times, London. 0 – 1 ARTIFICIAL“ÆA…tI"fIS´l‘ künstlich — lightweight “"--‘ leicht — to mimic nachahmen — photosynthesis “Æf´t´U"sInT´sIs‘ — carbon-neutral CO 2 -neutral — to transform umwandeln — carbon dioxide “ÆkA…b´n daI"ÅksaId‘ Kohlendioxid — electrical current elektrischer Strom 2 bulky sperrig — to scale up in großem Maßstab einsetzen; s.w.u. up-scaling Ausbau — glass substrate “"søbstreIt‘ Glassubstrat — moisture-protective coating “"mOIstS´; pr´"tektIv‘ Schutzbeschichtung gegen Feuchtigkeit; s.w.u. to coat beschichten — fragile “"frœdZaIl‘ zerbrechlich — to remodel überarbeiten — miniaturisation “ÆmIn´tS´raI"zeIS´n‘ Miniaturisierung 3 waterway Wasserstraße — shipping industry Schifffahrt — reliance on “rI"laI´ns‘ Abhängigkeit von — solar farm Solaranlage — to envision “In"vIZ´n‘ s. vorstellen — fuel synthesis Kraftstoffsynthese — coastal settlement Küstenort — industrial pond Klärteich — water evaporation “IÆvœp´"reIS´n‘ Wasserverdunstung — irrigation canal Bewässerungskanal 4 – 6 panel Platte — semiconductor powder “Æsemik´n"døkt´‘ Halbleiterpulver — excited angeregt — to join with s. verbinden mit — formic acid “ÆfO…mIk "œsId‘ Ameisensäure — cargo vessel Frachtschiff — to trim down reduzieren — performance Leistung — renewable energy “rI"nju…´b´l‘ erneuerbare Energie 7 to be tasked with doing die Aufgabe haben zu tun — to downsize verkleinern — light absorber lichtabsorbierendes Material — water infiltration Eindringen von Wasser — thinfilm Dünnschicht- — metal oxide Metalloxid — perovskite “pe"rÅvskaIt‘ Perowskit — foil Folie — water-repellent “rI"pel´nt‘ wasserabweisend — carbon-based auf Kohlenstoffbasis — moisture degradation Materialschädigung durch Feuchtigkeit 8 – 9 fabrication technique “tek"ni…k‘ Herstellungsverfahren — powder suspension “s´"spenS´n‘ Pulversuspension — wired verdrahtet — application Anwendung Continued from page 1 8 Dozens of currencies, including the euro, the Japanese yen, and the Chinese renminbi, have slumped in recent weeks. Rising interest rates and a relatively bright economic outlook in the United States combined with turmoil in the global economy have made investments in dollars particularly appealing. 9 But the revival by the Truss government of an extreme version of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan-era “trickledown” economic policies elicited a brutal response. “The problem isn’t that the U.K. budget was inflationary,” Dario Perkins, a managing director at TS Lombard, a research firm, wrote on Twitter. “It’s that it was moronic.” … 10 The pound’s dominance has been waning since the end of World War II. Today, the global economy is experiencing a particularly tumultuous time as it recovers from the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain breakdowns, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an energy shortage, and soaring inflation. 11 As Richard Portes, an economics professor at London Business School, said, currency exchanges have enormous swings over time. The euro was worth 82 cents in its early days, he recalled, and people referred to it as a “toilet paper” currency. But by 2008, its value had doubled to .60. What might cause the pound to revive is not clear. 12 The Truss government’s economic program has forcefully accelerated the pound’s slide – the latest in a series of what many economists consider egregious economic missteps that peaked with Brexit. Much depends on the Truss government. “The plunge in the pound is the result of policy choices, not some historical inevitability,” said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. “Whether this is a new, grim era or just an unfortunate interlude depends on whether they reverse course or are kicked out at the next election.” 13 As it happens, the Bank of England is preparing to issue new pound bank notes and coins featuring King Charles III at the very moment that the pound has dropped to record lows. “The death of the queen and the fall of the pound do seem jointly to signify decisively the end of an era,” Prasad of Cornell said. “These two events could be considered markers in a long historical procession in the British economy and the pound sterling becoming far less important than they once were.” © 2022 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times. to slump fallen — interest rate Zinssatz — economic outlook Konjunkturausblick — turmoil “"t‰…mOIl‘ Turbulenzen — appealing attraktiv 9 – 10 trickle-down economic policy Wirtschaftspolitik, die auf der These beruht, dass Einkommenszuwächse für Reiche zu weniger wohlhabenden Gesellschaftsschichten durchsickern — to elicit “i"lIsIt‘ hervorrufen — to be inflationary “In"fleIS´n´ri‘ die Inflation ankurbeln — research firm Unternehmen für Wertpapier- und Investmentanalyse — moronic “m´"rÅnIk‘ schwachsinnig — to wane schwinden — tumultuous “tSu…"møltSu´s‘ stürmisch — supply chain Lieferkette — to soar “sO…‘ sprunghaft ansteigen 11 – 13 currency exchange Wechselkurs — forcefully mit Nachdruck — egregious “I"gri…dZ´s‘ ungeheuerlich — inevitability “IÆnevIt´"bIl´ti‘ Unumgänglichkeit — interlude “"Int´lu…d‘ Intermezzo — to reverse umkehren — to signify “"sIgnIfaI‘ erkennen lassen — marker h.: Symbol
World and Press | November 1 2022 Young People 13 ‘Generation Sensible’ risk missing out on life experiences, therapists warn YOUNG PEOPLE According to reports, social anxiety among overly cautious 11- to 25-year-olds who often interact online is on the rise. mit Audiodatei und By David Batty 1 THEY HAVEbeen deemed “Generation Sensible” for their focus on social issues, healthy living, and drinking less alcohol. But therapists say Generation Z could miss out on a wealth of life experience due to their overly cautious attitude to taking risks. 2 Many young people increasingly choose to stay within a comfort zone of a small network of like-minded friends in which much of their social activity is virtual, according to mental health experts. While this can give them more control over some aspects of their lives, it can also lead to social anxiety when they have to interact with people offline, the experts added. 3 Natalie Phillips, a psychotherapist who works with children and young people aged from 11 to 25, said: “I’m seeing a disproportionate increase in referrals for Übungsmaterial 0 – 2 TO MISS OUTon s.th. s. etw. entgehen lassen — therapist “"Ter´pIst‘ Therapeut(in) — social anxiety “œN"zaI´ti‘ soziale Angst — overly cautious “"kO…S´s‘ übervorsichtig — to interact interagieren — on the rise im Zunehmen — to deem s.o. … jdn. als … erachten — a wealth of e-e Fülle an — comfort zone Komfortzone — like-minded; s.w.u. of the same mindset gleich gesinnt — mental health psychische Gesundheit 3 – 4 psychotherapist “ÆsaIk´"Ter´pIst‘ — disproportionate “ÆdIspr´"pO…S´n´t‘ unverhältnismäßig — referral “rI"f‰… r´l‘ Überweisung — professional anxiety Angst vor der Arbeit — self-confidence “Æ-"kÅnfId´ns‘ Selbstvertrauen — under pressure “"preS´‘ unter Druck — health conscious | Photo: Kyle Gregory Devaras/Unsplash social anxiety, professional anxiety, general self-confidence, and relationship issues for this generation when they are confronted with the reality of being in an office, being in a nightclub, being in a pub, or being on a date.” 4 Her comments came after an academic study, published in the ‘British Journal of Sociology’, said Generation Z claim they drink less alcohol than their parents because they feel under pressure to perform academically, are more health conscious, and do not want to lose control. Phillips said: “I do have the sense that [this generation] are possibly missing out on making mistakes and the sense of being young. I think they’re quite old before their time.” 5 She added that many of the young people she works with have “restricted comfort zones” because they work from home or largely interact with colleagues online, and have a small number of friends who are of the same mindset. “They are not in social situations to the same extent that we were generations before them. There’s a danger that your world becomes inward-looking, and that can then cause selfperpetuating anxiety. The outside world is much more scary because you haven’t got the experience to deal with that.” This trend has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has led to more young people working remotely and socialising in person less frequently, the psychotherapist added. 6 The study, entitled “More Options … Less Time in the ‘Hustle Culture’ of ‘Generation Sensible’: Individualization and Drinking Decline Among Twenty-First Century Young Adults”, found 70% of the young people surveyed felt they were under greater pressure than their parents to achieve academically and get a good career, leaving them less time to party. 7 The researchers from the universities of Kent and Leeds surveyed 517 Britons aged 18 to 25 who described themselves as moderate or non-drinkers in 2020. Seven out of ten respondents said they felt they did not need to drink as much because they have a better choice of hobbies than their parents’ generation. Many also said that they reduced their alcohol consumption due to the rising cost of drinks, university debt, and pressure to succeed in academia and their future careers. … © 2022 Guardian News and Media Ltd “"kÅnS´s‘ gesundheitsbewusst — before one’s time frühzeitig 5 restricted eingeschränkt — to the same extent im gleichen Ausmaß — inward-looking nach innen gewandt — self-perpetuating “Æ-p´"petSu…eItIN‘ s. selbst erhaltend; nicht enden wollend — to exacerbate “Ig"zœs´beIt‘ s. verschärfen — to work remotely von zu Hause aus arbeiten — to socialise in person unter Leute gehen 6 – 7 hustle culture “"høs´l‘ Hustle Culture; h.: Leistungsdenken — to survey “s´"veI‘ befragen — researcher Wissenschaftler(in) — moderate “"mÅd´r´t‘ gemäßigt — respondent “rI"spÅnd´nt‘ Befragte(r) — alcohol consumption Alkoholkonsum Protestor at a California rally against the overturn of Roe v Wade in June 2022. | Photo: Picture Alliance/ZUMAPRESS TikTok vasectomy clips inspire men BIRTH CONTROL By Keiran Southern 1 AMID Aturbulent economy and a right-wing crackdown on abortion, a growing number of America’s young men are having vasectomies – with some sharing their experience on TikTok. 2 Mike Pridgen, a comedian from New Jersey, filmed his surgery, including the moment a doctor made the “little pinch”. “That’s not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Pridgen, 28, said of the procedure in March. He has since sought to educate his followers about vasectomies and promoted them as a safe alternative to other forms of birth control. 3 Vasectomies are more than 99 per cent effective, according to the NHS, and work by cutting or blocking the tubes that carry sperm. While the procedure usually brings none of the side effects that female birth control methods can carry, it remains relatively rare. In the US, more than 500,000 men undergo a vasectomy each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which estimates that five per cent of all married men of reproductive age have had the snip. That is compared to the roughly 20 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 who have had their tubes tied. 4 However, a group of ten urologists told ‘The New York Times’ that they had seen a rise in bookings for vasectomies over the summer. Google searches for “vasectomy” and “are vasectomies reversible?” also jumped after the Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v Wade, which guaranteed a woman the constitutional right to an abortion. 5 Dr Doug Stein, a urologist and co-owner of several clinics in Florida, said: “When I started doing vasectomies, about 40 years ago, if you went to a cocktail party and you brought up the subject of vasectomy, everybody might have looked at you a little weird.” He said there has been a shift in attitude, and more men are open to going under the knife. 6 Economic headwinds may also contribute to the rise in vasectomies. After the 2008 financial crisis, there was an increase in demand for the procedure. … © The Times, London/News Licensing This article originally appeared in The Times, London. 0 – 2 VASECTOMY“v´"sekt´mi‘ Vasektomie; Sterilisation des Mannes — birth control Empfängnisverhütung — right-wing h.: der politischen Rechten — crackdown on hartes Vorgehen gegen — abortion “´"bO…S´n‘ Abtreibung — surgery “"s‰…dZ´ri‘ Operation — pinch Zwicken — procedure “pr´"si… dZ´‘ h.: Eingriff — to seek to do s. bemühen zu tun — to educate s.o. jdn. aufklären — to promote s.th. für etw. werben 3 tubes that carry sperm Samenleiter — side effect Nebenwirkung — to undergo s.th. s. etw. unterziehen — of reproductive age “Æri…pr´"døktIv‘ h.: im zeugungsfähigen Alter — to have the snip (fig) s. sterilisieren lassen (s. Schnitt) — to have one’s tubes tied die Eileiter verschließen/durchtrennen lassen 4 – 6 urologist “jU´"rÅl´dZIst‘ Urologe(-in) — booking Termin — reversible “rI"v‰…s´b´l‘ rückgängig zu machen — Supreme Court Oberster Gerichtshof — to overturn kippen — constitutional “ÆkÅnstI"tSu…S´n´l‘ verfassungsmäßig — weird “wI´d‘ merkwürdig — shift Wandel — to go under the knife s. unters Messer begeben — headwinds Gegenwind; schwierige Zeiten
