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Raindrops Carry Tiny Lightning Bolts, Study Finds
Confirmed
In Short: A new study reveals that raindrops can carry electrical charges large enough to damage surfaces, challenging the traditional understanding of rain corrosion.
According to a study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, raindrops can carry electrical charges comparable to tiny lightning bolts. This phenomenon, known as 'slide electrification,' has been quantified for the first time, challenging the traditional explanation of rain corrosion. The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, shows that these charged droplets can puncture protective coatings, leading to corrosion.
The standard explanation for rain corrosion is that water carries dissolved salts and acids, and the constant drumming of raindrops abrades protective coatings, allowing oxygen to cause damage. However, the new study demonstrates that the electrical charge carried by raindrops can directly puncture insulating coatings, causing localized damage.
Dr. Zhongyuan Ni and his team used a technique called intracellular recording to measure the electrical responses of photoreceptors in insects, providing insights into how energy-producing structures called mitochondria move through nerve cells. This research suggests that the electrical charge in raindrops can have significant implications for the durability of surfaces.
The findings have important implications for industries that rely on protective coatings, such as automotive and construction. By understanding the electrical charge carried by raindrops, manufacturers can develop more resilient coatings to protect surfaces from corrosion.
What's confirmed
- According to a study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, raindrops can carry electrical charges comparable to tiny lightning bolts. This phenomenon, known as 'slide electrification,' has been quantified for the first time, challenging the traditional explanation of rain corrosion. The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, shows that these charged droplets can puncture protective coatings, leading to corrosion.
- The standard explanation for rain corrosion is that water carries dissolved salts and acids, and the constant drumming of raindrops abrades protective coatings, allowing oxygen to cause damage. However, the new study demonstrates that the electrical charge carried by raindrops can directly puncture insulating coatings, causing localized damage.
- Dr. Zhongyuan Ni and his team used a technique called intracellular recording to measure the electrical responses of photoreceptors in insects, providing insights into how energy-producing structures called mitochondria move through nerve cells. This research suggests that the electrical charge in raindrops can have significant implications for the durability of surfaces.
- The findings have important implications for industries that rely on protective coatings, such as automotive and construction. By understanding the electrical charge carried by raindrops, manufacturers can develop more resilient coatings to protect surfaces from corrosion.
What's still developing
- But no drug had been shown to prevent CIPN, said Amit at the briefing.
- A first-of-its-kind study published in PLOS Medicine shows that the way we break up and accumulate periods of prolonged rest throughout the day may have a huge impact on health.
- Most striking of all, researchers found that for every extra hour of prolonged sitting in the day, people in the study faced a significantly higher risk of cancer and cancer mortality.
- "The good news is that breaking up your sitting time with something as simple as a short walk could be protective." In the research, the researchers analyzed data from more than 91,000 people who took part in the UK Biobank study – a long-term research project tracking the health of about half a million people in the UK.
- ‘Unparalleled’ study finds psilocybin protects against nerve damage from chemotherapy The findings, which were made in mice, may offer a new way to prevent a common chemotherapy side effect that can last well beyond treatment By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron Chemotherapy is brutal.
- But a study published on Thursday in the journal Science makes a compelling case that administering psilocybin shortly before cancer treatments might prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects about two-thirds of patients who receive chemo.
- The study, by a team of doctors and researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, found that lab mice given two doses of psilocybin before receiving chemotherapy were shielded from nerve damage.
- The protection held up through six consecutive chemo sessions and persisted for eight months, the study’s duration.