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Raindrops Carry Tiny Lightning Bolts, Study Finds
Confirmed
In Short: Raindrops can carry electrical charges large enough to damage surfaces, according to a new study.
Raindrops are not just water; they can carry tiny lightning bolts, a new study has found. This phenomenon, known as "slide electrification," has been quantified for the first time, revealing that water droplets can carry electrical charges strong enough to puncture protective coatings. The study, led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Germany, used intracellular recording to measure the electrical responses of photoreceptors in insects, providing insights into how these charges affect surfaces.
The standard explanation for rain corrosion involves water carrying dissolved salts and acids, constant abrasion from raindrops, and the role of oxygen. However, the new research shows that raindrops routinely arrive at surfaces with electrical charges large enough to punch through insulating coatings. This finding could have significant implications for industries dealing with corrosion, such as automotive and construction.
The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, tested the effects of these electrical charges on surfaces by covering them with Teflon, a material commonly used on frying pans. The researchers found that when charged droplets struck the Teflon surface, they discharged locally, creating small punctures similar to a small flash of lightning. These punctures can weaken the coating's durability over time, leading to corrosion.
The implications of this study extend beyond just corrosion. The researchers suggest that these tiny electrical events could also affect the health of living organisms. For instance, a study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that an immune response from outside the brain could attack it, causing neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer's disease. By eliminating or blocking T cells in mice, researchers reduced neuronal damage, indicating that manipulating the immune cells could be a new avenue for treatment.
In the context of health, a first-of-its-kind study published in PLOS Medicine found that breaking up prolonged sitting with short walks could be protective against cancer and cancer mortality. The study analyzed data from over 91,000 people in the UK Biobank, showing that for every extra hour of prolonged sitting, the risk of cancer and cancer mortality increased significantly. The good news is that simple interventions like short walks could mitigate these risks.
What's confirmed
- Raindrops are not just water; they can carry tiny lightning bolts, a new study has found. This phenomenon, known as "slide electrification," has been quantified for the first time, revealing that water droplets can carry electrical charges strong enough to puncture protective coatings. The study, led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Germany, used intracellular recording to measure the electrical responses of photoreceptors in insects, providing insights into how these charges affect surfaces.
- The standard explanation for rain corrosion involves water carrying dissolved salts and acids, constant abrasion from raindrops, and the role of oxygen. However, the new research shows that raindrops routinely arrive at surfaces with electrical charges large enough to punch through insulating coatings. This finding could have significant implications for industries dealing with corrosion, such as automotive and construction.
- The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, tested the effects of these electrical charges on surfaces by covering them with Teflon, a material commonly used on frying pans. The researchers found that when charged droplets struck the Teflon surface, they discharged locally, creating small punctures similar to a small flash of lightning. These punctures can weaken the coating's durability over time, leading to corrosion.
- The implications of this study extend beyond just corrosion. The researchers suggest that these tiny electrical events could also affect the health of living organisms. For instance, a study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that an immune response from outside the brain could attack it, causing neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer's disease. By eliminating or blocking T cells in mice, researchers reduced neuronal damage, indicating that manipulating the immune cells could be a new avenue for treatment.
- In the context of health, a first-of-its-kind study published in PLOS Medicine found that breaking up prolonged sitting with short walks could be protective against cancer and cancer mortality. The study analyzed data from over 91,000 people in the UK Biobank, showing that for every extra hour of prolonged sitting, the risk of cancer and cancer mortality increased significantly. The good news is that simple interventions like short walks could mitigate these risks.
What's still developing
- The starting point of the study is a phenomenon called “slide electrification,” which has only been properly quantified in the past few years.
- In the study, Dr. Rigosi and co-authors from Lund University and the University of Adelaide used a technique called intracellular recording to measure the electrical responses of individual photoreceptors — the light-sensing cells in an insect’s eye — in four bee species and both sexes of each.
- The reason why seems to have to do with how energy-producing structures called mitochondria move through nerve cells.
- But no drug had been shown to prevent CIPN, said Amit at the briefing.
- ‘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.