Science

Researchers accidently find industrial waste, orange peel material sucks mercury out of water

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22 October 2015
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Researchers at Flinders University have accidentally discovered a way to remove mercury from water using a material made from industrial waste and orange peel.

Mercury is a dangerous pollutant that can damage food and water supplies, affect the human nervous systems and is especially poisonous for children.

Synthetic chemist Dr Justin Chalker said his team initially set out to make a useful type of plastic or polymer made from something widely available.

We ended up settling on sulphur because it’s produced in 70 million tonnes per year by the petroleum industry as a by-product, so there are not very many uses for it, and limonene is produced in 70,000 tonnes per year and so it’s relatively cheap, he said.

It literally grows on trees.

The plastic-like substance they created is made entirely from sulphur and limonene, industrial waste products that are widely available but unused around the world — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Wildlife

Bali, Greater One-Horned Rhino / ZSL Whipsande Zoo

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21 October 2015
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Bali the greater one-horned rhino calf has been winning the hearts of visitors and keepers alike after he was born just in time to join in the celebrations for World Rhino Day.

The greater one-horned rhino are classified as Vulnerable, with less than 3,000 believed to be left in the wild so the birth of Bali is great news for the international breeding programme and the team at ZSL Whipsande Zoo — via Youtube

Craft, Wildlife

Daniella the Squid / Cherie Price

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21 October 2015
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Daniella fancies herself an interior designer. Don’t be surprised if you catch her hoarding all of the throw pillows! Made of chocolate brown fleece printed with a turquoise damask pattern, Daniella is stuffed to perfection with all the hugs and cuddles you could ask for. Her tentacles are lined with turquoise blue minky, complete with little raised bumps that resemble her would-be suction cups! Her gentle eyes are sewn on fleece patches — via Etsy

Wildlife

Snow Leopard Cubs, Malaya + Daania / Brookfield Zoo

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20 October 2015
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Now is the time to venture out to Brookfield Zoo and see Malaya and Daania, 4-month-old snow leopard cubs who made their public debut on 7 October 2015, in their outdoor habitat. The two sisters have been behind the scenes bonding with their 4-year-old mum, Sarani, since their birth on 16 June — via Youtube

Weird

Personal Space Allowance (1975) / Scarfolk Council

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18 October 2015
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Until 1975, the standard PSA (Personal Space Allowance) had always been fixed at a comfortable, civilised 20 inch zone around each citizen. The government suddenly amended this, however, citing terrorism and a rising population as reasons to cut personal space along with other social benefits and civil liberties.

The PSA was more than merely reduced: The new bodily zone into which representatives of the state (and even some commercial organisations) were now free to pass was amended to minus 5.2 inches. Naturally, this made human bodies semi-permeable, legally speaking, and for many people only the depths of their intestines remained private.

Police, security and social services enthusiastically exploited the new laws, as did the health service which randomly pilfered internal organs from unsuspecting citizens, claiming quite lawfully that they were found in communal public places. The nervous public caught on and by 1977 there were self-help groups springing up all over Scarfolk which helped citizens become as obese as possible in an effort to protect their innermost parts from state interference and even commercial exploitation — via Scarfolk Council

Design

The Skysphere / Jono Williams

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16 October 2015
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Jono Williams designed The Skysphere, a small pod-like inhabitable platform attached to a steel column.

Originally started as a true house in a tree project, Williams sought a more permanent solution, one not as susceptible to wind or environmental changes. The inhabitable platform, accessed via a ladder in the steel column, is circular, with a 14 metre circumference and two-metre high windows facing 360 degrees. To fill out the space, Williams designed custom furniture that includes a curve-hugging queen-sized bed and sectional couch — via ArchDaily

Design

The Isle Of Grunay / Scotland

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14 October 2015
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For your outlay you get to be king or queen of all your survey, which happens to be an island that is the most easterly part of Shetland and as such, the most easterly part of the entire UK.

It covers around 55.5 acres and has its own airstrip and deep water pier (for more ease in getting on an off), as well as a couple of beaches and a couple of dilapidated buildings.

It is certainly quite a challenge to take on and you imagine, a challenge to live on. But someone is obviously interest as the island is under offer, although not yet sold. The guide price is offers above £85,000 — via WowHaus

Wildlife

Indian Rhinoceros / Hellabrunn Zoo

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14 October 2015
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On 9 September, a recently born Indian Rhinoceros baby was finally presented to the public, at Hellabrunn Zoo, offering visitors an opportunity to see the first Indian Rhinoceros born, worldwide, in a zoo in 2015. Mama rhino Rapti and her calf can now be seen in the Rhino House and its outdoor enclosure, at the Munich zoo — via Zoo Borns

Politics, Technology

Majority of ISPs not ready for metadata laws that come into force today

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13 October 2015
2 min read
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The vast majority of Australian internet service providers (ISPs) are not ready to start collecting and storing metadata as required under the country’s data retention laws which come into effect today.

ISPs have had the past six months to plan how they will comply with the law, but 84 per cent say they are not ready and will not be collecting metadata on time.

The Attorney-General’s department says ISPs have until April 2017 to become fully compliant with the law.

The figures come from a survey sent to ISPs by telecommunications industry lobby group Communications Alliance.

It found two-thirds of them are still not entirely sure what type of metadata the Government wants retained.

Communications Alliance chief executive John Stanton said ISPs have had to start collecting a significant amount of new data, and complying with the laws has been difficult and time consuming.

The Government’s claim that what they’re asking for is retention of the status quo has never been correct, he said.

The vast majority [of ISPS] are saying: ‘We’re trying, but we’re not there yet’ — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Design

Flintstone House / William Nicholson

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11 October 2015
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This 1970s William Nicholson-designed Flintstone House in Hillsborough, California is on the market. That’s not the real name by the way. It’s the name used locally to describe this bizarre 1976 creation, which is back on the market for the first time in nearly 20 years.

It doesn’t look like things have changed much over the decades, but that’s not surprising. After all, how would you update a house like this? Some tweaks here and there perhaps, but not much could be done to change this wonderfully curvy and cave-like build.

If the bold architecture appeals, you’ll need around $4,200,000 to get this — via WowHaus

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