Apollo News Snippets – October 2021

Here is a nice long list of technology advances for the month, so let’s jump right into it!
New device for capturing wave energy at a low cost.
Low-temperature technique developed to make thin metal coatings.
Technique developed to produce hydrogen gas from ammonia with low-energy inputs.
These carbon nanotubes can capture energy when embedded in cotton fabric.
Process to capture waste carbon developed by an American company.
New technique developed to convert ethanol to jet fuel with fewer carbon emissions.
Low-cost magnesium batteries closer to commercialization.
Stride forward in high-energy density lithium-metal batteries.
Advance in low-energy high-output water splitting.
More efficient thermal energy is now possible.
Clothes that make you stronger!
New liquid metal material harvests energy from movement.
These wood floors can also power a light bulb.
Lost-cost nickel and cobalt solution for electrolysis of water.
From smelly sewers to hydrogen gas.
A sweet solution to high-powered lithium-sulfur batteries.

The NOAA extreme weather events map for August 2021 shows conflicting sea ice extents with near record coverage in Antarctica while in the Arctic Sea ice extents are near record lows. In the USA, 2021 tied with 1936 as the warmest summer on record.

The August 2021 NOAA Global Climate report is out and yep, it was warm again in August. Just how warm was it? Well, it was the 6^th warmest August on record with temperatures some 1.62°F (0.90°C) above the 20^th Century average. And in fact, it was the warmest August on record over landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere at 2.59°F (1.44°C) above average.

October 27^th is National American Beer Day, so in honor of this foamy beverage, our Google search for the month was, “Beer and GIS.” And wouldn’t you know it, we found an academic publication on the topic by K. Elzinga et al. whereby they use GIS to track the spread of craft brewpubs across the USA, linking their growth to state-level demographic data. So, after you check out this paper, head to your local craft-beer pub for a few tasty, foamy treats!