Microscopic filaments added to the end of optical fibres act as tiny pliers that can pick up objects just tens of microns in size Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2248589-pliers-smaller-than-an-ants-jaws-are-controlled-by-optical-fibres/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: fibres
Eating seaweed can genetically modify the bacteria in our guts
The gut bacteria in some people have acquired genes for digesting seaweed fibres in a transfer from marine bacteria. We don’t know what effect this has on health, but it could be harmful Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2247750-eating-seaweed-can-genetically-modify-the-bacteria-in-our-guts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
There might not be as many microplastic fibres in oceans as we feared
Most of the microfibres polluting oceans aren’t plastic but cotton and wool, a study suggests, but these natural fibres could still be dangerous to sea life Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2245110-there-might-not-be-as-many-microplastic-fibres-in-oceans-as-we-feared/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
We may have missed half the microplastics in the ocean
Collecting microplastics on the ocean’s surface with three kinds of net has revealed far more stringy fibres of plastic than previous studies found Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2243731-we-may-have-missed-half-the-microplastics-in-the-ocean/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Oldest ever piece of string was made by Neanderthals 50,000 years ago
A piece of string found in a cave in France is the oldest ever discovered and shows that Neanderthals knew how to twist fibres together to make cords Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2240117-oldest-ever-piece-of-string-was-made-by-neanderthals-50000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…