Good Morning! 🌞 

Here’s a strange one to kick off your week: There's a jellyfish species called Turritopsis dohrnii that is biologically immortal—it can revert to its juvenile form after reaching adulthood.

Earth Sciences

Holographic 3D Printing

Researchers have developed a new 3D printing method using acoustic holograms that could significantly transform the field. This technique, called holographic direct sound printing (HDSP), offers faster printing and the ability to create more complex objects by using sound waves to overcome gravitational limitations, allowing for continuous formation rather than building objects voxel by voxel.

HDSP builds on a 2022 method that generated high temperatures and pressures through tiny bubbles to solidify resin into intricate patterns. By embedding acoustic holograms that depict cross-sectional images of designs, the polymerization process is greatly accelerated. Detailed in a recent Nature Communications article and further explained in a Concordia University video, the process keeps the hologram stationary in the printing material while a robotic arm moves the printing platform according to a pre-programmed design for precise object formation. Muthukumaran Packirisamy, a professor at Concordia University, states that HDSP can increase printing speeds by up to 20 times while using less energy. He highlights the technique's flexibility: “We can change the image during printing, alter shapes, combine motions, and adjust materials.” The precise control allows multiple images to be stored in a single hologram, enabling the simultaneous printing of various objects at different locations.

HDSP has the potential to drive innovation in fields like tissue engineering and targeted drug delivery. Its practical applications include developing advanced skin grafts for improved healing and localized drug delivery systems. Additionally, the ability of sound waves to penetrate opaque surfaces means this technique could repair damaged organs or delicate components within airplanes. The researchers believe HDSP could be transformative, similar to the evolution from stereolithography to digital light processing in light-based 3D printing, where entire layers of resin are cured simultaneously. Packirisamy emphasizes, “We can print behind opaque objects, inside tubes, or within the body,” noting that existing devices for this technology are already approved for medical use.

Culture

2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Marine conservation photojournalist Shane Gross won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest with his striking image of a swarm of western toad tadpoles in a Canadian lake. The contest, organized by the London Natural History Museum, is now in its 60th year. Judges were impressed not only by the vibrant colors and lighting but also by the novelty of submitting a tadpole image.

While snorkeling in Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island, Gross worked to avoid disturbing the silt and algae around the roots of lilypads. Kathy Moran, chair of the judging panel, noted the jury’s fascination with the light and energy captured in the photo, highlighting the unique addition of tadpoles to the contest’s archive. These tadpoles come from a near-threatened toad species, and typically, 99% do not survive to adulthood. Gross expressed his excitement about winning, stating, “I hope the attention this image brings to our amphibians and wetlands leads to much-needed and urgent protections.” He encouraged community action to protect local ecosystems on his Instagram.

The runner-up was Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas from Germany, who used a focus stacking technique to photograph a springtail insect observing a slime mold on a log. He had to act quickly, as springtails can jump away easily.

This year's contest featured a record number of entries, including the first winner who used a smartphone for the natural artistry category. Randy Robbins captured a poignant image of a deceased deer in Susanville, California, using his phone.

Xingchao Zhu won a special commendation for animal behavior by photographing a large Pallas Cat during his Chinese New Year holiday in Inner Mongolia. His shot of the cat hunting under a full moon stood out for its exceptional detail.

Environment

CBD from Hemp Kills Mosquitoes

Recent research indicates that hemp leaf extract, high in CBD, can effectively kill both species of yellow fever mosquitoes during their larval stage, including a strain that has developed resistance to insecticides.

This finding highlights the potential of hemp products, particularly as a means of controlling mosquito populations that pose significant health risks. “Mosquitoes are among the deadliest animals globally, primarily because they transmit diseases,” stated Erick Martinez Rodriguez, the study's lead author and a graduate student in entomology at Ohio State University. “Controlling these pests early in their lifecycle is crucial when they are most vulnerable.” The widespread use of insecticides has led to the development of resistance in some mosquito populations, similar to what occurs with bacteria. Rodriguez was inspired by prior research from Ohio State that identified the bark of a Madagascar plant as a natural insecticide and repellent, prompting him to explore whether hemp could serve as an effective and safe alternative to conventional biopesticides.

Targeting mosquito larvae is more effective than targeting adult mosquitoes, which can move long distances. To assess the toxicity of hemp on mosquito larvae, Rodriguez and his team dried hemp leaves, ground them into a fine powder, and soaked this powder in methanol for several weeks to achieve the desired CBD concentration. The methanol was then removed to facilitate chemical analysis, resulting in an extract that was administered to the larvae with their food.
The results showed that the hemp extract was toxic to both strains of mosquito larvae, requiring only a small amount to achieve significant mortality.
Rodriguez noted that while the amount of extract needed to kill 50% of the population is relatively high compared to synthetic insecticides, it is low when compared to other natural extracts tested in the lab. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the non-psychoactive compounds found in hemp, a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant that typically has low THC levels. CBD has numerous medicinal and household applications, raising questions about its toxicity to non-target insects like butterflies or honey bees.

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Mind Stretchers

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What has no beginning, middle or end?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
I'm gentle enough to soothe your skin, Light enough to fly through the sky, Strong enough to crack rocks. What am I?

Water! Galen Garretson got this one correct first! 🌞 

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