Petrochemical production makes up as much as a 1/4 of the oil use in some parts of the United States. And, it's fair to say, we're every bit as addicted to plastic as we are to gasoline. But alternatives are on the way. And, if pilot programs are any indication, sustainable versions of these chemicals might be easier and cheaper to make than their petrol-based cousins. Great example: 1,4â€butanediol, or BDO. According to an article on Grist, this compound is used to make everything from skateboard wheels to sneakers. Now, a company in California has successfully pilot-tested a method of making it using engineered microorganisms that consume sugar and water and expire BDO. Finally, poop you do want on your shoes.
Better living through green chemistry
A satellite has been jamming GPS over Europe
For years, GPS receivers scattered across Europe — from Svalbard to Spain — kept registering the same brief, total signal blackout at the exact same instant, in bursts of three… READ THE REST
New solar-power desalination device leaves no brine
University of Rochester researchers have built a solar-powered desalination device that doesn't leave behind brine — the concentrated saltwater that conventional plants dump back into the ocean, where it raises… READ THE REST
Why autism symptoms can ease during a fever — and how to mimic it
Parents and caregivers have long reported that when some autistic people run a fever from an infection, their autism-related symptoms ease for a while. MIT and Harvard Medical School researchers,… READ THE REST
ChatGPT Plus is $20/month—ChatOn packs in GPT, Claude & Gemini for 5 years for just $90.99
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: ChatOn bundles GPT, Claude, Gemini, Sonar, image generation, web search, and more into one app for $90.90… READ THE REST
Replace doomscrolling with smartscrolling—Headway lifetime subscriptions now just $70
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Download videos from any streaming service and keep them forever with Keeprix for $95.99
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: Save videos from Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube, TikTok, and more to watch anytime you want with… READ THE REST
