On March 25, C64H22CuF6N4 emerged a victor, winning first place after travelling 1,054 nanometres in the race featuring the world’s smallest racecars. C64H22CuF6N4 is a 97-molecule nanocar developed by the NIMS-MANA team. Like all the other nanocars in the race, it was propelled forward by gentle electrical pulses generated by the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope. The presence of opposing electrical charges causes repulsive interaction, making the cars inch a few hundred picometres. A picometre is one trillionth of a metre, while a nanometre is one billionth. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
