Within Chernobyl’s exclusion zone grows a jet-black fungus that thrives in radiation. The melanin that turns the fungi black seems to be key to their success in the irradiated landscape; the further you go into the exclusion zone, the blacker the fungi are. In the lab, melanised fungi grew better when exposed to radiation, while fungi without melanin didn’t benefit from it. It’s possible that these black fungi could help with radiation clean-up efforts both on Earth and in space; they also reduced radiation when they were sent to space. Read full article here
Technology
The First Solar-Powered Car Comes at a Hot Price
The Lightyear O is a revolutionary electric car powered by the sun. Developed by a Dutch startup, the four-door sedan has over 50 square feet of solar panels on its roof and hood, generating up to 43 miles of energy a day. With production now underway in Finland, the car does come with a hefty price tag at $262,000, but the company hopes to introduce a more affordable version, the Lightyear 2, by 2025. Read full article here
Merv
January 27, 2023
