Scientists have finally discovered why plants are green. It has long been known that plants absorb almost all the photons in the red and blue regions of the light spectrum, but only about 90% of the green photons (leading to their green colour).This had led to the belief that green light might be too powerful for plants to use without harm, but the reason why has never been clear. In a recent article, scientists have built a model to explain why the photosynthetic machinery of plants wastes green light, and found that the reason is because the plant’s antenna complex is constantly moving. This movement brings noise and inefficiency into the system, meaning it cannot absorb all green light. 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
