Tootfinder

"How microplastics hurt the hidden helpers that keep our coasts healthy"
#Plastic #Plastics #Microplastics #Environment

How microplastics hurt the hidden helpers that keep our coasts healthy
Tiny seafloor creatures play a vital role in coastal ecosystems. New research suggests microplastics may now be interfering with that balance.

Hooray for science, y'all!
✅ Supplement that binds to microplastics may remove them from our body | New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2580139-supplement-that-binds-to-microplastics-may-remove-them-fr…

Supplement that binds to microplastics may remove them from our body | New Scientist
A supplement comprised of dead bacteria seems to remove microplastics, and prevent their absorption into cells, by attracting them to the bacteria's rough surfaces

In this key by-election, it is essential to defeat Reform Ltd. That means putting aside reservations about Burnham.
Other left parties, in this case, must stand aside
Andy Burnham faces perilous race to win Makerfield byelection, allies say | Labour | The Guardian
htt…

It's #FreeCADFriday UTC, even if it's still Thursday evening where I am.
I am getting a screened pop-up gazebo/cabana for ham radio purposes (Field Day) and wanted to compare footprints of three different options. One has a 10' x 10' square footprint, and two have hexagonal footprints specified by their longest internal measurement, because bigger numbers sell, but I didn't h…

RE: https://social.makerforums.info/@clolsonus/116431728200817316
One time, on a date at a fresh restaurant, with my rusty French I saw “something something cerveau” and my mind thought “oh shrimp, I like that”
Friends, the panic struck me …

Common cleaning sponge found to release trillions of microplastic fibers #environment

Common cleaning sponge found to release trillions of microplastic fibers
That “magic” sponge under your sink may be hiding an environmental downside. While melamine sponges are famous for effortlessly scrubbing away stubborn stains, they slowly break down as you use them—shedding tiny plastic fibers that wash into water systems. Researchers estimate that globally, these sponges could release over a trillion microplastic fibers every month, potentially entering the food chain and affecting wildlife.

This 👆or👇, wherever it puts the actual post 😀
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:brnnpb6x3pdapjeqqs275gbd/post/3mm2zarvymk2q

Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li (@sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com)
again, staying completely silent on the actual merits of ai, the initial ai boosters basically campaigned on "this will eliminate your job, forever, and make me personally rich." it should not surprise *anyone* that this provoked a backlash. [contains quote post or other embedded content]

Designing single-layer PDMS devices for micron to millimeter-scale deformations
Leon Valentin Gebhard, Alexandre S. Avaro, Gabriel Amselem, Charles N. Baroud
https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17402 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.17402 https://arxiv.org/html/2605.17402
arXiv:2605.17402v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: The elasticity of PDMS has played a central role in advancing important microfluidic technologies, ranging from early valves to sophisticated organ-on-a-chip systems. However, most deformable microfluidic devices are based on geometries that require complex multi-layer PDMS architectures and include thin membranes, leading to difficult microfabrication and poor stability. Recently, Jain, Belkadi et al. (Biofabrication 16.3 (2024): 035010) introduced a single-layer device in which a wide and long microfluidic channel was deformed by controlling the pressure in two independent and adjacent air chambers. While they demonstrated the ability to deform the channel ceiling to compress biological materials, the design parameters remain unexplored. Here, we perform a numerical study on 14,336 variants of this device and identify the height of the PDMS layer, the width of the microchannel and the width of the air chamber as the main features that determine the ceiling deformation. Three deformation modes are observed as the geometrical parameters are varied: A U shape with a central minimum, a W shape with two minima and a central maximum, or an inverse U shape with an upward-bulging single maximum. The numerical results are validated in experiments that reproduce the three shapes for the predicted geometries and demonstrate vertical ceiling deformations ranging from a few microns to the millimeter scale. The generality of this approach is demonstrated for two example applications: A fully closing single-layer microfluidic valve and an optical lens of controllable anisotropy. This work leverages the rapid prototyping enabled by 3D printing or micro-milling to open new perspectives in microfluidic actuation.
toXiv_bot_toot

Caroline Lucas:
“Burnham’s longstanding commitment to a fairer voting system could transform our democracy and counter the dire threat of a Reform UK government.”
Greens split over how hard to challenge Burnham in Makerfield byelection | Andy Burnham | The Guardian
https://www.

New part coming soon for my #HamRadio Single-paddle #MorseCode key system. This is a base that you can glue magnets into, for using the key on a steel block like the commonly-used jeweler's blocks. Like the rest of my system, it is parametric, designed to be easily modified in FreeCAD. The…