fiogf49gjkf0d
Gizmorama - February 19, 2014
Good Morning, Beware mobile device users! Lithium batteries could be an in-flight risk. Fliers Beware!
Learn about these interesting stories from the scientific community in today's issue.
Until Next Time,
ErinP.S. Did you miss an issue? You can read every issue from the Gophercentral library of newsletters on our exhaustive archives page. Thousands of issues, all of your favorite publications in chronological order. You can read AND comment. Just click
GopherArchives****-- Lithium batteries in mobile devices could be in-flight risk --*LONDON - Britain's Civil Aviation Authority says a huge increase in people carrying devices powered by lithium batteries onto aircraft poses a growing fire risk. A recent estimate said an aircraft carrying 100 passengers could have 500 lithium batteries onboard inside laptops, cameras, e-readers, tablet computers and other mobile devices, the BBC reported Tuesday.
The CAA has been working with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to inform aviation professionals and the public how best to pack batteries safely and what to do if they happen to smolder or even catch fire.
Geoff Leach, manager of the CAA's Dangerous Goods Office, told the BBC batteries bought from reputable retailers are regulated and safe if packed in a bag properly -- but cheap, copycat batteries bought from dubious sources online could develop a fault with dramatic consequences. Lithium batteries can contain enough energy to power mobile devices for hours, a potential problem if that energy is suddenly released through being shorted out or other malfunction, experts say. A number of airlines have begun training flight attendants and other staff how to deal with lithium battery fires, the BBC reported.
*-- New coral species found off Peru dazzles with fiery red color --*LIMA - Researchers at the Smithsonian Institution say scuba divers have found a new, fiery-red coral species off the coast of Peru's Paracas National Reserve. The species could be unique to Peruvian waters, researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Costa Rica reported Monday. "This new species may be found nowhere else in the world," STRI marine biologist Hector Guzman said. "But coral reefs and coral communities in Peru have never been systematically studied. We expect more surprises as we look at new collections." Scuba divers collected samples of the new coral species from rocky ledges at depths to 75 feet, and researchers said they also found bits of the bright red coral attached to mussels from a bay off the preserve's coast in a local fish market. The coral has been named Psammogorgia hookeri to honor Yuri Hooker, a biologist and naturalist at the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University in Lima. "With logistical support from the Peruvian National Protected Areas Service, we're beginning to discover the amazing biodiversity of corals and marine invertebrates in the Peruvian Pacific," Hooker said. "It's mostly a matter of looking in the right places and inviting experts who can identify these relatively unknown and unstudied creatures."
Missed an Issue? Visit the Gizmorama Archives