Zero Emissions Air Travel | Masterchef Mishap | Frozen Hass Avocados | Looking for Dark Matter | Human Organ Storage Bank | Space Fruit
Airbus thinks liquid cooling could advance zero-emissions air travel
4/26/2021
Fueling airplanes with liquid hydrogen presents some problems—and opportunities. What if the cryogenically cold fluid onboard could also create a superconducting electrical system? Electricity flows through superconductors with no resistance, making them extremely efficient. Airbus theorizes that a cryogenic powertrain would be efficient enough to power an airplane while weighing half as much as current powertrains, which will require less fuel. Airbus is testing the concept. Read more via Input Mag
MasterChef’s Linda Dalrymple uses liquid nitrogen for the first time and smokes out the ‘entire kitchen’ — and fans are living for it
4/30/2021
Fans loved it when a contestant filled the TV studio with nitrogen vapor on MasterChef. Grappling with the gastronomic technique used to make liquid nitrogen ice cream, home cook Linda Dalrymple exclaimed “I can’t see” and nearly poured her Earl-Grey-tea-flavored dessert down the sink. She didn’t win the challenge but got lots of love on social media. Read more via Daily Mail Australia
Colombian Hass hits Japanese Burger Kings
4/30/2021
A five-minute bath in liquid nitrogen preserves avocados’ taste and texture. Colfrost is using this technology to ship Columbian avocados to Japan. After freezing the avocados are vacuum-packed in usable sections and will have a shelf life of nearly two years. Fast-food chain Burger King will use nitro-processed avocados in its Avocado Whopper sandwich in Japanese locations. Read more via Wired
Where’s the Dark Matter? Look for Suspiciously Warm Planets
5/3/2021
Astrophysicists Rebecca Leane and Juri Smirnov have a theory that dark matter can be found in space by measuring the temperature of large planets. They think particles of dark matter can get caught in a planet’s gravity. The particles would collide and heat up, making the planet warmer than expected. While earthbound dark matter detectors use huge vats of liquid argon among other techniques, finding suspiciously warm planets would require something like NASA‘s James Webb Telescope. Read more via Wired
Researchers at U of M working to create world’s 1st human organ storage bank
5/3/2021
Doctors at the University of Minnesota are developing a process to store human organs in liquid nitrogen for up to four years. Thawing the organs has been a challenge. By adding nanoparticles along with “antifreeze” molecules, organs can be successfully rewarmed using a radio frequency. “The goal is to eventually create a bank where we have vitrified organs on the shelf that we can just take down after a year or ten years of storage and find the ideal recipient and rewarm them,” said John Bischof, director of the university’s Institute for Engineering in Medicine. Read more via KSTP
Space Fruit brings fruit-centric ‚“dip n dots” to the EDGE District
5/4/2021
Fresh Florida-orange-based “Pearls” are frozen in liquid nitrogen and topped with frozen fruit chunks to make Space Fruit. The dessert is vegan and comes in flavors like Lemon Pineapple and Wildberry. The Space Fruit Truck can be found at the EDGE Collective of St. Petersburg Florida and sells the treats by the cup, bowl, or pint. Read more via ilovetheburg
THIS WEEK’S FEATURE
Liquid Helium Transfer Hose/Lines
The ultimate in efficient transfer of liquid helium, neon or hydrogen. Multiple configurations available.