Science

Express your interest in registering for UNOC-3 through the ISC

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https://council.science/news/exporess-your-interest-to-register-for-unoc-3-through-the-isc/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=exporess-your-interest-to-register-for-unoc-3-through-the-isc

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/7572893

Space...

The final frontier...

Also, thoughts on the video?

What's your favorite moon, dwarf planet, or planet or what have you?

Mine is Ceres, Pluto, and Haumea.

ISC President Peter Gluckman awarded highest distinction of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova

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https://council.science/news/peter-gluckman-dimitrie-cantemir-medal/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=peter-gluckman-dimitrie-cantemir-medal

https://archive.ph/Crg8B

Designing the Right to Science

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https://council.science/blog/designing-the-right-to-science/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=designing-the-right-to-science

Draft pre-print of Infomatics Chapter 7, a graduate-level study of information-theoretic principles applicable to classical and quantum physics paradigms. Full working draft at https://qnfo.org/releases/2025/Infomatics/Infomatics

https://archive.ph/f9SuU

Tipping points or turning point? Science-based priorities for the ocean we need

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https://council.science/news/science-based-priorities-for-the-ocean-we-need/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=science-based-priorities-for-the-ocean-we-need

GENEVA (AP) — Top minds at the world’s largest atom smasher have released a blueprint for a much bigger successor that could vastly improve research into the remaining enigmas of physics.

The plans for the Future Circular Collider — a nearly 91-kilometer (56.5-mile) loop along the French-Swiss border and below Lake Geneva — published late Monday put the finishing details on a project roughly a decade in the making at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

The FCC would carry out high-precision experiments in the mid-2040s to study “known physics” in greater detail, then enter a second phase — planned for 2070 — that would conduct high-energy collisions of protons and heavy ions that would “open the door to the unknown,” said Giorgio Chiarelli, a research director at Italy’s National Institute of Nuclear Physics.

ISC President calls for strengthened science diplomacy at UNESCO Global Ministerial Dialogue

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https://council.science/news/isc-president-calls-for-strengthened-science-diplomacy/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=isc-president-calls-for-strengthened-science-diplomacy

Andi's Writeup

Proton batteries are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries for energy storage, offering several key advantages. Recent research from UNSW Sydney has demonstrated a breakthrough in proton battery technology using a novel organic material called tetraamino-benzoquinone (TABQ)[^6].

The technology works by storing protons (hydrogen ions) rather than lithium ions, leveraging their unique properties as the smallest and lightest ions of any element[^7]. The UNSW prototype achieved 3,500 charging cycles while performing well even in sub-zero temperatures[^6].

Key benefits of proton batteries include:

• Fast charging capabilities
• Zero carbon emissions
• Lower environmental impact
• Enhanced safety due to water-based electrolytes
• Potential lower costs due to abundant materials
• High energy and power density

The primary challenges currently facing proton battery development include:

• High production costs for electrode materials
• Limited voltage range in existing organic electrode materials
• Technology still in early development stages[^6]

Professor Chuan Zhao from UNSW notes: "The electrolyte in a lithium-ion battery is made of lithium salt, a solvent which is flammable and therefore is a big concern. In our case, we have both electrodes made of organic molecules, and in between we have the water solution, making our prototype battery lightweight, safe and affordable."[^6]

[^6]: UNSW - Proton batteries: an innovative option for the future of energy storage

[^7]: Harvard ADS - Proton batteries shape the next energy storage

Andi's writeup

Researchers at the University of Toronto and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed carbon nanolattices with unprecedented strength-to-weight ratios using machine learning optimization[^1]. The team achieved a specific strength of 2.03 MPa m³ kg⁻¹ at densities below 215 kg m⁻³, creating materials as strong as carbon steel but with the density of Styrofoam[^2].

The breakthrough came through multi-objective Bayesian optimization of lattice designs combined with two-photon polymerization 3D printing. This approach improved strength by 118% and Young's modulus by 68% compared to traditional designs[^3]. By reducing strut diameters to 300 nm, the researchers produced high-purity pyrolytic carbon structures containing 94% sp²-bonded carbon[^3].

The team successfully scaled production using multi-focus two-photon polymerization to create millimeter-scale metamaterials containing 18.75 million nanolattice cells[^3]. "If you were to replace components made of titanium on a plane with this material, you would be looking at fuel savings of 80 litres per year for every kilogram of material you replace," said Peter Serles, the study's first author[^4].

[^1]: 3D Printing Industry - Optimized Carbon Nanolattices Achieve Record Strength

[^2]: Technology Networks - Machine Learning Designs Materials As Strong As Steel and As Light As Foam

[^3]: Nature - Stiff, lightweight, and programmable architectured pyrolytic carbon lattices via modular assembling

[^4]: Science Daily - Strong as steel, light as foam: High-performance, nano-architected materials

Call for Nominations for ISC Standing Committees | Deadline: 24 April

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https://council.science/news/call-nominations-isc-standing-committees-2025/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=call-nominations-isc-standing-committees-2025