It is alive, it grows and repairs itself

There are many reasons to look for a cement substitute, but one of the most important is that your industry is responsible. 7% of global CO2 emissions. Thus, we have already seen moderately viable solutions with ecological mortar and even with shellsbut the Federal Polytechnic School of Zurich has been looking for its replacement in nature for some time. Better said, in living materials such as bacteria, algae and fungi. And he has found it precisely in cyanobacteria. It sounds strange, but it has more advantages than it seems. The challenge of replacing concrete. In an industry that revolves around classic materials such as steel, concrete or cement (which, after all, is part of the cement recipe), the search for a replacement entails great implications in terms of infrastructure and costs. Assuming that the minimum expected is that it has similar mechanical characteristics, the search for an alternative involves a material that is better, since the manufacture of traditional concrete consumes a large amount of resources, the pollution is very high and it also degrades over time. This concrete is alive. Literally. The research team has managed to stably incorporate cyanobacteria into a printable gel to develop a living photosynthetic material that nourishes, grows and removes carbon dioxide from the air in the process, as detailed. in Nature magazine. This material can be molded with 3D printing and requires sunlight, nutrients from artificial seawater, and carbon dioxide to grow. The matrix is ​​a water-rich hydrogel composed of cross-linked polymers with a geometry such that it facilitates the transport of light, carbon dioxide, nutrients and water. That is, so that cyanobacteria live longer and better. 3D printed structure. ETH Zurich From passive material to carbon sink. Concrete is also a passive material, that is, once fixed in the structures it stays there, degrading over time. So ETH Zurich has proposed a paradigm shift in which buildings go from being an inevitable source of emissions to becoming an active organism that can clean the atmosphere, something like a plant. Thus, the biotechnological system is made up of cyanobacteria integrated into the matrix of the material, so that its structure protects them while they perform their function. On the one hand, by minimizing the use of cement, you reduce process emissions. On the other hand, it not only stops emissions: this system sequesters atmospheric carbon permanently in its structure. And it is no small thing: according to Yifan Cui, one of the two main authors of the study, “the material can store carbon not only in the form of biomass, but also in the form of minerals, a special property of these cyanobacteria.” However, cyanobacteria are one of the oldest forms of life on the planet and are extremely efficient at photosynthesis. Mineralized carbon dioxide in the structure. ETH Zurich The “magic” equation of photosynthesis. When microorganisms absorb carbon dioxide with sunlight, a biomineralization process is carried out by which this dioxide turns into calcium carbonate, reinforcing the structure of the material with this mineral, which also has the ability to store carbon dioxide in a more stable way. In its laboratory tests, in 400 days the material was able to store 26 mg of CO₂ per gram of material, notably more than the 7 mg of CO₂ per gram of recycled concrete. A concrete that “heals” itself. This generated mineral becomes a glue that holds everything together, improving its structural integrity over time. Something that is inevitable about concrete is that it cracks, but in this case, when microcracks appear, the entry of moisture and oxygen reacts to the bacteria, which secrete this mineral to seal it. In short, it heals itself. This healing capacity is an asset in terms of maintenance costs, minimizing corrosion of reinforcing steel in hybrid structures. There is already cyanobacteria concrete. Moving from the laboratory to the real world is a critical process that this project has already successfully overcome: in the Venice Architecture Biennale Several large blocks can be found (the largest is three meters high) in the exhibition. Be careful because, as they detail, each of these blocks is capable of storing up to 18 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year, rivaling with an adult tree. And now what? As explains Mark Tibbit, Professor of Macromolecular Engineering at ETH Zurich, Mark Tibbitt, in the future want to study “how it can be used as a façade cladding to capture CO₂ throughout the entire life cycle of a building.” For it to go from being a laboratory project with samples in exhibitions to reality, challenges such as scalability and costs, as well as mechanical properties and the survival of the bacteria, will have to be faced. In Xataka | We had been looking for an alternative to cement for decades. We just found it in seashells In Xataka | In our battle against plastic, we have centrifuged bacteria. And its cellulose is postulated as the ideal substitute Cover | ETH Zurich

This is how the Samsung service that repairs your mobile at home works

The mobile phone has become a Extension of our daily life. Each person uses it in their own way, but in all cases it concentrates key functions: from WhatsApp or Telegram to social networks, online banking or even the work tool of many professionals and content creators. We rarely stop to reflect on the importance of this device, nor is it necessary to do so. Technology is there to be useful and we take it for granted while everything works. The problem comes when it stops doing it: a serious breakdown is enough to alter that perfect gear and force us to spend time, money and effort to find a solution. In that context, home repairs have gained ground, a service that responds to two growing needs: Avoid displacements and minimize time without mobile. In big cities they are already common, but now Samsung wants to go one step further with his own proposal. Is called Galaxy Premium repair And I have seen how it works. Galaxy Premium repair: When the workshop comes to your door The service is designed for users of the company’s most advanced models. It offers several advantages: the flexibility of schedule repair, the use of original parts and the option of receiving a replacement phone so as not to be incommunicado during the process. Compatible models are: For now, Galaxy Premium repair andStá Available in Madrid (Postal codes 280xx), Alcobendas (28100, 28108, 28109) and San Sebastián de los Reyes (28701, 28702, 28703). To request it, just contact Samsung Electronics Iberia customer serviceeither by chat on the official website or by phone (91 175 00 15). Galaxy Premium Repair coverage zone They will ask for details of the fault and agree on the appointment. The indicated day we can continue in real time by WhatsApp the location of the van and the exact hour of arrival. Thus samsung money earns: the secret is on the iPhone The Galaxy Premium electric van repair In my case, the appointment was a Friday at 10:00. The electric vehicle arrived on time and, inside, it looked like a Authentic portable workshopl. That is the key: official repairs, but at the door of your house. Inside, the repair laboratory vehicle First the technician reviews the device, prepares it for intervention (maintenance mode, SIM withdrawal, etc.) and, if we want, give us a temporary terminal. The repair takes an average of an hour and a half, according to Samsung, which ensures that they perform “all kinds of repairs both inside and out of warranty.” Specialized equipment for screens repair At the end of the repair, the technician Returns the device in a black case With the Samsung Customer Service logo blank. It is a bag with cord closure at the top, simple but with a careful finish, which brings an extra presentation to the service. The technician repairing a mobile in Samsung’s vehicle The displacement of the van has a cost of 100 euros. However, customers of the Z range do not pay anything and those of the S range with guarantee enjoy a 90% discount. In out -of warranty repairs, a previous budget is issued that, in case of acceptance, is discounted from the final amount. Samsung’s final detail when delivering the repaired mobile The strategic side behind the initiative During the demonstration I talked with Alberto Luengodirector of Customer Service at Samsung Electronics Iberia, to know firsthand how this idea arose: We already had experience in our range of televisions (…) That was what made us think of extending it to the mobile range mobiles, so that a customer who invests on the phone can assess the additional services he obtains when buying a device of that level. Alberto Luengo, director of Customer Service at Samsung Electronics Iberia One of the points that most caught the attention was precisely the type of vehicle chosen to carry out repairs. Asked about it, Luengo explained: The first was the van; We were very clear that it should be electric to access any point in Madrid (…) is crucial, from the point of view of human resources, that the technician’s work space complies with all occupational safety and health regulations so that it works at ease and sits as if it were in a normal laboratory. This helps the reliability of the repair to be equally high. The new Samsung service does not intend to replace the repair centers, but add an alternative designed for those who value speed and comfort. It is a movement that expands the possibilities within the post of the brand, where The usual routes also are still available: Go to a center, ask for home collection or use the delivery points. Images | Xataka In Xataka | Nothing is the most fascinating mobile phone mark for years for a very simple reason: it does not sell mobile phones

A magazine bought a Cybertruck for $ 100,000. Nine months later it only is worth $ 8,000 for a reason: repairs

For a few years now, there is a maximum among engine journalists when someone asks us about a car: I can tell you if I like reliability It refers. And we cannot know how time will pass through the car. Of those cars that have been in the market for some time, analysis can be done, Like those of the OCU or the celebrities of JD Power in the United Statesto understand your reliability. Also of engines used for many years by the same company. But, for example, with current Chinese cars it happens to us that we cannot glimpse their long -term reliability. It is something that time will say. Years ago that was supplied by the media with long -term tests. The cars used to be used in specialized writings for a year or a number of kilometers that could reach 100,000 or overcome this barrier and extend up to 200,000 or 250,000 kilometers. Those evidence, today, are almost exceptional. In the United States, however, they are still active among the most successful specialized media with greater support. An example is Edmundsa magazine that will be 60 years in the market next year and that is one of the greatest references in the country. Without the possibility of receiving a long -term assignment, the magazine decided to get a Tesla Cybertruck to submit it to a long -distance test. His intention was to verify How the new Electric Pick-up of Tesla agedstudying the costs of its maintenance and any other type of problem that could arise. But the problem that has arisen is that its Tesla Cybertruck is worth $ 8,000. In five months, the magazine has seen how its more than $ 100,000 paid by the electric car have vanished. A blow has ruined the long -term test. Repairing it costs Cuatro Dacia Sandero The journalists of Edmunds explain in your article That last summer they bought a Tesla Cybertruck. They did it after having entered the waiting list to acquire one thanks to the reservation of 100 dollars that had been deposited in 2019. Then, the car was sold by Tesla as a gigantic pick-up pick-up of steel bullets or balls (Ahem) that would be put in the market for a price of less than $ 40,000. More than five years later, Tesla still does not find an affordable model To give a new push to its sales and the Cybertruck began to Sell ​​over $ 100,000. Specifically, 101,985 dollars paid in Edmunds By rejecting the Cyberbeast option, which adds the FSD autonomous driving functions and multiple aesthetic details. Of course, the price would have been increased by another $ 20,000. They said then that they considered that, or not, it was “one of the most interesting cars that have been launched in recent years.” And they stressed that “we will do everything with him, from the usual tests of EDMUNDS EV And the load tests until proven its off -road capacity, put a microscope in that body and check what it is to live with this brutalist beast day by day. (…) We will also watch how it behaves Full Self-Driving In such a large vehicle. And, of course, you will probably see it in a career, because … why not? “ However, enthusiasm soon vanished within the writing of Edmunds. They explain that after five months of this one-year test they parked the pick-up on the street and never started again. In fact, What started from rennet was the rear axle. On December 11, 2024, a car that crossed an intersection had an accident, was fired against the car and crashed into the car, affecting the rear wheel and bumper. This caused damage to the wheel, the tire, the steel panel, the bumper and “doctors” of internal elements. The impact was so great that he moved the Cybertruck to the sidewalk next to the one he was parked despite his 2,995 kg of weight. In Edmunds They had to imagine that the repair was going to be expensive because “part of the rear axle had fallen to the ground.” There was no choice but to call the crane. And the nightmare began. Click on the image to go to the original tweet They ensure in the middle that no independent workshop was willing to take care of the car repair, so they had to contact the official Tesla service. But, even within the company, there are only a handful of stores that have the certification to work with the stainless steel body. Although they claim that angels is the city with the most cybertruck on the planet (we would say in the United States since it is only sold there), only two spaces within a radius of 90 kilometers have permission to work with the car. One of the stores confirmed that they would have to tow the car and wait a month to receive an estimate of the damage and the cost of repair. Then, they would have to tow the car again to a parking lot and wait another five months before repairs began when they would have to tow the car. In its second option, the technical service also estimated the waiting time before giving the budget but would begin repair at the end of whether they were satisfied with it. Of course, a few days before carrying the car from Tesla they called Edmunds To tell them that they were saturated and that they could not give them a budget until another month later. In total, they had to wait two months to have a budget. The valuation had a cost of $ 1,128 And it was conclusive: repairing the car would cost 57,879.89. When they searched for the current vehicle value they found that before having suffered an accident, it is quoted at $ 86,160. That is, with the repair they were only wasting time and money. The breakdown, published by the medium was as follows: Stripes and … Read more

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