COVID variants increase in state
Strain 1st seen in UK among those on rise
ROSA SALTER RODRIGUEZ | The Journal Gazette
Even as cases of COVID-19 decline statewide, the number of cases caused by virus variants has risen.
Almost half of COVID-19 samples tested for virus variants in Indiana are positive for 1 of 5 identified mutated versions, the Indiana Department of Health s website shows – and the number of those variants has gone up nearly tenfold from a month ago.
State health officials report 2,477 samples, or 47% of samples tested, are a variant strain. Most, more than 2,000, are the B.1117 variant first identified in September in the United Kingdom.
Notice anything unusual about this shade of white? AccuWeather 2 hrs ago
With summer approaching, many Americans may be dreading the electric bills associated with air conditioners that are kicked into high gear to keep indoor spaces cool.
But imagine not having to use your air conditioner at all this summer and still keeping a home or office space cool.
Researchers at Purdue University in Indiana say a scenario like that could be possible with a new product they have developed the whitest paint ever made.
Joseph Peoples is one of the scientists who worked to develop the whitest paint on record. Peoples is a Ph.D. student in Purdue University s mechanical engineering program. He told AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor that the paint the Purdue team created will keep buildings cooler.
Molly Moser
Xiulin Ruan holds up his lab’s sample of the whitest paint on record. [Image: Purdue University/Jared Pike]
A fresh coat of paint can do a lot to spruce up a building but can it cool it down?
Researchers at Purdue University, USA, have engineered what they say is “the whitest paint yet,” which could one day keep surfaces cool enough to reduce the need for air conditioning (ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, doi: 10.1021/acsami.1c02368). This particular shade of white is made from particles of barium sulfate and reportedly reflects up to 98.1% of sunlight.
Passive cooling particles
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Professor Xiulin Ruan with the whitest-white paint Courtesy of Purdue University
Scientists have unveiled a paint said to be the whitest on record , and the museum world is keen to get their hands on it.
Researchers at Purdue University, Indiana, have spent six years developing a paint that reflects 98% of the light from its surface and deflects infra-red heat. This compares to 80-90% of the light reflected by commercially available white paint, according to the lead researcher Xiulin Ruan. It can do so due to the high concentration of a chemical compound called barium sulfate, also used to make photo paper and cosmetics.