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  New research has shown for the first time how long cannabis users are likely to be impaired and when it may be safe for them to drive. The findings, researchers and advocates say, strengthen the case for changes to drug-driving laws in much of Australia. Researchers from the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney discovered users were impaired for between three and 10 hours after taking moderate to high doses of the intoxicating component of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC can be detected in the body for weeks after cannabis consumption, meaning users can face fines and loss of their licence, despite being unaffected by the drug. The research, published in Neuroscience & Behavioural Reviews, analysed 80 scientific studies on the effect of THC on driving performance conducted over the past 20 years. It found the exact level of impairment depended on the dose, whether the THC was taken orally or i...

  NPL, in collaboration with international partners, has developed an ISO/IEC standard, ISO/TS 21356-1:2021, for measuring the structural properties of   graphene , typically sold as powders or in a liquid dispersion. The ISO/IEC standard allows the supply chain to answer the question ‘what is my material?’ and is based on methods developed with The University of Manchester in the NPL Good Practice Guide 145. Verified Quality Control Methods In conjunction with the international ISO/IEC terminology standard led by NPL, ISO/TS 80004-13:2017, it will be possible for commercially available material to be correctly measured and labelled as graphene, few-layer graphene or graphite. As the UK’s National Metrology Institute, NPL has been developing and standardizing the required metrologically-robust methods for the measurement of graphene and related 2D materials to enable industry to use these materials and realize novel and improved products across many application areas. The cont...

  Apart from pilots and sea captains, most of us use either the Imperial or the metric system when calculating how far we need to get to where we are going. However, aviation navigation has adopted the ways of its marine counterpart, as it also travels across distances great enough to cross several latitudal lines. Not to mention to save air traffic control a great deal of potential confusion when communicating with international pilots. One sixtieth of a latitudal degree As the term ‘nautical’ would imply, the usage is a crossover from seafaring navigation. The NM is based on the circumference of the Earth. For a weekend cruise on a sailboat or a short European domestic hop, the fact that we live on a sphere hurtling through space and wobbling around its own axis is not of great importance. Meanwhile, when traveling long great circle distances, you want to use a unit that is directly related to latitude and longitude. Historically, one nautical mile was defined as one minute arc o...

  To make the new material, Kerton’s team started out with oil extracted from the remains of Atlantic salmon, after the fish were prepared for sale to consumers. “ I find it interesting how we can make something useful, something that could even change the way plastics are made, from the garbage that people just throw out, ” says Mikhailey Wheeler, a graduate student who is presenting the work at the meeting. Both Kerton and Wheeler are at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada). Demand for greener PU alternatives is growing. Previously, others have developed new polyurethanes using plant-derived oils to replace petroleum. However, these come with a drawback: The crops, often soybeans, that produce the oil require land that could otherwise be used to grow food. Leftover fish struck Kerton as a promising alternative. Salmon farming is a major industry for coastal Newfoundland, where her university is located. After the fish are processed, leftover parts are often discarded, but...

  Researchers from the University of Sydney’s School of Civil Engineering have developed an optimized method for recycling CFRP composites while maintaining 90 percent of their original strength. Loss of Properties in Recycled Products Until now, it has been difficult to continuously recycle products made of carbon fibers. Given that most recycling involves shredding, cutting or grinding, fibers are worn out, decreasing a future product’s viability. “ Globally and in Australia there has been a march towards better recycling processes, however there is often the belief that a material can be recycled an infinite number of times – this simply isn’t the case. Most recycling processes diminish mechanical or physical properties of materials ,” said the study’s lead researcher Dr Ali Hadigheh. This presents a huge challenge and threat to the environment, as it has led to the production of virgin carbon fibre which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Cost-effective Meth...

It's Story-Time What was the first application of carbon fibers? It's not what you are thinking! 👀 Carbon fibers are older than you imagine! The first carbon fibers date back to 1860! In 1879, a certain guy named Thomas Edison chose carbon fibers to manufacture light bulb filaments. At that time, they were not petroleum-based. Instead, they were produced through the pyrolysis of cotton or bamboo filaments. These filaments were ''baked'' at high temperatures to cause carbonization to take place. But why were they chosen? The answer is pretty straightforward and has nothing to do with high strength! At the time, Edison noticed that their high heat tolerance made them ideal electrical conductors. However, soon later tungsten took over as the light bulb filament of choice in the early 1900s, and carbon fiber became obsolete for the next 50 years or so.  During the 1960s, a Japanese researcher named Akio Shindo, manage to manufacture carbon fibers using PAN as a pre...

  90-120 days to grow ... That means under most circumstances it grows from a seed to a plant in 90-120 days and its buds blossom once before dying off for the next crops to be planted. Hemp is affected by seasonal changes so once the days start to shorten, the crop stops growing tall and begins producing flower buds instead Industrial hemp can be used in an estimated 50,000 different products across a wide spectrum of industries One acre of hemp can yield an average of 700 pounds of grain, which in turn can be pressed into about 22 gallons of oil and 530 pounds of meal. The same acre will also produce an average of 5,300 pounds of straw, which can be transformed into approximately 1,300 pounds of fiber. The hulled kernels are used to make highly nutritious foods, including non-dairy milk and cheese, breads, dips, spreads or as an ingredient in countless recipes, from biscuits to lasagne. Hemp seed kernels are also a healthy, non-allergenic alternative to nuts, as they can be eaten...