A nickel mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is nearing the end of its life, but a new biotechnology process may extend its operation. Eagle Mine, the only active nickel mine in the U.S., is experiencing declining nickel concentrations, potentially making further digging unprofitable, according to MIT Technology Review. As demand for metals like nickel, copper, and rare earth elements surges due to the growth of data centers, electric cars, and renewable energy projects, extracting these resources is becoming increasingly challenging and expensive.
The mine's owner began testing a new process earlier this year to extract more nickel from lower-quality ore, according to MIT Technology Review. Allonnia, a startup company, developed a fermentation-derived broth that is mixed with concentrated ore to capture and remove impurities. Kent Sorenson, Allonnia's chief technology officer, stated that this approach could help companies continue operating sites that have burned through their best resources.
In other news, museums are incorporating scents into Egyptian exhibits to enhance the visitor experience. Barbara Huber, of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Tübingen, partnered with curators to include the "scent of eternity" in exhibits on ancient Egypt, according to Ars Technica. This scent was recreated after scientists identified the compounds in the balms used to mummify the organs of an ancient Egyptian noblewoman in 2023. Huber described the original recipes as unusually complex and containing ingredients not native to the region. The goal is to transform how visitors understand embalming.
Meanwhile, NPR reported on a decline in European tourists visiting the U.S. last year compared to 2024. Many cited the volatile political climate as the reason. NPR highlighted the story of a young French tennis coach who described being detained, shackled, and expelled under the Trump administration's tightened border rules.
In 1995, Turing laureate Niklaus Wirth wrote an essay called "A Plea for Lean Software," in which he criticized the increasing size and decreasing speed of software, according to Hacker News. Wirth attributed the claim, "Software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster," to his colleague Martin Reiser. Wirth complained that modern program editors request 100 times more storage than interactive text editors did 25 years ago.
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