Uplifting News

15096 readers
557 users here now

Welcome to /c/UpliftingNews, a dedicated space where optimism and positivity converge to bring you the most heartening and inspiring stories from around the world. We strive to curate and share content that lights up your day, invigorates your spirit, and inspires you to spread positivity in your own way. This is a sanctuary for those seeking a break from the incessant negativity and rage (e.g. schadenfreude) often found in today's news cycle. From acts of everyday kindness to large-scale philanthropic efforts, from individual achievements to community triumphs, we bring you news that gives hope, fosters empathy, and strengthens the belief in humanity's capacity for good.

Here in /c/UpliftingNews, we uphold the values of respect, empathy, and inclusivity, fostering a supportive and vibrant community. We encourage you to share your positive news, comment, engage in uplifting conversations, and find solace in the goodness that exists around us. We are more than a news-sharing platform; we are a community built on the power of positivity and the collective desire for a more hopeful world. Remember, your small acts of kindness can be someone else's big ray of hope. Be part of the positivity revolution; share, uplift, inspire!

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
1
2
3
 
 

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/24690127

Solar energy experts in Germany are putting sun-catching cells under the magnifying glass with astounding results, according to multiple reports.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems team is perfecting the use of lenses to concentrate sunlight onto solar panels, reducing size and costs while increasing performance, Interesting Engineering and PV Magazine reported.

The "technology has the potential to contribute to the energy transition, facilitating the shift toward more sustainable and renewable energy sources by combining minimal carbon footprint and energy demand with low levelized cost of electricity," the researchers wrote in a study published by the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics.

The sun-catcher is called a micro-concentrating photovoltaic, or CPV, cell. The lens makes it different from standard solar panels that convert sunlight to energy with average efficiency rates around 20%, per MarketWatch. Fraunhofer's improved CPV cell has an astounding 36% rate in ideal conditions and is made with lower-cost parts. It cuts semiconductor materials "by a factor of 1,300 and reduces module areas by 30% compared to current state-of-the-art CPV systems," per IE.

4
5
 
 

cross-posted from: https://fedia.io/m/australia@aussie.zone/t/2425687

Ian Williams wakes up one morning to find $1,338 has been stolen from his account via two Google Pay transactions. Two years later, he's taking on NAB at the Supreme Court, with no lawyers to help him.

6
7
8
 
 

Beau Miles, an Australian adventurer and super optimist, is trying to plant a bunch of trees.

A lot of Beaus content is about the power of positivity and the environment, I would suggest he is worth a watch in general. Even better when he is trying to achieve something worthwhile.

Can Lemmy help?

9
10
11
12
13
14
 
 

In a first-of-its-type invention in the country, scientists at the Institute of Nanoscience and Technology (INST), Mohali, have developed a smart and biodegradable water filter that not only removes toxic dyes from industrial wastewater but also breaks them down using a combination of sunlight and vibrations.

The innovation, seen as a major breakthrough in eco-friendly water purification, has featured recently as the cover art of the journal “Nano Energy” (Elsevier I.F.=17.1), the INST scientist, Dr Aviru Kumar Basu, who led the research conducted by his student, Manshu Dhillon, and team, told The Tribune here.

He said the innovation depicts a futuristic setup where dye-laden water is purified using a 3D-printed biodegradable polylactic acid scaffold activated by solar energy and subtle mechanical vibrations.

“This smart filter, coated with a catalytic layer of Bismuth Ferrite (BiFeO3), degrades dyes like Congo Red and Methylene Blue using a green process called piezo-photocatalysis,” disclosed Dr Basu, while sharing that this dual-triggered process harnesses both light and mechanical energy to initiate powerful chemical reactions that dismantle toxic dye molecules.

He said even under cloudy conditions where solar output is limited, the system continues to function using ambient vibrations.

“This makes it ideal for year-round deployment, especially in resource-limited areas,” said the scientist.

The researchers tested the setup in real-time degradation of dyes, achieving a remarkable efficiency, removing 98.9% of Congo Red and 74.3% of Methylene Blue from the contaminated water samples.

To evaluate the practical applicability of this filter, tests were conducted using real textile wastewater samples obtained from the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Sanganer in Jaipur. “This facility, which currently treats effluents from 192 out of 860 connected textile industries, provided a representative sample for real-world conditions,” he said.

The filter demonstrated effective dye degradation within 60 minutes under visible light and mechanical stimulation.

The results revealed that degradation efficiency varied depending on the nature and composition of the wastewater, which can fluctuate daily due to differences in industrial discharge.

Adding a layer of machine learning (ML) to the system, the researchers used artificial neural networks (ANNs) to train predictive models that simulate how the filter performs under varying light, dye concentration and vibration levels. The machine learning is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI), which focuses on developing algorithms and allows computers to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data without explicit programming.

“These models achieved up to 99% accuracy in predicting catalytic performance, helping optimisation of the filter for diverse field conditions,” the researchers said.

The device is reusable, low-cost and avoids the need for harmful chemicals, positioning it as a sustainable alternative to conventional techniques like ozonation and electrochemical oxidation, which are often expensive and energy-intensive.

The innovation is being hailed as a scalable solution for industries like textiles, leather and pharmaceuticals, all major contributors to dye pollution, and may also benefit rural and off-grid communities where clean water access is still a challenge.

15
16
 
 

Parisians rushed for a dip in the Seine on Saturday as authorities opened the river to public swimming for the first time since 1923 after an extensive clean-up operation spurred on by it being used last year as a venue in the Paris Olympics.

Three sites along the banks of the Seine in the city will be able to welcome over 1,000 swimmers daily until August 31, local officials said, to the delight of the Parisians and visitors who were among the first to take the plunge.

"Really nice, I'm impressed, surprised," said 24-year-old Victoria Cnop, a Brazilian who lives in Paris. "I never imagined being in the water close to the Eiffel Tower."

As well as the three sites within Paris, 14 swimming areas outside the capital's boundaries will be set up on the Seine and the Marne rivers. Two of those already opened on the Marne in June.

17
18
 
 

cross-posted from: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/39964313

Some key insights from the article:

Basically, what they did was to look at how much batteries would be needed in a given area to provide constant power supply at least 97% of the time, and the calculate the costs of that solar+battery setup compared to coal and nuclear.

19
20
21
22
23
24
25
view more: next ›