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A garden with no garden

The shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic left most people with a lot of extra time on their hands. Some spent time with family, some exercised, some binge-watched Netflix series and some indulged in DIY projects. For Abu Dhabi resident Mahdi Alhindawi, it was the former, growing his gardening hobby into a full-fledged business — that all began on his balcony.

“Hydroponics is a soil-less technique, where nutrients are added directly to the water in a closed-cycle system. This system is controlled by a smart controller that you can manage through a phone app for both irrigation and mixing the nutrient recipe,” Alhindawi says.

He grows a wide range of fresh vegetables (and a few fruits) using a fully functioning hydroponic system on his balcony at Al Rayyana Complex in Khalifa City.

CAPTION: Mahdi Alhindawi

These include cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, yellow peppers, zucchini, leafy greens, chiles, radishes, carrots, garlic, melons, strawberries and fresh herbs.

Watch: A garden with no garden: Hydroponics in the UAE

Typically, a hydroponic garden can yield triple the volume of produce than a traditional soil-based garden.

CAPTION: Alhindawi’s balcony garden

And this year’s hydroponic balcony yield is looking abundant. But if you think you don’t have the right space, think again.

He says almost any space is ample. “In hydroponics the wall can be your farm or the balcony or the roof of the house or inside the room.”

If you’re considering the environmental footprint of such a setup, there’s no need to be concerned.

And because it’s recycled, water consumption is only about 10-30 percent of that of normal soil-based gardening, and the setups are easy to clean and maintain.

These gardens are possible in small or large spaces — both indoors and out.

“For a closed environment setup, we use growing LEDs — special lights that simulate sunlight with specific frequencies,” he says.

Though this was initially a DIY venture and meant to be a bit of fun, finding the right equipment was challenging, as the garden setup and functionality required a lot of customized tools.

Now with his materials well-sourced, he helps others set up their own gardens with his business, Enjazponic.

Alhindawi says the benefits of growing your own produce are substantial.

Aside from the fact that hydroponic vegetables can contain up to 50 percent more vitamins A, B, C and E than conventional crops, “eating fresh vegetables just after harvest positively impacts your health,” he says.

CAPTION: Closed space garden

“The fresh vegetables are higher quality, there’s a sense of accomplishment for what you produce yourself and it’s a lovely activity for kids.”

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Rare-earth-free magnets get a
performance boost

A two-step process leads to new ways to make powerful magnets without using heavy and expensive rare earth metals like dysprosium or terbium, according to a study published in Acta Materialia.

The team used materials including light rare-earth elements.

This prevents unwanted chemical reactions and helps the materials spread more effectively, creating powerful magnets without relying on scarce and costly elements.

The findings have significant implications for renewable-energy technologies and electric-vehicle motors, where high-performance permanent magnets are essential.

On a larger scale, the study suggests the method may provide a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional dependent rare-earth magnet production.

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Erythritol isn’t just for sweetening
your coffee

The sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener could also be important to heat transport and storage with implications for industrial and residential energy systems, according to a recent study.

The research examines erythritol-based phase change material (PCM) slurries for waste heat recovery, focusing on how varying carrier fluid concentrations affect their flow properties.
Erythritol-based PCM slurries are a type of thermal storage material used to absorb and release heat efficiently.

When heated, erythritol particles in the liquid slurry melt and absorb heat. When cooled, they solidify and release heat. This cycle helps regulate temperature in applications such as cooling systems, industrial-heat recovery and renewable-energy storage.

Because of its efficiency, it can absorb and release a lot of heat without requiring large energy volumes and doesn’t degrade. And because it’s a liquid, it can be pumped through systems.

By improving the understanding of these slurries’ flow behavior, the research paves the way for optimizing energy-efficient thermal-transport technologies, reducing waste-heat losses and enhancing sustainability in energy-intensive industries.

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Derm device

Measuring the rate at which water escapes through the skin can offer an insight into skin-barrier integrity and overall skin health.

A new device developed at Northwestern University allows continuous and remote monitoring of gases emitted from and absorbed by the skin.

Measuring just 2 centimeters long, the compact device hovers millimeters above the skin without touching it, housing sensors that track water vapor, carbon dioxide, temperature and volatile organic compounds, allowing clinicians to precisely monitor skin health and detect early signs of infection.

This new approach is ideal for wound care and fragile skin conditions, especially for patients with diabetic ulcers, where early intervention can prevent complications like sepsis or amputation.

In addition to clinical applications, this new tech could be used to test cosmetics (sparing the bunnies), assess the penetration of skin creams, study what makes some people so attractive to mosquitoes, and monitor workplace chemical exposure.

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Mars living

There’s too much carbon dioxide on Earth and not enough oxygen on Mars.

Inspired by photosynthesis in plants, in which carbon dioxide is converted into oxygen and glucose, a team of researchers at Nanjing University uses lithium to split CO2 into elemental carbon and oxygen.

Watch: Pioneering Oxygen from CO2

The team developed an electrochemical device: CO2 goes in, oxygen and carbon come out. Separately.

The device was tested using pure carbon dioxide and mixed gases, including a simulated flue gas and simulated gas from Mars, where the atmosphere consists primarily of CO2.

The test results are encouraging, and this device, if powered with renewable energy, could be instrumental in achieving carbon neutrality on Earth and supporting life on Mars.

More like this: We’ve captured carbon. Now what?