Latest news with #TampereUniversity
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
VTT has developed a degradable solar cell module to be attached to a plant leaf - agriculture needs green electronics
Globally, the digitalisation of agriculture requires the increasing use of measurement electronics in farming. However, power supply and electronic waste pose problems. VTT has now developed a biodegradable solar cell module power source in an international green electronics research project. ESPOO, Finland , June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The solar cell module developed by VTT is so small and light that it can be attached directly to, for example, the stem of a cultivated plant or a large leaf. The cell is approximately the size of a credit card, very flexible and extremely thin. After the growing season, the cell decomposes along with the rechargeable power supply that the cell charges. "When a solar cell is used in an agricultural application, biodegradability is essential. In this case, there is no real harm caused if the cell cannot be removed from the field, even if it is in close contact with the soil. And, there are no harmful substances to leach into the environment or exacerbate the microplastics problem," says Maria Smolander, Research Team Leader at VTT. "Right now, sensors still aren't being used a great deal in agriculture, but this biodegradable solution makes it possible to more effectively implement them in agricultural applications," says Smolander. Compostable device developed in cooperation with six research institutes The aim of the three-year international research project is to create degradable cultivation sensors. In addition to VTT, Tampere University, University of Glasgow, Lukasiewicz Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics (Łukasiewicz-IMIF), Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique S.A. (CSEM) and McGill University contributed to the project, which was funded by the CHIST-ERA and national funding agencies (e.g. Research Council of Finland). "Although agriculture has served as a practical test platform for this green electronics project, the main idea is to explore how electronics can be made more environmentally friendly," says Liisa Hakola, Senior Scientist at VTT. In the project, VTT developed the solar cell and Tampere University developed a battery-like supercapacitor that stores energy. The project has also developed compostable sensors and modules that transmit collected data wirelessly. "The aim here is not to collect a large amount of energy - it's about low energy consumption sensors that can be used to monitor the state of the environment. The degradable solar cell is not intended to match the performance of conventional cells, and there is no need for a long service life", says Marja Välimäki, Senior Scientist at VTT. Development of a biodegradable cell set new requirements VTT has years of comprehensive experience in the manufacture of state-of-the-art solar cells. However, development of a biodegradable cell set new requirements. The structural components must not prematurely decompose or accelerate the decomposition of other components. "The biodegradable material is less resistant to environmental conditions, such as heat and moisture stress. It must also be ensured that the sensors are extremely light if they are going to be attached to a plant," says Liisa Hakola. Depending on the conditions, a biodegradable solar cell will decompose within weeks or months. Solar cell protection can be used to regulate its service life. The cell developed by VTT is made of a bio-based thin film substrate and has a partly inorganic structure. The manufactured solar cell is less than 35 micrometres thick and, even with protection added, the total thickness remains only tenths of a millimetre. Regulation requires more measurement technology for farms Measurement technologies employed on farms serve the growing needs of agricultural data collection, which is used to improve yields, combat plant diseases and reduce agricultural emissions. Regulation also requires increasingly accurate measurement data. "For example, EU regulations require that nutrient loads be studied regularly in soil samples. The new biodegradable solar cell offers a widely applicable way to collect energy, and sensoring enables more real-time data collection and environmental monitoring," explains Välimäki. VTT is also developing environmentally friendly electronics and solar cells as part of a EU funded IoT research project, whose objectives include combining sensor technology with a sustainable circular economy and clean solutions. Further information: VTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandMaria Smolander, Research Team Leader, tel. +358 (0)40 702 9933, Välimäki, Senior Scientist, tel. +358 (0)40 578 9014, Hakola, Senior Scientist, tel. +358 (0)40 841 5978, Further information on VTT:Paula Bergqvist, Communications Manager+358 20 722 5161, This information was brought to you by Cision The following files are available for download: aurinkokennomoduuli-vtt-21 View original content: SOURCE VTT Info
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Stop, sob, scroll: A look at the viral formula of ‘crying videos'
Tears have never been so profitable. Influencers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X are making millions on the strength of videos in which they cry about… how much they love their mother, how heartbroken they are, how tragic their lives have turned out. It's being called 'sadbait', and the term has interesting roots too. 'Sadbait' evolved from 'sadfishing', coined by journalist Rebecca Reid in 2019, in an article about a Kendall Jenner video. Jenner had posted an angst-filled series of clips about her 'debilitating' struggle with acne, in what turned out to be a marketing gimmick for a skincare product. Sadbait is different in one key respect: it isn't manufactured grief aimed at selling a product or an idea ('I'm sorry'; 'I'm innocent'). With sadbait, grief is the product; and catharsis is the promised reward for the viewer. The need for catharsis, of course, is an ancient one. Cinema has recognised and milked it since the dawn of moving pictures; theatre tugged at heartstrings before then. Add social media to the mix and it's no surprise we have what we have. And what is that? Well, the videos with the highest views tend to feature guilt and vulnerability. People cry over the life of sacrifice that a parent or sibling has led, detail messy breakups or discuss sudden layoffs. In India, a lot of the content is young men in tears over how much they love their mother. Sawan Mahali of Jamshedpur aka Motherman aka @Garibboi14 on Instagram, for instance, has collected 602,000 followers with videos that deal primarily with the challenges of a poverty-ridden life and the emotions of growing up and being the one to care for the mother who until recently cared for him. He often lip-synced to powerful lines from Hindi-film dialogue. He was 16 when he started making his videos. Now 22, he has made such a killing from them that he has moved on to videos about how much money he makes, often lip-syncing to popular songs as he celebrates. His mother now features in Reels that highlight their improved lifestyle, one of hotels and airports, and reminisce about their past. Meanwhile, in his early videos in 2019, Sagar Goswami (@sagar_goswami89) from Jharkhand positioned himself as a teary teen let down by girls who didn't recognise the purity of his love. In his videos, he lip-synced to songs of heartbreak against the backdrop of an unfinished brick wall. Now 24, Goswami has 906,000 followers on Instagram, and his backdrops have shifted to luxurious travel destinations and elaborate photoshoot settings. He still talks and sings of lost love and of being misunderstood. Tear factor There is so much of this doing the rounds that researchers are already peering under the hood, trying to decode what's driving the trend. Soma Basu, a media-studies researcher specialising in digital culture and online virality at Tampere University, Finland, says she began to study 'Indian crying videos' during the pandemic, fascinated by their 'unique aesthetic and visual vocabulary'. She was intrigued, Basu says, by how the content kept evolving. Teary eyes and weak smiles alternated with melodramatic crying, real tears and filters. Themes got remixed but remained within the range of the familiar: financial worries, big dreams, sacrifice, feelings of love, and the pain of not being able to do more, all circling back to the overarching themes of guilt and vulnerability. Interestingly, these narratives require little effort or investment (unlike a lot of influencer content), Basu says. Poor production quality and glitches only underline the emotion, adding to the illusion of rawness or realness. And yet they provide a sustainable livelihood. In the attention economy, such a combination is gold. As the fame and wealth accumulate, some sadbait content creators have become local celebrities, paid to attend weddings and inaugurate new businesses. Hashtag healing? Would a different kind of emotion work as well? Sadness resonates deeper, its effects last longer, Basu says. 'While other emotive videos — ones that unsheathe anger, fear, disgust, happiness or surprise — feel fleeting, sadness is a more lasting emotion.' There is also negativity bias at play, says Audrey Tang of the British Psychological Society. We are hardwired to pay more attention to negative posts, because as we evolved, it was often from negative experiences that we learnt the most important lessons: fundamentally, what to do or not do to survive. Sadbait plays into this. 'Listen… there could be a lesson for you here,' it whispers. It then offers the comfort of an easy fix: tell your mother you love her, hug your girlfriend, be grateful you still have your job. Finally, there is the catharsis, as viewers see some of their own deep-seated feelings reflected on their screens. Comments frequently reflect this, with statements such as 'More power to you for being this brave' and 'I've been there too, so I feel you'. Particularly among individuals who were not taught how to process their emotions, this kind of release can feel like a drug. 'If, as a child, you were told to 'Stop crying', 'Cheer up', or simply never had your feelings acknowledged, you may grow up with a need for acknowledgement, but none of the tools to provide that acknowledgement for yourself,' Tang says. Sadbait provides the acknowledgement and the outlet.
