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Euro notes contain a pigment which includes (very appropriately!) the rare earth metal Europium. It glows red under UV light.

On this week's Rare Earth on BBC Radio 4 we dug deep into the environmental benefits & costs of rare earths and other critical minerals. Do listen!
bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002dlh3

in reply to Helen Czerski

I remember Andries Meijerinck from Utrecht telling the story of how he had a visit from some people from the European Central bank who wanted to learn about luminescence. He spent a few hours talking to them and then didn't hear from them. When the euro banknotes appeared he recorded the spectra of the inks - sure enough they were a mix of Eu(III) and Eu(II)…
And I think they're in other banknotes, including pounds, though I've never got round to recording the spectra. 1/2
in reply to SellaTheChemist

When I was interviewed for my EPSRC SMF I showed the luminescence of euros with a black light, an then managed to get Robert Winston to pull a £20 note out of his wallet to show the inks on the notes. I pointed out the luminescence and suggested that perhaps Gordon Brown had a stealth plan to bring the pound closer to the euro. I got a laugh for that, but got an even bigger one when I "carelessly" slipped the note in my pocket.
To my astonishment, I got the fellowship. 😜
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🔥 Want to start your own Bonfire instance?

We’re hosting online install parties, come set up your server alongside others! Bring your questions and curiosity, we’ll figure it out together and support each other through the process.

✅ Ideally have a (sub)domain + server with DNS set up, or just follow along and take notes.

📆 Vote on possible dates/times: crab.fit/bonfire-install-parti…
📩 Sign up to be notified: mailchi.mp/a601c2e1e132/bonfir…

#Bonfire #Fediverse #FOSS #InstallParty #SelfHosting

This entry was edited (10 months ago)
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Last than one week until #ShowYourStripes day!

Check out some of our tools from Climate Central (climatecentral.org/stripes-inf…) to design and share your own climate changes stories: trello.com/b/bpDKOhd5/showyour…

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This is quite eye-opening to me anyways... temperatures averaged over land areas so far this year are statistically tied for the warmest on record!

Data from ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-ba…

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My latest @newscientist.com cartoon
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Last month was the 2nd hottest May on record for our planet. It was also the 2nd warmest over the oceans as well as over just land areas.

Data by NOAAGlobalTemp v6.0.0 (ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-ba…). See more in the NOAA monthly summary: ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitorin….

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What are the current and future environmental impacts of data centres/AI? Who is responsible - companies or individuals? This week's Rare Earth (on BBC R4 at 12:04 and available online afterwards) got pretty lively as we dug into it all. One not to miss!

bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002dc92

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See why we call it Arctic "amplification" 🫣

Graphic available at zacklabe.com/arctic-temperatur…

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Sea ice was much thinner than average across large parts of the #Arctic Ocean in May 2025. These anomalies were particularly notable in the Kara and Laptev Seas, which likely corresponded to some of the recent early melt.

This graphic is updated monthly on my website: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-vo…

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Ahoy neighbours.

With the world/feeds as they are, I hope you keep fighting.

If you can afford, or NEED a moment of guard down, we've popped up the #radioFreeFedi #comfy channel for June in lead up to our next artists streaming series #RFFF25 in July.

comfy.radiofreefedi.net

A chance to discover and directly communicate with and support rad independent artists to keep creating. Hopefully improving your day with some quality sonic hugs.

Stay safe, comfy and keep lifting up one another.

❤️ 🐹

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🚨 Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels set a new monthly *record high* in May 2025 - 430.51 ppm (seasonal maximum)

This is the second largest May-May increase in this dataset (3.6 ppm higher than 2024). This is not good... 🫣

Data from gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/

The brain power


quantamagazine.org/how-much-en…

#science
#article
#brain
#power
#energy
#neuroscience

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This week's Rare Earth is just about to start on BBC Radio 4 (12-1pm, Friday 6th), available online afterwards.

We'll be talking about social reactions to weaning our society off fossil fuels - what do the public really want and is "net zero" still a helpful phrase?

bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002czp0

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“We’re at a new point in human history,” Wagner says. Up until the last decade, “the major drivers of biodiversity losses around the planet were really land degradation and land loss, habitat loss. But I think now that climate change is by far exceeding that.”

theguardian.com/environment/20…

#biodiversity #biodiversityloss #massextinction #artenvielfalt #artenschwund #biodiversitätskrise

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You should help save PBS from the Trump administration, see the link below.

Why? I just finished watching a fine #PBS Nova episode I missed last year: "Secrets in Your Data," starring @evacide @eff @cwebber and @pluralistic and other awesome people.

Among the important lessons for the public to see about data privacy and security, showing them the power and use of Mastodon and the Fediverse.

You value this. You're here. No. Other. Broadcaster. Would do something like this hour-long video. Share it with your friends and family who need it, because it's PBS and it's free.

Keep it that way.

Do your part ...
protect.pbs.org

Video (free reward after) ...
pbs.org/video/secrets-in-your-…

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