SensNews Nov 2017

Sensor100 November 2017 16 Underwater Sniffing of Star-Nosed Moles Is Mimicked for Chemical-Detecting ‘Electronic Nose’ One of the world’s most bizarre-looking creatures, the star-nosed mole, has several unusual abilities. One of them is “sniffing” underwater by blowing bubbles and quickly re-inhaling them. But this little party trick isn’t just for amusement; it’s meant to detect odors of its prey through the water. The moles’ “star” nose features a ring of tiny, pink tentacles and is the most sensitive known touch organ of any mammal. Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology will prsent work at the 70th annual meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017, in Denver, Colorado.The work is part of an effort to craft an underwater “elec- tronic nose” -- a device that houses gas sensors and also draws in odors -- to detect chemicals. Reported by: Science Daily N ovember 20th An 11-year-old has become ‘America’sTopYoung Scientist’ for her sensor detecting lead in water Gitanjali Rao, an 11-year-old from Lone Tree, Colorado, is the winner of this year’s Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her sensor that can detect lead levels in water better than traditional methods. Reported by: Business Insider October 18 The star-nosed mole has several unusual abilities. One of them is “sniffing” underwater by blowing bubbles and quickly re-inhaling them, detecting odors of its prey through the water.The moles’ “star” nose features a ring of tiny, pink tentacles and is the most sensitive known touch organ of any mammal.