Newsletter: Low adoption of solar tech not just due to cost

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Despite the immense potential for solar energy in urban areas of the Philippines, the technology’s upfront cost and a lack of public awareness of its benefits remain major hurdles to its widespread use. Government subsidies and promotional campaigns are seen to help boost its adoption. 

With some of the most expensive power rates in Southeast Asia, the Philippines stands to benefit immensely from rooftop solar power installations in urban areas like Metro Manila. However, adoption is hampered by a lack of public awareness and the need for more government support. CREDIT: Rosalina Palanca-Tan 

A new study from the Ateneo de Manila University highlights the persistent challenges preventing widespread adoption of rooftop solar power (RTSP) in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Conducted by Department of Economics Professor Rosalina Palanca-Tan and published in the journal, Challenges in Sustainability, the study surveyed 403 respondents to understand why households remain reluctant to invest in solar technology despite its undisputed economic and environmental benefits.  

Newsletter: Ateneo scientists improve prediction of sunny days

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These pyranometers installed at the Manila Observatory on the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Quezon City, Metro Manila, are used to measure actual solar radiation for comparison with forecast projections. Using a mathematical algorithm, Ateneo researchers were able in some cases to minimize the discrepancy between forecasts and actual observations down to just 6%. CREDIT: Lyndon Mark P. Olaguera 

Directly benefiting the Philippines’ solar power, agriculture, and other industries, an international team of researchers led by the Ateneo de Manila University and the Manila Observatory has pioneered a way to improve sunny weather forecasts by as much as 94%.

Newsletter: Gen Z workers: values matter, and so does financial security

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Despite appearances and tongue-wagging from older observers, it turns out that Gen Z is much more eager to work hard for both social good and long-term financial security than some might think, according to new research from the Ateneo de Manila University.

Gen Z employees are idealistic yet pragmatic, seeking meaningful and fulfilling work that benefits society even while working towards their and their family’s own long-term financial security. PHOTO: Thirdman / Pexels.com

Steeled by economic uncertainty leading up to—and most especially in the wake of—the COVID-19 pandemic, the youngest Filipinos now entering the workforce greatly value both a stable income and personal achievement. These idealistic yet pragmatic members of Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2012) tend to look for meaningful and fulfilling work environments but also willingly forego creature comforts in favor of long-term financial stability.

Amnesia-causing diatoms found in Luzon shellfish farms

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The densely-populated island of Luzon is home to over half of the Philippines’ population, many of whom consume shellfish on a regular basis. An international team of scientists has just confirmed the presence there of two species of Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms capable of producing a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause severe sickness and memory loss. 

Light microscope and transmission electron microscope photographs of Pseudo-nitzschia pungens var. Pungens (top two photos) and Pseudo-nitzschia brasiliana (bottom two photos) found in Luzon shellfish farms. Both species produce domoic acid, a dangerous neurotoxin. CREDIT: Botavara et al.

Poetically described as “algae that live in glass houses,” diatoms are microscopic aquatic organisms that cover themselves in protective milk-colored silica shells. While most diatom species are harmless, half of the 58 known species from the genus Pseudo-nitzschia are notorious for producing domoic acid (DA). A person who has eaten DA-infected shellfish may experience vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In some cases, DA has even caused the permanent loss of short-term memory in a condition known as “amnesic shellfish poisoning” (ASP).

Newsletter: Ateneo student builds chemical purity tester from LEGO

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Using simple circuitry, polarizing film, and LEGO® toy bricks, an undergraduate physics student from the Ateneo de Manila University recently built an improvised polarimeter that can optically assess the purity of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and other chiral substances. The device has potential applications in classrooms as a learning tool, and may pave the way for more cost-effective means to monitor the quality of some consumer products.

The Ateneo de Manila University Department of Physics’ Photonics Laboratory’s polarimeter setup, built mostly out of LEGO® toy bricks, polarizing film, and cheap off-the-shelf electrical components. SOURCE: Felicidario and delos Santos.

Polarimeters are invaluable laboratory instruments that can help infer the purity of a chemical by measuring the angle of rotation of polarized light that passed through the test sample. However, laboratory-grade polarimeters are prohibitively expensive, with a high-end model costing over $11,500 and a commercial manual polarimeter priced at over $1,200. This makes their acquisition and use difficult if not impossible for small laboratories and classrooms in developing countries like the Philippines. 

Newsletter: Ateneo researchers probe mechanical properties of stardust

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New research from the Ateneo de Manila University could pave the way for more durable versions of silicon carbide (SiC), a semiconductive ceramic material found mostly in space that has applications in everything from computer chips to spaceships.

A long exposure of the night sky above Malita in Davao Occidental, Philippines, reveals a handful of meteors—possibly made of silicon carbide. PHOTO: Arman Alcordo Jr. / Pexels.com

Newsletter: New study rewrites decades of medical misunderstanding of saturated fat and heart disease

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Warnings against saturated fat on heart health need to be revisited as flaws were revealed in the seminal 1950s studies on which these warnings were based, according to new research coming out of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Outdated and unsupported research from the 1950s erroneously conflated the saturated fats found in meat and dairy with the harmful industrial trans-fats commonly used in margarine and shortening. PHOTO CREDIT: Felicity Tai / Pexels.com

In 1953, spurred by an apparent surge in heart disease in the US, physiologist Ancel Keys published a study that introduced the “lipid-heart hypothesis.” He claimed without evidence that high saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet raise cholesterol levels in the blood and contribute to heart disease. He developed what is now known as the Keys equation, where he sought to mathematically predict serum cholesterol levels based on saturated fat and cholesterol intake.

Newsletter: Hepatitis A in Philippine shellfish is unchecked, scientists warn

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Not much is known about the extent of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) contamination among Philippine communities, according to researchers, prompting an urgent call for further research and monitoring efforts.

Little research has been done on the impact of traditional cooking methods in Philippine households on the survivability of the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). PHOTO CREDIT: Julia Filirovska/Pexels.com  

Scientists from the Ateneo de Manila University, the University of the Philippines, Monash University Malaysia Selangor, and the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources noted that little is known about how HAV spreads through local communities via commonly-cultivated shellfish such as oysters and mollusks.

Newsletter: How do ordinary people ‘sense’ water quality?

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Seeing—and tasting—is believing: a qualitative study of communities living along the Philippines’ bustling Marikina River underscores the importance of taking into account local peoples’ everyday experiences, practices, and perceptions in establishing water quality.