building materials
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Newly Discovered Tarantula Lurks Inside Bamboo
Researchers have described a new species and genus of tarantula in Thailand. The jumbo spiders nest inside of bamboo stalks, in a behaviour never documented before in tarantulas.
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New Spring-Loaded Screw Turns Drywall Into Sound-Absorbing Panels
The smooth featureless walls around your home are easy to paint and great for hanging artwork, but they’re also very effective at transmitting soundwaves from room to room — a less desired feature. Adding soundproofing is one solution, but a cheaper and easier way is to install drywall using these clever spring-loaded, sound-damping screws instead.
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How Sand Mining Could Destabilise the World
The world consumes gargantuan quantities of sand for all kinds of things, which along with related materials like gravel and crushed rock, accounts for 85% of all mineral extraction on Earth. A new study details the massive environmental toll it takes — and how we can fix it.
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A Failed Lab Experiment Accidentally Invented A Replacement For Cement
As the world’s cities expand at faster and faster speeds, so does its use of cement. One oft-quoted statistic shows that China alone used as much cement in the last three years as the US used in the last 100. Just one problem: Cement is responsible for pushing a hell of a lot of carbon…