#self-cleaning

This is one in a series presenting news on technology and innovation, made possible with generous support from the Lemelson Foundation.

Imagine a surface you never had to clean — because it never gets dirty. It stays spotless, resisting dirt and oil. New research finds that the secret to such a long-lasting, scrub-free shine might be microscopic pancakes.  

Some self-cleaning surfaces already exist. Stores don’t yet sell these self-cleaning clothes, kitchen utensils and windows, to name a few. But scientists are working on them. Up close, you’d see that microscopic pillars or columns cover the surface of many of these. A material coating those tiny structures repels oil and dirt. The narrow pillar tops also give grime less area to stick. That helps gunk slide off.

But micro-pillars are far from ideal. The tall, thin columns easily bend, snap and topple. Over time, dirt and oil can collect around damaged pillars. That buildup is hard to dislodge without some form of cleaning. And if the surface is glass, those busted pillars cause even more trouble. Bent and broken bits — and stuck gunk — interfere with light passing through the glass. That can blur or distort images viewed through them.

To address these issues, scientists in Norway took a new approach. Instead of pillars, they used shorter, squatter pancake shapes. And so far, those pancakes seem to do the trick. A window tested in the ocean has stayed clean and clear for more than a year.

Scanning electron microscope images show the microscopic “pancakes” on the self-cleaning glass surface. Each pancake is roughly five micronmeters across. That’s about the size of one red blood cell, or one-twentieth the width of a human hair. Credit: Akhtar et al/American Chemical Society (ACS)

“Unlike pillars, water moves freely between our pancake microstructures,” says Bodil Holst. She’s a physicist at the University of Bergen in Norway. With taller pillars, more water molecules get slowed down as they try to pass the structures. Water flows more easily around the shorter structures. Underwater, that liquid flow keeps dirt from sticking. In fact, that provides the self-cleaning, meaning the surface doesn’t need a dirt-repelling coating.

Their stout shape also makes the pancakes more durable. Imagine two pieces of chalk: one long and thin, the other short and flat, Holst says. “It would require a lot more effort to break a short piece of chalk,” she points out. “In the same way, it takes a lot more effort to break microscopic pancakes compared to pillars.”  

This is one in a series presenting news on technology and innovation, made possible with generous support from the Lemelson Foundation.

Imagine a surface you never had to clean — because it never gets dirty. It stays spotless, resisting dirt and oil. New research finds that the secret to such a long-lasting, scrub-free shine might be microscopic pancakes.  

Some self-cleaning surfaces already exist. Stores don’t yet sell these self-cleaning clothes, kitchen utensils and windows, to name a few. But scientists are working on them. Up close, you’d see that microscopic pillars or columns cover the surface of many of these. A material coating those tiny structures repels oil and dirt. The narrow pillar tops also give grime less area to stick. That helps gunk slide off.

But micro-pillars are far from ideal. The tall, thin columns easily bend, snap and topple. Over time, dirt and oil can collect around damaged pillars. That buildup is hard to dislodge without some form of cleaning. And if the surface is glass, those busted pillars cause even more trouble. Bent and broken bits — and stuck gunk — interfere with light passing through the glass. That can blur or distort images viewed through them.

To address these issues, scientists in Norway took a new approach. Instead of pillars, they used shorter, squatter pancake shapes. And so far, those pancakes seem to do the trick. A window tested in the ocean has stayed clean and clear for more than a year.

Scanning electron microscope images show the microscopic “pancakes” on the self-cleaning glass surface. Each pancake is roughly five micronmeters across. That’s about the size of one red blood cell, or one-twentieth the width of a human hair. Credit: Akhtar et al/American Chemical Society (ACS)

“Unlike pillars, water moves freely between our pancake microstructures,” says Bodil Holst. She’s a physicist at the University of Bergen in Norway. With taller pillars, more water molecules get slowed down as they try to pass the structures. Water flows more easily around the shorter structures. Underwater, that liquid flow keeps dirt from sticking. In fact, that provides the self-cleaning, meaning the surface doesn’t need a dirt-repelling coating.

Their stout shape also makes the pancakes more durable. Imagine two pieces of chalk: one long and thin, the other short and flat, Holst says. “It would require a lot more effort to break a short piece of chalk,” she points out. “In the same way, it takes a lot more effort to break microscopic pancakes compared to pillars.”  

i went to a place that felt like a viking palace. like genuinely. people that seemed to be descendents of vikings and elves attended to me, and there was just one other drake looking guest there with me.

idk what it is

idk how it is in the "real world" but in my world for some reasons, these type ones always had my back. idk why... imagine that. travis fimmel as ragnar. he is from australia.

the blue-eyed boys in high school used to gather at my locker almost every morning just telling me how pretty and beautiful I am. They were so sweet and so genuine. Two of the main ones had swag, one more than the other but they were both just... idk, smooth with it. One of the guys in that crew was younger than me, the other was my same age.

The one my age followed me all the way to university. He didn't want to go to college but he did for a little while. Instead he valet'd at the fancy restaurants, and during college he would make a point to always take me to them to eat high end meals. I remember one Valentines Day the engineer I was dating took me to Waffle House, while the valet just making money and doing boy stuff took me to a 5-star restaurant.

This is important to note.

Although, in theory, it seems like an engineer just taking you to waffle house while in college is just being budget conscious but he's an engineer. Yes, I follow that logic.

HOWEVER the truth is...and only time could reveal this. I hate to say this, but for me, an Overachieving Super Focused Woman type, the guy that followed me all the way to college and made sure to feed me the highest quality food, had a job that was somewhat physical so in shape (although the engineer played football and would go to clubs just to fight, so a boxer type), and he made a point to be in high end environments. That guy was an organic fit. Very natural genuine, very genuine fit. Its tough because although MLK says its okay right, lol. Yet Idk... I figured we were from two different walks of life, but really we weren't. Yes in some ways and no in others.

I will never forget him offering me to live at his place with his parents in college, and at the time that seemed foolish, however that would have saved the cost of room and board since his parents lived closer to my undergrad than mine (about 15+ minutes closer which can add up to more when traffic is included because his parents place, now that i think about it, I could have also taken the street way passing through buckhead then ansley park to then get to my school that was in midtown). He would serenade me this usher song, all the time:

I thought that was so sweet. I kept thinking well idk. he isnt in school and there are guys that look more like me that are putting in the educational efforts.

It makes sense but there was something to that.

Years later we dated, his family was stoked! And began planning everything around me. Thats when my boat life started btw. Yet we broke up for some reason. Idk I was getting nervous. It was so close so real.

The funny thing is we actually had a little duo band together and started doing country rap before it was a thing. Genuinely we would take rap songs and turn them country, right in my living room. Before it was a thing.

Years later I was watching Vikings, I think on Netflix so I was able to watch the whole thing in one sitting. Then after watching it. Season 1 was so good to me. I decided to go to the local bakery to get a pumpkin muffie. On my way there I heard my name and low and behold there he was. We reconnected and dated again. He was still kind of upset at the first breakup. I actually don't even remember why we broke up the second time. However I think its because he had decided to give some sperm to a sperm bank and I didn't desire to risk my kids having unknown siblings in the world... genuinely that was a very real deciding factor. That felt too risky. Too risky.

However by that time he had a rental car business it felt like he merged my families business and what he was doing in a perfect way. He had about 4-5 cars in his little fleet and that actually was impressive. In addition to valeting at fancy places. In addition to helping his dad work on houses for people, plus we started biking the beltline from my little place in Ansley Park to Emory. It was honestly, super cute. Yet even with the upgraded thinking and business model on top of what he was already doing, plus he had moved out his parents and into an apartment in a nice part of town (the guy from Soul Forreal was his neighbor and "Candy Rain" was my first talent show song). He was reading Elon Musk's book and was drawing up plans for some sort of flying contraption.... yet his donated sperm made me question it all. Plus at that point I had mastered yoga in a way and was so calm, and he would hate that I wouldn't argue with him. I could tell he was trying re-enact his parents dynamic of drinking and arguing then yanno being together. However by that point arguing felt like a senseless way of being to me. I think people desire their family's dynamic but better more than I actually realize. In fact I'll say that again.

PEOPLE TEND TO DESIRE THEIR FAMILY DYNAMIC BUT IN A WAY THAT IS INDIVIDUALLY BETTER.

I know I do. His mom had 4 children 2 boys and 2 girls and funny enough that's exactly the amount i had originally desired.

At the very beginning of my unplanned separation, funny enough, he told me to come down and help build beach mansions with him in florida. I loved the idea of it but was like well I should do the "christian" thing and try to work things out. BIG MISTAKE OBVIOUS-- the guy I separated and annulled from was for sure a certified demon and just an all around bad person. I had already known him and we had already dated so it was something that could have been okay. However I had just returned from Florida so I would have had to just turn right back around and go back and that didn't feel like the right thing to do even though it could have been. I will admit that his mom did have a drinking problem that is also one reason I was weary because I didn't desire the wrong word to slip out one day without her noticing and blaming it on the alcohol. Like the boys who killed "Damnit Bart! No-No's dead. Omg, No-No's really dead? NOLAN WAKE UP! Wake the fuck up!!!" (allegedly, hearsay, no judgement) . I had no fear of death of course, but the wrong word because she was drunk almost everytime I saw her. But she never did I maybe should have trusted about 10% more.

Also, upon reflection, the ying yang of a mother son duo I would see at council meetings in 2018 and 2019 was similar to him and his mom although very different, and that woman gave me an original copy of the charter to that city. she brought it one day, looked at me straight in the eyes, handed it right to me, then to said me, "you're going to need this". (the blue eyed people of that town). It wasn't even obvious to me until after reflection.

And upon even more reflection, his instincts were correct about offering me to just stay at his parents instead of on-campus. Years and years later I ended up living in the same town his parents lived in unexpectedly, and they ended up losing their house (his parents made a bad deal with some company that was soliciting via mail to purchase their house on some kind of bad deal) , he knew he needed a smart spouse, he knew it... and he knew he needed it because his older sister hated living there, she hated that house, and she and her mom didn't get along (so she had no motivation to save it or help out). Memories are a funny thing. His instincts were right on target. The area they lived in people began buying and renovating the houses into high-end places.

Whereever he is in the world, I hope he's okay. (prayers)

I understand how slow can be fast, fast can also be fast... just depends on how prepared you were, on how prepared you are.

I am not sure if anything could have changed my mind except had he not donated sperm to sperm banks I wouldn't have gotten a plan B pill since he was so classic boy that years later I looked back and said yea I would take 2 of him, but just with alot of me in them too.

I realized having those two very boyish boys-- biking, boating, trail running, and all kinds of things, he just did what he desired to do which makes sense, there was a natural yet responsible very genuine freedom to him that was a perfect match for me in several ways. I am equally as adventurous (always have been) but more brains so more thinking and sometimes overthinking.... so that was a good balance. That was kind of a balance.

I found myself in him on multiple occasions. Most recently when I was on a vacay within a vacay in Ft Laudi, and there was an Ocean Prime there, with the boats docked right there on the water. He valet'd at an Ocean Prime once, but it shut down. Then one unexpectedly appeared while on a vacay within the vacay. What's funny is I am at the point in my life where I would like to just have a yacht and travel and have my babies on the yacht with staff. I already have the doula.

Sometimes, as a brainy woman, it's WORTH IT TO HAVE A DOER MAN. A man that gets stuff done, unafraid, not scared to do it.

Let me repeat that! Sometimes in this world, as a brainy woman, it's WORTH IT TO HAVE A DOER MAN.

There are guys with 3 masters making $60K. Yet there are guys with 1 year of community college running their own businesses and still fit and in shape making over $100K. Then of course there are guys with no college making millions. Of course it's all relative. There are guys with just undergrad degrees making billions, and guys with no college living on gov't assistance. Nevertheless, I understand alot more. That's why smart women also pair well with athletes.... multi-millions well managed instead of spent on foolish things.

Don't sell yourself short.

Instead thirsty fake groupies that target athletes end up with them (easy), however more genuine smart attractive women would often be better matches.

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share my experience with Meowant's automatic cat litter box, and how it has transformed my life as a cat owner.

First off, the convenience of an automatic litter box is simply unbeatable. No more daily scooping; this innovative product takes care of that for you! It automatically cleans itself after each use, which means I have more time to spend with my furry friend.

Not only does it save time, but it also helps keep my home smelling fresh and clean. The design is sleek and fits perfectly into my living space. Plus, it’s easy to set up and maintain.

What I love most is that my cat took to it right away! The automatic litter box has a quiet operation, which means it doesn’t scare my cat, making the transition smooth and stress-free.

If you’re a cat owner looking for a hassle-free solution, I highly recommend checking out Meowant's automatic cat litter box. It’s a game changer for both you and your feline companion!

I recently purchased the Meowant self-cleaning litter box, and I couldn't be happier! It has truly transformed my cat's litter experience. The convenience of a self-cleaning feature means I spend less time on maintenance and more time enjoying my furry friend.

The design is sleek and fits perfectly in my home, while my cat seems to love it too! The automated cleaning process keeps the litter fresh and odor-free, making it a win-win for both of us.

If you're looking for a hassle-free solution to litter box management, I highly recommend checking out Meowant. It's a game changer for pet owners!