Imagine a world where everyday objects produce their own light. And it could happen!

Scientists are looking to nature’s bright lights for ideas. Bioluminescent organisms (发光的生物有机体) produce light and about 80% of them are found in the ocean. The ability to give off light serves a number of purposes. Some organisms use their light to communicate, others to hunt, or to mate.

Bioluminescent organisms are encouraging discoveries. “It’s quite an exciting time in bioluminescence,” Scientist Waldenmaier says. “The possibilities are endless.”

Lighting discoveries

Gary and Kathy Luker are research scientists at the University of Michigan. They use bioluminescence as a tool in medical research. The Lukers have turned to bioluminescent organisms like click beetles to understand how some cancer cells work. In one experiment, the scientists make healthy cells show one color and harmful cells another. “The click beetle has two light organs — a green and a red one,” Kathy Luker says. “We just copy what the beetle does and put that into the cells we are studying.”

Green light

Bioluminescence isn’t naturally found in plants. But a company called Gleaux is creating plants that light up. “People have dreamed about this for many years,” says the company’s founder, Alexander Krichevsky. He is working toward a future in which plants giving off light take the place of indoor lights and shining trees line highways. The future of farming looks bright too, says Krichevsky. Plants might give off light to let farmers know when they need water or they are ready to be picked.

That natural light

The French company Glowee is lighting the way with bioluminescence. The company has developed technology to light store windows and street signs using bioluminescent bacteria (细菌). Glowee hopes its inventions will one day take the place of electric lighting. “This could be a great way out for the future of energy and light,” says Glowee’s founder, Sandra Rey. Glowee’s products only last about three days. Once the light disappears, the company uses the bacteria again for light.

At a time when industries are under greater pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, more production facilities are turning to digital sensing technology to provide the real-time insights they need for improved performance. What if one digital sensor could measure multiple signals?

Yokogawa's DPharp（差压传送器）digital technology has the unique ability to measure two pressure parameters （参数），delivering reliable and accurate measurement of plant operations. The unique aspect of this digital technology is that it measures two parameters in one sensor module, providing additional insight into a plant's operations. It is the only sensor in the world that does this.

DPharp transmitters（发射器）use silicon（硅）resonant（谐振的）sensor technology to measure both differential（差别） and still pressure. The sensor consists of two H-shaped crystal silicon resonators that shake at a certain frequency and, when pressure is applied, the frequency of one resonator increases while the other decreases. By monitoring these frequencies digitally, both differential and still pressure can be measured at the same time. The frequency output is directly read by the central processing unit of the transmitter.

DPharp can be used in any processing plant across any industry—oil and gas to food and drinks. DPharp's unique digital sensing technology allows engineering firms and plant engineers to create designs that will equate to an average reduction of 40 percent. Where they would typically use five measuring devices, they are using three by using the multi-sensing technology. That is a significant cost reduction in the number of devices installed and the added benefit is that, as there are less devices, the engineering and design is less complex, which means less materials and less equipment to maintain. Furthermore, there are fewer transmitter spares required, which reduces costs. Tony Farah, Product Manager, said that more organisations are seeing the significant benefits of smart devices like DPharp.

Most teens are trying to find their purposes in life. However, Gitanjali Rao, a 15-year-old girl has been coming up with creative solutions to worldwide problems since she was 10. It is, therefore, not surprising that the teen has won the honor of “America’s Top Young Scientist”.

In the 3rd grade, Rao was inspired to do something after seeing the city’s primary water supply in her hometown was polluted by a factory nearby and that high levels of lead (铅)made its way into people’s drinking water.

After 2 months’ research, Rao designed a tool that used sensors to instantly discover lead in water. Called Tethys, after the Greek Goddess (女神)of freshwater, it informs the residents via an app if their drinking water contains lead. The design earned her the 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2017. She is now working with scientists and medical professionals to test Tethys’ potential and hopes the device will be ready for market in the near future.

Later, Rao took on another social issue — drug (毒品)addiction. Her app, called Epione, which won the Health Pillar Prize in May 2019, is designed to catch drug addiction in young adults before it’s too late.

More recently, the teen has developed an app named Kindly, which uses AI technology to find possible signs of cyberbullying (网络欺凌). When users type in a word or phrase, Kindly is able to pick it up if it’s bullying, and then it gives the choice to edit it or send it the way it is. It gives them the chance to rethink what they are saying so that they know what to do next time.

Gitanjali Rao has been selected from 5, 000 equally impressive nominees (被提名人)for TIME’s first-ever “Kid of the Year”.