Kickstart: Research and development of new materials scientists

An $18 million grant from the National Science Foundation will not only support the development of advanced materials through the University of Michigan but also aims to open materials science to more people.

The materials center at the Ann Arbor, Mich., college will recruit researchers from high schools and higher education institutions that "serve economically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities" to its programs.

It will also have summer workshops for high school teachers to fulfill continuing education requirements that will include training on teaching methods for materials science and chemistry, the university said in a June 26 news release.

The focus of the materials research will be on producing more sustainable rigid plastics while also bringing more people into the field.

UM said it "envisions crosslinks" that can be reversed, repaired and recycled — unlike most thermosets.

Wind turbine blades, for instance, could be repaired and used for a longer period of time.

"A repair would not just be a patch — it would reconstitute the material to its original molecular structure," said John Kieffer, a U-M professor of materials science and engineering who leads the sustainable plastics project. "That would extend the lifetime of the structure and reduce the amount of material that has to be discarded."

It turns out there's a risk to some Baby Shark items beyond simply being an earworm. (My apologies if I just put that song in your head now, but it's been stuck in mine since coming across this story.)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and toymaker Zuru LLC have launched a voluntary recall of some Baby Shark and Mini Baby Shark bath and swim toys because the hard plastic top fins are a risk to toddlers. The fins — measuring 7 inches long on the full-size toys and 4 inches on the minis — are a hazard when children fall on them.

"Zuru is aware of 12 reports of children falling or sitting on the recalled full-size Baby Shark bath toy, resulting in impalement injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds, including to children's genital, anorectal and facial areas," the CPSC said in a news release. "Nine of the incidents required stitches or medical attention."

There haven't been any reported incidents involving the smaller items.

Zuru has sold about 7 million of the toys. Another version with soft silicone fins was not affected by the recall.

The Boca Raton, Fla.-based nonprofit group 4Ocean says it has now collected "a historic 30 million pounds" of plastic waste from 12 locations spread across three countries: the U.S., Guatemala and Indonesia.

The group said in a June 27 news release that it works with local "captains and crew" who receive a full-time wage as they collect a range of items for recycling on beaches and waterways.

"Plastic pollution disproportionately impacts poor and marginalized communities around the world. That's why it's important to us that our operations have a direct impact on the people and places most impacted by plastic pollution," said Alex Schulze, 4Ocean CEO and co-founder.