a bird’s feathers enabled it to fly float and regulate its body temperature
float and regulate its body temperature
float and regulate its body temperature unfortunately feathers also absorb oil
unfortunately feathers also absorb oil
unfortunately feathers also absorb oil taking away these crucial abilities
taking away these crucial abilities
taking away these crucial abilities images like these have come to represent
images like these have come to represent
images like these have come to represent the environmental toll of oil spills
the environmental toll of oil spills
the environmental toll of oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon disaster that
like the Deepwater Horizon disaster that
like the Deepwater Horizon disaster that dumped nearly 5 million barrels into the
dumped nearly 5 million barrels into the
dumped nearly 5 million barrels into the Gulf of Mexico following that spill
Gulf of Mexico following that spill
Gulf of Mexico following that spill responders contained surface oil using
responders contained surface oil using
responders contained surface oil using booms and try to break the oil up using
booms and try to break the oil up using
booms and try to break the oil up using chemical dispersants first for the first
chemical dispersants first for the first
chemical dispersants first for the first time ever dispersants were used deep in
time ever dispersants were used deep in
time ever dispersants were used deep in the ocean near the leak source as well
the ocean near the leak source as well
the ocean near the leak source as well as on the surface
as on the surface
as on the surface Steve Moravsky led the government’s
Steve Moravsky led the government’s
Steve Moravsky led the government’s efforts to determine the effects of the
efforts to determine the effects of the
efforts to determine the effects of the Gulf spill and the methods used to
Gulf spill and the methods used to
Gulf spill and the methods used to contain it the use of deepwater
contain it the use of deepwater
contain it the use of deepwater dispersants was an experiment you know
dispersants was an experiment you know
dispersants was an experiment you know it’s hard to say that but it’s exactly
it’s hard to say that but it’s exactly
it’s hard to say that but it’s exactly what it was obviously this this is a
what it was obviously this this is a
what it was obviously this this is a question of environmental trade-off do
question of environmental trade-off do
question of environmental trade-off do you fight the oil at the surface and on
you fight the oil at the surface and on
you fight the oil at the surface and on the beach or do you fight it in the deep
the beach or do you fight it in the deep
the beach or do you fight it in the deep sea that got Bob Lochhead and his
sea that got Bob Lochhead and his
sea that got Bob Lochhead and his colleagues at the University of Southern
colleagues at the University of Southern
colleagues at the University of Southern Mississippi thinking what if there was a
Mississippi thinking what if there was a
Mississippi thinking what if there was a way to break the oil down and keep it
way to break the oil down and keep it
way to break the oil down and keep it from sticking all while being
from sticking all while being
from sticking all while being environmentally friendly and where this
environmentally friendly and where this
environmentally friendly and where this came from was when we saw the oil spill
came from was when we saw the oil spill
came from was when we saw the oil spill immediately we thought of how the
immediately we thought of how the
immediately we thought of how the laundry detergents work laundry
laundry detergents work laundry
laundry detergents work laundry detergents contain chemical compounds
detergents contain chemical compounds
detergents contain chemical compounds that stop dirt from sticking to clothes
that stop dirt from sticking to clothes
that stop dirt from sticking to clothes and I thought could we use this same
and I thought could we use this same
and I thought could we use this same technology in the oil to stop the oil
technology in the oil to stop the oil
technology in the oil to stop the oil from sticking to things like bird
from sticking to things like bird
from sticking to things like bird feathers oil sticks to all kinds of
feathers oil sticks to all kinds of
feathers oil sticks to all kinds of organic materials including feathers and
organic materials including feathers and
organic materials including feathers and hair so the standard methods of
hair so the standard methods of
hair so the standard methods of protecting wildlife from a spill are to
protecting wildlife from a spill are to
protecting wildlife from a spill are to try to block the oil from reaching
try to block the oil from reaching
try to block the oil from reaching sensitive areas and clean the animals
sensitive areas and clean the animals
sensitive areas and clean the animals that get oiled but what if chemistry can
that get oiled but what if chemistry can
that get oiled but what if chemistry can keep the oil from sticking in the first
keep the oil from sticking in the first
keep the oil from sticking in the first place so lock head and his researchers
place so lock head and his researchers
place so lock head and his researchers went to the lab looking for a way to
went to the lab looking for a way to
went to the lab looking for a way to complement the strategy of using
complement the strategy of using
complement the strategy of using dispersants to break up the oil because
dispersants to break up the oil because
dispersants to break up the oil because of the urgent nature of the spill the
of the urgent nature of the spill the
of the urgent nature of the spill the team needed answers quickly so they used
team needed answers quickly so they used
team needed answers quickly so they used a specially designed robot that allowed
a specially designed robot that allowed
a specially designed robot that allowed them to try thousands of composite
them to try thousands of composite
them to try thousands of composite daily see the problem you’ve got with
daily see the problem you’ve got with
daily see the problem you’ve got with these systems you’re looking for a
these systems you’re looking for a
these systems you’re looking for a composition that’s like looking for a
composition that’s like looking for a
composition that’s like looking for a needle in a haystack you may have to
needle in a haystack you may have to
needle in a haystack you may have to screen thousands those competitions
screen thousands those competitions
screen thousands those competitions before you find one this one works well
before you find one this one works well
before you find one this one works well the problem is made only months to do
the problem is made only months to do
the problem is made only months to do this the oil t can’t wait twenty years
this the oil t can’t wait twenty years
this the oil t can’t wait twenty years called the oils murder ground the way we
called the oils murder ground the way we
called the oils murder ground the way we were able to do this you’ve seen the
were able to do this you’ve seen the
were able to do this you’ve seen the robots and that robot now can make up a
robots and that robot now can make up a
robots and that robot now can make up a ten thousand composition today because a
ten thousand composition today because a
ten thousand composition today because a normal formulator in the lab doesn’t
normal formulator in the lab doesn’t
normal formulator in the lab doesn’t beat ten Timothy the team started with
beat ten Timothy the team started with
beat ten Timothy the team started with chemical compounds widely used in
chemical compounds widely used in
chemical compounds widely used in detergents and identified other chemical
detergents and identified other chemical
detergents and identified other chemical contenders but none really stuck to the
contenders but none really stuck to the
contenders but none really stuck to the oil then they tried soy lecithin which
oil then they tried soy lecithin which
oil then they tried soy lecithin which is used in everything from candy to
is used in everything from candy to
is used in everything from candy to cough medicine experiments showed that
cough medicine experiments showed that
cough medicine experiments showed that the soy lecithin coats the oil droplets
the soy lecithin coats the oil droplets
the soy lecithin coats the oil droplets preventing them from sticking to
preventing them from sticking to
preventing them from sticking to anything but still allows microbes in
anything but still allows microbes in
anything but still allows microbes in ensuring that the oil breaks down
in the lab the research team prepares
in the lab the research team prepares emulsions of oil and water the team is
emulsions of oil and water the team is
emulsions of oil and water the team is also testing absorbent material that
also testing absorbent material that
also testing absorbent material that acts like a giant paper towel when
acts like a giant paper towel when
acts like a giant paper towel when pulled through a plume of oil absorbing
pulled through a plume of oil absorbing
pulled through a plume of oil absorbing oil but not water now the researchers
oil but not water now the researchers
oil but not water now the researchers are trying out the unique mixture in the
are trying out the unique mixture in the
are trying out the unique mixture in the lab a feather dipped in oil and sea
lab a feather dipped in oil and sea
lab a feather dipped in oil and sea water in a tank dipped in untreated oil
water in a tank dipped in untreated oil
water in a tank dipped in untreated oil the feather is like a sponge soaking up
the feather is like a sponge soaking up
the feather is like a sponge soaking up the reddish oil but in the tank with oil
the reddish oil but in the tank with oil
the reddish oil but in the tank with oil and the successful additives the feather
and the successful additives the feather
and the successful additives the feather comes out nearly clean Lochhead says the
comes out nearly clean Lochhead says the
comes out nearly clean Lochhead says the approach needs more development but he’s
approach needs more development but he’s
approach needs more development but he’s optimistic they’ll be ready for the next
optimistic they’ll be ready for the next
optimistic they’ll be ready for the next big spill we’re a proof-of-concept level
big spill we’re a proof-of-concept level
big spill we’re a proof-of-concept level we’ve proved that yes this thing will
we’ve proved that yes this thing will
we’ve proved that yes this thing will work what we need to do is is now find
work what we need to do is is now find
work what we need to do is is now find the ideal mixture that works to find how
the ideal mixture that works to find how
the ideal mixture that works to find how we put it together into products how
we put it together into products how
we put it together into products how that product will be stored and make
that product will be stored and make
that product will be stored and make sure it’s good five year shelf life and
sure it’s good five year shelf life and
sure it’s good five year shelf life and how eventually we put hopefully on every
how eventually we put hopefully on every
how eventually we put hopefully on every rig and every tanker just like a fire
rig and every tanker just like a fire
rig and every tanker just like a fire extinguisher researchers hope they will
extinguisher researchers hope they will
extinguisher researchers hope they will have a prototype ready in a year and
have a prototype ready in a year and
have a prototype ready in a year and clear regulatory hurdles within another
clear regulatory hurdles within another
clear regulatory hurdles within another year for the wildlife most threatened by
year for the wildlife most threatened by
year for the wildlife most threatened by oil spills a viable product can’t come
oil spills a viable product can’t come
oil spills a viable product can’t come too soon
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