The Conveyor

Giving mobility to direct potable water reuse systems

Water shortage is a significant problem for communities across the United States year after year, but a new mobile direct potable reuse system could help provide a fast and reliable solution. Tzahi Cath, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Colorado School of Mines, explains how the mobile system works and the potential it has for not only providing clean water but for new solutions and improvements to water conservation and reuse in the near future.

Finding practical solutions to the carbon problem

Carbon is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases, and many researchers are trying to mitigate those effects. Many of those efforts involve carbon sequestration and reuse. Manika Prasad, geophysics professor and director of Colorado School of Mines’ CCUS Innovation Center, discusses the different carbon capture, utilization and storage options Mines researchers are developing and the new CCUS graduate certificate that will allow professionals to learn the nuances of these topics and become leaders in this new wave of sustainability.

Changing the economics of mining

Dealing with mine tailings—the waste materials left after the target mineral is extracted from ore at mines around the world—often pose significant challenges to mining companies and surrounding communities. But Priscilla Nelson, professor of mining engineering at Colorado School of Mines, explains that tailings actually can be utilized as a valuable and recyclable earth resource and may change the way we think about mine waste and the sustainability of extraction.

Robot 101: Learning how to communicate and interact with humans

The possibility of robot overlords? Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about that for a while. For now, scientists and engineers are focused on  improving basic human-robot interaction to perform simple tasks and  better understand and support humans. For Tom Williams, assistant professor of computer science at Colorado School of Mines, that means developing a robot’s working memory to improve robotic communication skills. Williams explains the process of teaching robots to think and act like humans  and the technical, social and moral challenges scientists must contend  with when doing so. To learn more about robotics at Mines, visit robotics.mines.edu [http://robotics.mines.edu/].

Explainer: What exactly is a microbiome?

John Spear, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Colorado School of Mines, explains the three domains of life that work together to make up a microbiome and provide the ecosystem for that microbiome to thrive.