On this day, 17 March 1876 US troops attacked sleeping Cheyenne and Oglala Sioux people in Montana in the Battle of Powder River, marking the beginning of the Sioux wars. They destroyed the village and stole large amounts of the Native Americans’ possessions. However fortunately there were not many casualties, and the Cheyenne and Sioux managed to regroup and recapture 500 of their horses the next morning. The incident solidified resistance to US attempts to force Native Americans from the Black Hills and live on a reservation. More info in this excellent book of American history from an Indian perspective: https://ift.tt/2GR2Ykq
Pictured: the battlefield today https://ift.tt/2TQ5O3g
Scientists have created a mutant enzyme that breaks down plastic drinks bottles – by accident. The breakthrough could help solve the global plastic pollution crisis by enabling for the first time the full recycling of bottles.
The new research was spurred by the discovery in 2016 of the first bacterium that had naturally evolved to eat plastic, at a waste dump in Japan. Scientists have now revealed the detailed structure of the crucial enzyme produced by the bug.
The international team then tweaked the enzyme to see how it had evolved, but tests showed they had inadvertently made the molecule even better at breaking down the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic used for soft drink bottles. “What actually turned out was we improved the enzyme, which was a bit of a shock,” said Prof John McGeehan, at the University of Portsmouth, UK, who led the research. “It’s great and a real finding.”
The mutant enzyme takes a few days to start breaking down the plastic – far faster than the centuries it takes in the oceans. But the researchers are optimistic this can be speeded up even further and become a viable large-scale process.
You can easily print your own vinyl stickers at home using a few simple
tools. Once you’ve designed your stickers on the computer using an image
editing software, print them onto vinyl printer paper. Laminate your
stickers to protect them from water and UV rays from the sun. When
you’re finished, just peel off the backing on your stickers and they’ll
be ready to use!
1
Look at other vinyl sticker designs for inspiration.
Do an online search for “vinyl stickers” or “vinyl sticker designs.” Pay
attention to what you like and don’t like about the different designs
you see. Try to find stickers that are similar to the ones you want to
make.
For example, if you want to make vinyl stickers to put on your
laptop case, look for stickers other people have made to put on their
computers. This will give you an idea of what size and color your design
should be.
2
Sketch out your design on paper.
Don’t worry about
drawing all the details. You just want to get a basic idea of how your
design will look before you attempt to make it on the computer. Make
sure your design is small enough to fit on an 8 x 11 inch (20.3 x 27.9
cm) piece of paper.
If you’re just starting out making vinyl stickers, keep your design simple.
If you’re having trouble coming up with a design, use graphics or images from online instead.
3
Create your design on the computer using image editing software.
If you don’t have Photoshop or Illustrator, use a free image editing
software like GIMP. Recreate your sketched design using your software’s
drawing and editing tools, or scan and upload your sketch and work from
that. If you’re making a colored design, use bold, vibrant colors that
will show up well when printed.
Make sure the resolution of your design is at least 300 pixels per 1 inch (2.5 cm).
1
Open a new 8 x 11 inch (20.3 x 27.9 cm) document in your image editing software.
If the software you’re using doesn’t let you specify the size when you
open a new document, edit the size after you open the document. Look for
the size button in your software’s menu bar.[4]
2
Paste the design you created in the new document. If
you want to make multiple stickers of the same design, paste the design
multiple times and arrange the copies in rows. Make sure none of the
copies are in the margins of the template or they won’t print onto the
paper.[5]
3
Click the print preview button to see how your stickers will print.
If any of the copies of your design are cut off in the margin, move
them in further away from the edge of the template. Make sure none of
the copies are overlapping.
4
Load an inkjet printer with 8 x 11 inch (20.3 x 27.9 cm) vinyl printer paper.
Load the paper into the printer’s paper tray so the print side
(non-adhesive side) will be the side that the printer prints onto. If
you’re not sure whether to put the paper face up or face down in the
tray, run a test sheet through the printer to check.
You can find vinyl printer paper online or at your local office supplies store.
Use clear vinyl printer paper if you want the background of your stickers to be transparent.
5
Print your design from the editing software onto a sheet of vinyl paper.
Make sure the computer you’re using is set to print to the ink jet
printer. Locate the print button in the image editing software and click
on it. Wait for the printer to print your stickers and then grab them
from the printer.[7]
1
Apply an over-laminate sheet over your stickers.
Peel
back the backing at the top of the over-laminate sheet and line the top
edge of the laminate up with the top edge of the vinyl paper. Use your
fingers to press the laminate onto the vinyl paper so it sticks.
To prevent air bubbles, use the edge of a ruler to press the laminate onto the vinyl paper.
3
Cut out the laminated stickers from the sheet of vinyl.
Use a ruler and a craft knife to make precise straight cuts. If your
sticker designs are rounded, use scissors to cut them out, or give them a
square background. Once all your stickers are cut out, discard any
leftover paper scraps.[10]
4
Peel off the backing on your stickers to use them.
The vinyl backing will be on the opposite side of the over-laminate, on
the back of the sticker design. Grab a corner of the vinyl backing with
two fingers and peel it back until it’s completely off the sticker.
Place your sticker on a dry, flat surface.
