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Corn Stalk Residue Could Take Us to the Stars

By Lori Walsh and Ellen Koester et.al

A new NASA EPSCoR grant will help South Dakota Mines researchers explore the next generation of lithium sulfur batteries. Those batteries could be powered by the waste produced from processing plants.

The research was a team effort that spanned disciplines at South Dakota Mines. A few of the experts who worked on this project joined In the Moment to explain their work and unexpected discovery.

Rajesh Shende, Ph.D., is a professor of chemical and biological engineering. He specializes in finding uses for agricultural byproducts.

And Edward Duke, Ph.D., is a professor of geology and geological engineering and the director of the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium and the South Dakota NASA EPSCoR Program.

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Canadian Wildfire Smoke Creates a Red Sunrise Over North Carolina Sunflower field - July 2026

Video: Canadian Wildfire Smoke Creates a Red Sunrise Over North Carolina Sunflower field - July 2026

A sunrise unlike any other.

This peaceful morning at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina was transformed by smoke drifting south from the Canadian wildfires. As the rising sun filtered through the haze, the sky glowed in deep shades of red and orange, casting a surreal light over the blooming sunflower field. While the colors were breathtaking, they also served as a reminder of how connected our environment is. Smoke from wildfires hundreds of miles away changed the appearance of a North Carolina sunrise, creating a rare and unforgettable moment in nature.

Take a few minutes to experience this quiet morning as the sun slowly rises through the smoky haze above one of Raleigh's most beloved summer landscapes.