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Showing posts with the label COTTON

Why can’t I sleep? It could be your sheets or doona

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It’s winter, so many of us will be bringing out, or buying, winter bedding. But how much of a difference does your bedding make to your thermal comfort? Can a particular textile help you sleep? Is it wool, or other natural fibres, such as cotton? How about polyester? With so much choice, it’s easy to be confused. Here’s what we found when we reviewed the evidence – not just for winter, but also for the summer ahead. The importance of bedding We rely on our bedding to maintain a comfortable temperature to help us sleep. And the right textiles can help regulate our body temperature and wick away moisture from sweat, promoting better ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Our robot harvests cotton by reaching out and plucking it, like a lizard’s tongue snatching flies

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Cotton is one of the most valuable crops grown in the U.S., with a harvest value of some US$7 billion yearly. It is cultivated across a crescent of 17 states stretching from Virginia to California and is used in virtually every type of clothing, as well as in medical supplies and home goods such as upholstery. Cotton grows inside a hard, fibrous case called a boll. About 100 days after planting, the bolls mature and split open, revealing thousands of fluffy white fibers inside. Each boll contains 20 to 40 seeds with fibers attached to them, which is why the cotton plant’s fruit is called seed cotton. Picking cotton manually, as is s...... Read Full article on HadNews