Every year $500 million worth of wine is dumped because impurities in
the cork make it go off. Traditionally, cork is boiled to drive off chemicals
and kill germs, but it is such a poor conductor of heat that the interior often
doesn’t get hot enough. Now Germany’s National Research Institute for
Agriculture, Horticulture and Viticulture has developed a machine that
microwaves cork planks evenly. This heats them enough to purify the wood.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
CAR T-cell therapy bolstered by stiffening up cancer cells first
News
Mind
Where do you think your ‘self’ is? Your answer is revealing
Comment
Mind
Vocal fry is more common in men, actually, find scientists
News
Environment
Will burying dead trees after a wildfire keep their carbon locked up?
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
2
Rebooting stem cells builds aged muscles and assists injury recovery
3
Asteroid set to fly very close to Earth
4
PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, and it’s a momentous move
5
Neanderthals treated a dental cavity by drilling into the tooth
6
Vocal fry is more common in men, actually, find scientists
7
3 things you need to know about quantum computers, from an expert
8
Why do particle physicists like spending time in fields?
9
What if the idea of the autism spectrum is completely wrong?
10
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
