MIT: A quicker, easier way to make coal cleaner
Construction of new coal-fired power plants in the United States is in danger of coming to a standstill, partly due to the high cost of the requirement - whether existing or anticipated - to capture all emissions of carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas. view more (2008-11-18)
Renewable energy wrecks environment
Renewable does not mean green. That is the claim of Jesse Ausubel of the Rockefeller University in New York. Writing in Inderscience's International Journal of Nuclear Governance, Economy and Ecology, Ausubel explains that building enough wind farms, damming enough rivers, and growing enough biomass to meet global energy demands will wreck the... view more... (2007-07-25)
Adding up renewable energy
Do the overall efficiencies of renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal add up in terms of their complete life cycle from materials sourcing, manufacture, running, and decommissioning" Researchers in Greece have carried out a life cycle assessment to find the answer. view more (2007-08-14)
Deep sleep short-circuits brain's grid of connectivity
In the human brain, cells talk to one another through the routine exchange of electrical signals. But when people fall into a deep sleep, the higher regions of the brain-regions that during waking hours are a bustling grid of neural dialogue-apparently lose their ability to communicate effectively, causing consciousness to fade. view more (2005-09-30)
When a good nanoparticle goes bad
Researchers at Cornell University recently made a major breakthrough when they invented a method to test and demonstrate a long-held hypothesis that some very, very small metal particles work much better than others in various chemical processes such as converting chemical energy to electricity in fuel cells or reducing automobile pollution. view more (2008-11-11)
Plymouth launches new power source on the crest of a wave!
A team of European small companies and universities has been working together for the past 2 years to find a new way to harness the power of the waves. The team, which has been co-ordinated by PEP* at the University of Plymouth, has now launched an experimental Wave Energy Device in Plymouth. The device, which is approximately 15ft in diameter and... view more... (2001-03-29)
Contemplating excess wind
How much usable energy do wind turbines produce? It is a question that perplexes engineers and frustrates potential users, especially on windless days. view more (2009-06-17)
New research shows EU how to hit Kyoto target
High temperature superconductor (HTS) devices could help the EU reduce its CO2 emissions by up to 52 million tonnes, equivalent to 65 per cent of its Kyoto Protocol commitment. Teemu Hartikainen, Jorma Lehtonen and Risto Mikkonen from Tampere University of Technology, Finland have worked out how much European GHG emissions would be reduced if... view more... (2003-07-23)
Sustainable Energy Must Be Integrated Into Existing Power Grid, Says Rutgers-Camden Finance Scholar
Engineers and entrepreneurs are rushing to explore alternative sources of efficient and renewable energy in New Jersey and elsewhere in the country. A Rutgers School of Business-Camden professor has strong words of caution as projects involving wind farms and photovoltaic cells proliferate. view more (2008-11-19)
Tiny fuel cell might replace batteries in laptop computers, portable electronics
If you're frustrated by frequently losing battery power in your laptop computer, digital camera or portable music player, then take heart: A better source of "juice" is in the works. view more (2006-09-13)
More power from bumps in the road
A team of MIT undergraduate students has invented a shock absorber that harnesses energy from small bumps in the road, generating electricity while it smoothes the ride more effectively than conventional shocks. view more (2009-02-13)
Lasers are making solar cells competitive
Solar electricity has a future: It is renewable and available in unlimited quantities, and it does not produce any gases detrimental to the climate. view more (2009-06-01)
Smart Lighting: New LED Drops the 'Droop'
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed and demonstrated a new type of light emitting diode (LED) with significantly improved lighting performance and energy efficiency. view more (2009-01-14)
ESA develops a smarter way to travel through space
As scientists demand more from space missions travelling to other worlds and beyond, traditional rocket technologies are beginning to show shortcomings. In response, ESA are helping to develop a new type of rocket engine, known as solar-electric propulsion, or more commonly, an ion engine, that can mark a whole new era of space exploration.... view more... (2002-06-11)
Promising new material that could improve gas mileage
With gasoline at high prices, it's disheartening to know that up to three-quarters of the potential energy you are paying for is wasted. A good deal of it goes right out the tailpipe instead of powering your car. view more (2008-10-10)
Cost Competitive Electricity from Photovoltaic Concentrators Called 'Imminent'
Solar concentrators using highly efficient photovoltaic solar cells will reduce the cost of electricity from sunlight to competitive levels soon, attendees were told at a recent international conference on the subject. Herb Hayden of Arizona Public Service (APS) and Robert McConnell and Martha Symko-Davies of the U.S. Department of Energy's... view more... (2005-07-18)
Scientists Discover Magnetic Superatoms
A team of Virginia Commonwealth University scientists has discovered a 'magnetic superatom' - a stable cluster of atoms that can mimic different elements of the periodic table - that one day may be used to create molecular electronic devices for the next generation of faster computers with larger memory storage. view more (2009-06-16)
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2000
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2000 jointly to Alan J. Heeger University of California at Santa Barbara, USA, Alan G. MacDiarmid University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, Hideki Shirakawa University of Tsukuba, Japan ”for the discovery and development of conductive... view more... (2000-10-11)
Pitt Researchers Create Nontoxic Clean-up Method for Common, Potentially Toxic Nano Materials
University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed the first natural, nontoxic method for biodegrading carbon nanotubes, a finding that could help diminish the environmental and health concerns that mar the otherwise bright prospects of the super-strong materials commonly used in products, from electronics to plastics. view more (2008-12-17)
Stanford's nanowire battery holds 10 times the charge of existing ones
Stanford researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to reinvent the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power laptops, iPods, video cameras, cell phones, and countless other devices. view more (2007-12-19)
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