By Sara Tipton Having a constant flow of cool air in the summer is the best way to beat the heat, but with the ever-increasing energy prices, and in some states rolling blackouts, it is becoming all too clear that our power grid is not…
By Daisy Luther Author of Be Ready for Anything and The Blackout Book Sometimes people think that a summer power outage is easier to deal with than a winter one. After all, in the summer, you don’t have to worry about freezing to death, which…
By Tyler Durden One of California’s most critical hydroelectric plants is at risk of closing for the first time in five decades as water levels continue to sink. A megadrought and scorching heat, both worsened by La Nina weather effects, have depleted some of the…
By Neenah Payne The failure of the grid and renewable energy in Texas during a cold snap last month shows the danger of relying on the grid and on solar energy or wind power. In Texas, where winter is usually not colder than the low…
By Mark Horowitz Scientists working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced that they developed an airplane that flies without propellers or jet engines, so it requires no fuel. The team of researchers that developed the aircraft say that it works using a propulsion…
Thermoelectric materials can turn a temperature difference into electricity. Organic thermoelectric materials could be used to power wearable electronics or sensors; however, the power output is still very low. An international team led by Jan Anton Koster, Professor of Semiconductor Physics at the University of…
By Anthony McLennan From cosmetics and medicines to toothpaste, packaging, food, and fuel, seaweed seemingly offers a solution for a vast array of items. A fast-growing algae, seaweed uses energy from sunlight while absorbing nutrients and carbon dioxide from the seawater. Scientists also believe it…
By Matt Agorist Nikola Tesla is not the subject of American social studies or science classes. American children do not learn about him in school and this is in spite of the fact that he is considered one of the most influential scientists ever. His…
Catalysts speed up chemical reactions and form the backbone of many industrial processes. For example, they are essential in transforming heavy oil into gasoline or jet fuel. Today, catalysts are involved in over 80 percent of all manufactured products. A research team, led by the…
The Navy’s quest to power its ships by converting seawater into fuel is one step nearer fruition. University of Rochester chemical engineers, in collaboration with researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory, the University of Pittsburgh, and OxEon Energy, have demonstrated that a potassium-promoted molybdenum carbide…
‘Artificial leaf’ concept inspires Rice University research into solar-powered fuel production Rice University researchers have created an efficient, low-cost device that splits water to produce hydrogen fuel. The platform developed by the Brown School of Engineering lab of Rice materials scientist Jun Lou integrates catalytic…
By John Vibes The city of Portland is working with a local energy company called Lucid Energy to install turbines inside of the city’s pipes to generate electricity from the water that is constantly flowing through them. Gregg Semler, CEO of Lucid Energy says that…
AMHERST, Mass. – Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a device that uses a natural protein to create electricity from moisture in the air, a new technology they say could have significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change and…
Generating electricity from raindrops efficiently has gone one step further. A research team led by scientists from the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has recently developed a droplet-based electricity generator (DEG), featured with a field-effect transistor (FET)-like structure that allows for high energy-conversion efficiency…
By Alanna Ketler The Facts: Mechanical energy, converted into kinetic energy can provide the energy that we use on a regular basis to power our homes and electronic devices. Reflect On: Rather than focusing on the current problems in our world it is great to…
By Mayukh Saha As the new decade begins, scientists have been frantically trying to construct batteries made of diamond. The batteries would have the recycled energy of nuclear waste. These batteries would work for at least an entire millennium. Researchers at Bristol University have already…
Upgrading or replacing an appliance usually means getting rid of your old one. The new appliance will use far less energy—therefore representing an environmental benefit, not to mention saving you hundreds of dollars in utility and maintenance costs. However, you’ll also be producing waste by…
By Mayukh Saha A Swedish couple grows their own food and even manages to stay naturally warm in the bitter winter of Sweden thanks to a greenhouse that cocoons their house. This greenhouse provides them with both food and warmth throughout the bitter Nordic winter….
By Natural Blaze Coffee might seem to have become the premier symbol of our modern fast-paced lifestyle. Often used as a quick wake-up, midday pick-me-up, or to get through a late-night cram session for school or work, coffee as a beverage is only increasing in…
By John Vibes 26-year old Nigerian inventor Max Chinnah has developed a smokeless stove that can charge cell phones while it cooks. Chinnah says that he plans to send 1,000 of these stoves to farmers in rural Kenyan who have limited access to electricity. Chinnah…
