Design
The future of wind turbine towers may be made of wood
While wind turbines only cost 11 grams of carbon per kilowatt-hour (compared to the combustion of natural gas at 450 grams), there is always room for improvement. Opponents of wind energy have criticized the carbon footprint of the steel required to build wind towers and turbines. Unknowingly, they Read More...
Edible QR code spots fake whiskey and medicine
There is an elaborate tradition and art that goes into making certain scotches. The recipes of some highland single malts have been passed down through families for generations, and connoisseurs can pay a lot for these unique, peaty spirits. Not surprisingly, counterfeiters are looking to cash Read More...
This app can reduce social media overuse
The time we spend on our phones can run easily from an easygoing couple of minutes to a dissociative hour of doom-scrolling where we finally look around and say, “How did I kill a whole hour?” These “dissociative states” are common. We get into them when we’re so focused on a task or Read More...
This gel film pulls drinking water from the air in even the driest places
Getting water to drought-stricken areas is an increasing concern for scientists. In the future, desalination systems will become simpler and more accessible to get water to those who need it, but another solution could be to just pull water right out of the air. Engineers from the University Read More...
Flow batteries could help with renewable energy storage
The generation of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar is one thing, but there are many other factors to consider when delivering renewable energy to consumers. A big one is the issue of storage. One Oregon startup, ESS Tech Inc. is fixing this problem with its flow Read More...
OnePower: bringing minigrids and power to Lesotho
A key aspect of helping the developing world is not only ensuring that they have sufficient power and infrastructure to run key facilities like schools and hospitals. It is also important to ensure that their energy infrastructure is resilient and, hopefully, runs on renewable energy. This is Read More...
This swimming robot shows how bacteria move
We all know it takes some practice learning to swim in the ocean with waves and riptides pulling at us. With some practice and experience, though, it becomes a fun, even fulfilling pastime. Now, imagine how hard it would be if the ocean were tar instead of water. This is essentially what it is Read More...
Orbex rocket prototype makes debut at Scottish Highlands spaceport
While humans are naturally earthbound creatures, we need space travel. Our society, as it is, needs the myriad functions and services our satellites provide, and so far, there’s only one way to get them up there. To that end, space scientists and engineers are constantly innovating ways to make Read More...
New 2D material could change the game in batteries and electronics
Scientists and researchers are tackling climate change resilience and the growth of the renewable energy fields every day with new developments such as heat batteries and travel-size desalination units. A team from the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering has developed a new Read More...
A microwave network could make the internet faster and more climate resilient
For many of us, our homes have become our offices, our entertainment centers, and they were even where we socialized during the Pandemic. All of this is possible to do from the comfort of our homes because of the internet, and when doing so much online, speed matters. On paper, the internet Read More...