Evaporation-powered motor and light
Scientists designed shape-changing composites that used evaporation to power locomotion and generate electricity.
Scientists designed shape-changing composites that used evaporation to power locomotion and generate electricity.
Converting solar or wind into carbon-based ‘fossil’ fuels might seem anything but green, but when you start with carbon dioxide — which can be dragged out of the air — it’s as green as it gets. The technology that makes it economically feasible isn’t available yet, but a recently published paper presents nice step forward in the effort to not just sequester carbon dioxide, but turn it into a useful fuel that is part of a carbon-neutral future.
The ‘sailing’ stones of Death Valley in California are famous for apparently moving by themselves, with the phenomenon not being exclusive to this North American desert but also occurring in Spain, in the Manchego lagoon Altillo Chica. Researchers have observed that wind from winter storms generates currents that can push the stones over a surface colonized by microbes. Then once the water has vanished, the mysterious trail is left on the dry bottom of the lagoon.
Electric Cars | Future Technology | Transportation3D Printing is all the rage these days, so it’s no surprise someone has printed a complete and functional electric automobile, appropriately named the Strati (Italian for “layers”). 18 months ago, Phoenix Arizona company Local Motors teamed up with Cincinnati Incorporated to develop a neighborhood electric car. The project is open source; members are encouraged […]
Electric Cars | Hybrid Cars | TransportationConsidering a green car? These days it makes a lot of sense but there are so many options; electric, hybrid, hydrogen and even solar. One day soon we’ll all be driving one, so how do we choose? And if we don’t have a green car, what can you we do to help the environment in […]
A common criticism of a total transition to wind, water and solar power is that the US electrical grid can’t affordably store enough standby electricity to keep the system stable. Now a researcher proposes an underground solution to that problem.
The Francis turbine is the most common type of water turbine used in Norwegian hydropower plants, and has been for many years. About half of the world’s Francis turbines are found in Norwegian plants.