SOFC that Converts Hydrogen into Electricity Also Capable of Battery-Like Storage

Shriram Ramanathan’s laboratory setup for testing solid-oxide fuel cells. The fuel cell is hidden under the circular component at the top, which pins it down to create a tight seal with the hydrogen… Continue reading

New Algorithm Enables Wi-Fi Connected Vehicles to Share Data

Graphic: Christine Daniloff Next month at the ACM SIGACT-SIGOPS Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing, a team of researchers will present a new algorithm they developed that allows Wi-Fi connected cars to share… Continue reading

Vacuum Channels Could Enable a New Class of High Speed Transistors

Electrons (blue spheres) emitted from the interface of oxide (green) and silicon (light blue) travel in the air and are captured at the graphene sheet (mesh of carbon atoms). With physical barriers limiting… Continue reading

New Chip Combines Energy from Solar, Thermal and Vibration Sources

Graphic: Christine Daniloff Using a chip to simultaneously harness power from natural light, heat and vibrations in the environment, MIT researchers are working to develop battery-free monitoring systems that optimize power delivery. Researchers… Continue reading

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Energy Analysis

Transformation of the Electric Sector. Click on photo for interactive data. A new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggests that renewable electricity generation from today’s technologies, in combination with a more… Continue reading

New Biofuel Production Process Improves Energy Recovery

A new biofuel production process created by Michigan State University researchers produces energy more than 20 times higher than existing methods. Using bacteria to breakdown and ferment agricultural waste into ethanol, MSU microbiologists… Continue reading

Strategies for a Changing Planet: If All Else Fails…

When it’s 115 degrees in March, it might take a Hail Mary of a solution to help us By Damon Tabor Desperate Measures Bombarding the stratosphere with aerosol-packed artillery shells could either lower… Continue reading

Strategies for a Changing Planet: Shelter

Climate change will drive people to urban areas, and smarter cities will be needed to shelter them By Kalee Thompson Smarter Cities The LO2P won first prize in the 2011 Skyscraper Competition, sponsored… Continue reading

Strategies for a Changing Planet: Awareness

We’re on a collision course with extreme weather. It’s time to acknowledge that, and to prepare By David Roberts Already Happening Nick Jacques Climate change is already happening, and it’s time to get… Continue reading

Strategies for a Changing Planet: Farming

Wheat, rice and corn provide 60 percent of the world’s calories — here’s how to prepare them for the future By Maggie Koerth-Baker Better Seeds David Arky Climate change is already happening, and… Continue reading