11281396
submission
separsons writes:
A team of scientists recently created world's first underwater robotic vehicle powered entirely by renewable, ocean thermal energy. Researchers from NASA, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the US Navy developed Sounding Oceanographic Lagrangrian Observer Thermal RECharging (SOLO-TREC), an autonomous robot that runs on a thermal recharging engine. The engine derives power from the natural temperature differences found at varying ocean depths. SOLO-TREC produces about 1.7 watts of energy each dive, enough to juice the robot's science instruments, GPS receiver, communication device and bouyancy control pump. SOLO-TREC is poised to revolutionize ocean monitoring: Previous robots could only spend a limited amount of time underwater because of depleting power sources. SOLO-TREC can stay beneath the surface of the waves for indefinite amounts of time. Based on SOLO-TREC's success, NASA and the US Navy plan to incorporate thermal recharging engines in next-generation submersibles.
11257240
story
ByronScott writes
"Could the next solar panels be in the shapes of origami cranes? They could be if MIT power engineering professor Jeffrey Grossman has his say. Standard flat solar panels are only optimized to capture sunlight at one point of the sun's trajectory — otherwise they need automated tracking systems to follow the sun. But Grossman found that folded solar cell systems could produce constant power throughout the day sans tracking and his new designs are up to two and a half times more efficient per comparative length and width than traditional flat arrays."
11190074
submission
separsons writes:
The largest sodium sulfur battery in America, nicknamed "BOB," can provide enough electricity to power all of Presidio, Texas. Until now, the small town relied on a single, 60-year-old transmission line to connect it to the grid, so the community frequently experienced power outages. BOB, or "Big-Old Battery," began charging earlier this week. The house-sized battery can hold four megawatts of power for up to eight hours. Utilities are looking into similar-sized batteries to store power from solar and wind so that renewables can come online before the country implements a smart grid system.
11069568
submission
separsons writes:
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that an organic semiconductor can be used to make spray-on transistors, replacing silicon in many electronics. Once optimized, the tech would allow products like solar cells and electronic displays to be sprayed onto a surface just like paint! The organic semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiopene), or P3HT, also offers other advantages to silicon: It's cheaper, requires less energy and can bend and fold. Paint-on electronics won't be market-ready for several years yet, but this is an important step forward in their development.
11049362
submission
separsons writes:
Researchers at the University of Guelph genetically modified Yorkshire pigs so that their urine and feces contain 65 percent less phosphorous than traditional pigs. Oftentimes, phosphorous runs off from farms and winds up in lakes, rivers and oceans where it causes algal blooms to form. These blooms deplete the water of oxygen, creating dead zones. Scientists hope the engineered pigs, called Enviropigs, will decrease phosphorous pollution and prevent dead zones from forming.
10970550
submission
separsons writes:
Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic and a team from Columbia University used stem cells from marrow and liposuctioned fat to grow an actual human bone! Scientists employed digital images to carve a bone replica. They then placed the replica in a bioreactor and added human cells, oxygen, growth hormones, sugar and nutrients. The process can be used to grow an exact copy of any bone in the human body. Eventually, researchers hope the procedure can eliminate the need for painful bone grafts or titanium implants, which aren't as biocompatible as human tissue.
10938698
submission
separsons writes:
Harvard physicist Russell Seitz says he's found a way to lower global temperatures by up to three degrees Celsius. Seitz aims to inject the world's oceans with tons of microbubbles. Bubbles act like little mirrors, increasing the sea's reflectivity and lowering water temperatures. Using computer modeling, Seitz found that microbubbles double water's reflectivity even at concentrations of only one part per million. He hopes to use boats to disseminate bursts of bubbles throughout the world's oceans.
10815620
submission
separsons writes:
Scientists at GE Global Research found that aminosilicones--substances found in products like fabric softeners and hair conditioners--can effectively trap carbon dioxide. In lab tests, the material removed 90 percent of the carbon from simulated flue gases. Researchers hope to use aminosilicones in larger absorber systems to scrub carbon from coal-fired power plants' flue gases. America's 8,000 coal-fired power plants currently emit 2.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year.
10780786
submission
separsons writes:
Researchers at University College London's Earthquake and People Interaction Centre (EPICentre) created the first tsunami generator that relies on an air-driven system. The new device allows scientists to learn more about a wide range of tsunami conditions, including the draw-down phenomenon, where sea is sucked out before rushing back towards the shore. The increased knowledge will help designers create tsunami-proof infrastructure and aid emergency personnel in creating better evacuation strategies.
10743234
submission
separsons writes:
Researchers at Japan's Tohoku University designed a new shape memory metal alloy. The super elastic iron alloy can endure serious stretching and still return to its original shape. The scientists say that once optimized, the material could be used in everything from braces to medical stents to earthquake-proof buildings!
10706680
submission
separsons writes:
A group of French scientists are developing a nuclear reactor that burns up actinides, highly radioactive uranium isotopes. And they're not the only ones trying to eliminate atomic waste: Researchers at the University of Texas in Austin are working on a fusion-fission reactor. The reactor destroys waste by firing streams of neutrons at it, reducing atomic waste by up to 99 percent!
10590158
submission
separsons writes:
Scientists from Spain’s Instituto de Microelectronica de Barcelona recently found that they could directly embed silicon nanochips into human body cells, and for the most part, cells would continue functioning normally. Once the technology is studied more and optimized, researchers say that chips could be used to study cell activity, detect diseases earlier, deliver drugs and even aid in repairing cells.
10544706
submission
separsons writes:
Michigan State University students recently created "Landmine Lookout," a new game designed to teach kids in developing nations how to avoid unexploded land mines. The game is being sent to Cambodia for testing this month. The game aims to work with One Laptop Per Child computers.
