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Feed Science Daily: Nanostructure Boosts Efficiency In Energy Transport (sciencedaily.com)

From feed by sdfeed
Chemists have grown a titanium nanostructure that delivers a 33 percent gain in power-collecting efficiency. Part catalyst and part conductor, the novel material could serve clean power applications like water-splitting, where a titanium catalyst has been shown to separate and store hydrogen and oxygen gases.

Comment Re:It does matter.. (Score 1) 769

by ozgood (#27095727) Attached to: GM Cornered Into Defending the Volt
But surely there comes a point where the almighty powerful unions realize that the US government cannot keep them afloat any longer. Eventually somebody will have to pay the pied piper and they will be stuck with either nothing or some compromise. The longer GM waits for bankruptcy the less that will be available for UAW to negotiate.

Comment Re:depends on price of gas? (Score 2, Insightful) 769

by ozgood (#27093705) Attached to: GM Cornered Into Defending the Volt
That's exactly the thing. People considered a gas/electric hybrid when gas was $4.00 a gallon. You had to get on a waiting list to get a prius. There was high demand. There was a huge green push. It was even a national security campaign issue, "rid ourselves of foreign oil" push. This was like 6 months ago.

Now gas has gone back down to the $1.75-$2.00 range and all is forgotten.

Yes we need electric cars, yes we need better battery technology. Yes we need energy independence.

Comment Re:Who would want that? (Score 1) 150

by ozgood (#25071131) Attached to: A Windows CE Shell For Netbooks
If putting it on a netbook would add to its development then i'm all for it. You are right that it has some crazy limitations but perhaps some increased exposure would lead to better / more stable releases.

I'm pretty sure the address space is > 64BM though.

I have an HTC shadow that runs 6.0 with the neo interface, and although some things are a little annoying... for the most part it's a pretty solid UI, probably the best i've every had. YMMV
United States

Submission + - California sues US over emissions

Submitted by
gollum123
gollum123 writes: "California is suing the US federal government, in an attempt to force car makers to conform to tougher cuts in greenhouse gas emissions ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7169200.stm ). The lawsuit comes after the federal Environmental Protection Agency denied California a waiver from US law needed to enact its own efficiency targets. Fifteen other states or state agencies are set to join the action. It challenged the Epa's denial of California's request to implement its own emissions law — which would require a 30% reduction in motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 2016 by improving fuel efficiency standards. For years, California has been allowed to set its own environmental targets in recognition of the "compelling and extraordinary conditions" the state faces — and the Epa has never before denied California a waiver request. The other states joining the fight are: Massachusetts, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington."
Data Storage

Submission + - Researchers Explore Quantum Dot-Based NVRAM (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes: "Researchers in Germany are trying to turn self-assembled arrays of quantum dots into non-volatile storage. So far, they've managed access times of 10ns and refresh rates as low as 0.7Hz, which would make it superior to current RAM. Also, unlike flash memory, there's no silicon dioxide layer to wear out and limit the number of write cycles. They still have challenges, though, in increasing the data density and figuring out how to mass produce these arrays."
Power

Submission + - Toshiba to Launch SCiB Batteries in March (dailytech.com)

Submitted by ozgood
ozgood writes: Toshiba announced today that it has developed a new type of rechargeable battery dubbed the Super Charge ion Battery (SCiB). Toshiba claims the new battery will mainly target the industrial market, though representatives hint the technology may eventually find a home in electric vehicles. The main claim to fame for the SCiB battery is that it can recharge to 90% of total capacity in fewer than five minutes. Toshiba also claims the battery has a life span of over 10-years.
Space

Submission + - First details of manned Mars mission from NASA (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by OriginalArlen
OriginalArlen writes: The BBC has a first look at NASA's initial concepts for a manned Mars mission, currently pencilled in for 2031. The main vehicle would be assembled on orbit over three or four launches of the planned Ares V heavy lift rocket. New abilities to repair, replace, and even produce replacement parts will be needed to provide enough self-sufficiency a 30 months mission, including 16 months on the surface. The presentation was apparently delivered at a meeting of the Lunar Exploration Management Group, although there's nothing on their site yet.
Power

Submission + - Nuclear battery patent and tapping oil shale (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
nanotrends
nanotrends writes: "The uranium hydride nuclear "battery" is a self-contained nuclear reactor. It is not a radioisotope thermal generator. With a good design it can achieve 50% fuel burnup instead of 0.7-2.0% for existing reactors. The company Hyperion claims that the first reactors will cost $1400 per KW (about the same as the claims for the latest conventional nuclear reactors). The patent info on the "nuclear battery" indicates how it will operate. The first target market is to help enhance recovery of oil shale, so this would address peak oil. They claim they can lower costs of insitu recovery down to 30% of the cost of using natural gas for the same purpose and no water is needed for reactor cooling. Thorium hydride could also be used. If the company is successful they would blunt peak oil. The USA could be generating several million barrels per day of oil from the oil shale fields in Colorado and the reactors could displace coal power which kills 30,000 americans each year from air pollution and 1 million people world wide. Teller tried to make a uranium hydride bomb but he could only get 200 tons of TNT equivalent out of it. Not much more than the recent russian father of all bombs."
The Courts

Submission + - Judges get crash course in science

Submitted by linuxwrangler
linuxwrangler writes: A ship driven aground in a storm is leaking toxic chemicals. Just as cleanup crews are preparing to release genetically engineered bacteria to digest the chemical, environmental groups sue to stop the release claiming the DNA could transfer to natural bacteria and harm the environment. You are the judge and as the spill spreads, you need answers. Fast. That's just one of the scenarios tackled by judges participating in a crash course in science at Lawerence Berkeley Laboratory. The program is run by the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center. Participating judges were enthusiastic about the program. Rufus King, chief judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commented, "Judges are empowered to do better, understand the issues better and guide the process better...Judges need to be gatekeepers to keep junk science out of the courtroom."

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