Renewable energy is now cheap—what’s next?
Ars will be at the UN's Climate Week to help find out—watch live. Enlarge (credit: wera Rodsawang) A decade ago, our present renewable energy situation was unimaginable. Most projections had wind and solar as niche.....»»
High-energy-density cubic gauche nitrogen successfully synthesized at atmospheric pressure
A research group led by Prof. Wang Xianlong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has successfully synthesized high-energy-density materials cubic gauche nitrogen (cg-N) at atmospheric pressure by treating.....»»
Researchers crack a key problem with sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and grid energy storage
Lithium-ion batteries have long dominated the market as the go-to power source for electric vehicles. They are also increasingly being considered for storage of renewable energy to be used on the electric grid. However, with the rapid expansion of th.....»»
Orbital angular momentum monopoles discovery propels orbitronics forward in energy-efficient tech
Orbital angular momentum monopoles have been the subject of great theoretical interest as they offer major practical advantages for the emerging field of orbitronics, a potential energy-efficient alternative to traditional electronics. Now, through a.....»»
Citrus waste converted to biopolymers using cavitation
The citrus industry generates a substantial amount of waste, primarily peels and seeds, which are often underutilized despite their rich cellulose and pectin content. Conventional pectin and cellulose extraction methods are energy-intensive and gener.....»»
Simultaneous detection of uranium isotopes and fluorine advances nuclear nonproliferation monitoring
Combining two techniques, analytical chemists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have become the first to detect fluorine and different isotopes of uranium in a single particle at the same time. Because fluorine is essential.....»»
Ultrasound technology accelerates drying of renewable cellulose nanocrystals
The global transition towards sustainability has sparked significant interest in bio-based materials and energy-efficient technologies. Among these, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), derived from renewable resources, have shown great potential for use i.....»»
Advancing green chemistry: A tandem catalyst for efficient biomass conversion
The global demand for sustainable energy sources has intensified the search for environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuels. Biomass waste, a byproduct of various industrial processes, presents an untapped potential for the production of bi.....»»
Scientists create model of holographic dark energy that is no longer unstable
In 1998, scientists discovered that our universe expands with acceleration, and in order to explain this effect, the concept of dark matter was introduced. This is a special type of energy that fills up all of existing space-time but is impossible to.....»»
Bird study shows that grounded running styles conserve energy
A small team of biologists and animal movement specialists in the Netherlands and the U.K. has found that birds such as the emu have a grounded running style at medium speeds, allowing them to conserve energy compared to the ungrounded running style.....»»
Semimetal-induced covalency achieves high-efficiency electrocatalysis for platinum intermetallic compounds
Compared with other types of batteries, proton exchange membrane fuel cells have the advantages of high discharge power and no pollution, which is also an important carrier for hydrogen energy conversion and utilization. Platinum intermetallic compou.....»»
OpenAI asked US to approve energy-guzzling 5GW data centers, report says
OpenAI stokes China fears to woo US approvals for huge data centers, report says. Enlarge (credit: Anadolu / Contributor | Anadolu) OpenAI hopes to convince the White House to approve a sprawling plan that would place 5-.....»»
How a nearby supernova left its mark on Earth life
When a massive star explodes as a supernova, it does more than release an extraordinary amount of energy. Supernovae explosions are responsible for creating some of the heavy elements, including iron, which is blasted out into space by the explosion......»»
Manganese cathodes could boost lithium-ion batteries
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are growing in adoption, used in devices like smartphones and laptops, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. But supplies of nickel and cobalt commonly used in the cathodes of these batteries are limited......»»
Ultra-high speed camera for molecules: Attosecond spectroscopy captures electron transfer dynamics
In nature, photosynthesis powers plants and bacteria; within solar panels, photovoltaics transform light into electric energy. These processes are driven by electronic motion and imply charge transfer at the molecular level. The redistribution of ele.....»»
Cricket study suggests mating filter narrows when males are trying to save energy
A trio of biologists at the University of Minnesota has found that when male crickets need to save energy, they narrow their mating filter, to focus more exclusively on females......»»
Thermal effects in spintronics systematically assessed for first time
Spintronics—devices that use microscopic magnetism in conjunction with electric current—could lead to computing technology as fast as conventional electronics but much more energy efficient. As such devices are developed and studied, an important.....»»
New insights into hot carrier solar cells: Study explores hot electron tunneling and collection to enhance efficiency
Hot carrier solar cells, a concept introduced several decades ago, have long been seen as a potential breakthrough in solar energy technology. These cells could surpass the Shockley–Queisser efficiency limit, which is a theoretical maximum efficien.....»»
Ant queens cannibalize their sick offspring and "recycle" them, new study reveals
Instead of nurturing their sick young, ant queens eat their infected offspring at the first sign of illness then "recycle" them into energy to produce new eggs, a new study led by the University of Oxford has shown. The findings have been published i.....»»
Low-temperature ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion achieved by applying an electric field
Hydrogen gas, owing to its high energy density and carbon-free nature, is gaining much attention as the energy source for a green and sustainable future. Despite being the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen is mostly found in a bound sta.....»»
Discovering new energy levels in atomic hyperfine structures
Since the late 1960s, the Laboratoire Aimé Cotton (LAC) in Orsay, France, has made significant progress in the classification of complex atomic spectra. These advances have been driven both by the development of Fourier transform spectroscopy, and t.....»»