Trapping gases better with boron nitride "nanopores"
What is common between a technology for storing energy in a solar cell and that for water purification? They both rely on the use of porous materials, or more specifically, 'nanoporous' materials that can trap gas molecules within narrow spaces on th.....»»
Laser cooling for quantum gases
What does it mean when we say that something is extremely cold? A physicist's answer would be: this means that atoms and molecules barely move. For several decades now, physicists have been developing techniques to create such ultracold states of mat.....»»
Five ways to cut down on food waste, and why it matters
When people think about ways to help the environment, encourage biodiversity and decrease greenhouse gases, they don't usually think about the impact of food waste. And yet food waste is responsible for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. P.....»»
DIY radiative cooler developed to serve as a research standard
The term "greenhouse effect" became part of public lexicon decades ago, thanks to the ongoing discourse on climate change. A natural phenomenon, the greenhouse effect describes how heat from the sun, in the form of radiation, is trapped by gases in t.....»»
New model simulates phenomena in a shock wave
Much of the study in the field of hypersonics focuses on understanding the disturbances in the flow of gases near the surface of the vehicle—the boundary layer—rather than what's happening in the shock, which typically occurs in the front of the.....»»
Heavy rains force evacuations, trap motorists in Canada
Relentless rain battered Canada's Pacific coast on Monday, forcing a town's evacuation and trapping motorists as mudslides, rocks and debris were washed across major highways......»»
196 Nations Agree to New Climate Change Deal At COP26 Summit
The BBC is hailing "the first ever climate deal to explicitly plan to reduce coal, the worst fossil fuel for greenhouse gases." But they also report that developing nations "were unhappy about the lack of progress on what's known as 'loss and damage'.....»»
Six areas where action must focus to rescue this planet
For some time, the Earth's natural resources have been depleted faster than they can be replaced. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has set a 2030 deadline to reduce heat-trapping emissions by half to avoid climate change that is both irr.....»»
Identifying individual proteins using nanopores and supercomputers
The amount and types of proteins our cells produce tell us important details about our health. Researchers have shown that it is possible to identify individual proteins with single-amino acid resolution and nearly 100% accuracy. Their method uses na.....»»
In Science magazine, scholars call for more comprehensive research into solar geoengineering
Two articles being published in Science magazine's influential Policy Forum this week argue for more and better social science research into the potential use of solar geoengineering to offset some of the global warming from greenhouse gases in the a.....»»
Disorder in surface materials key to better hydrogen storage
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have found that atomic disorder in certain boron-based hydrogen storage systems can potentially improve the rate of hydrogen uptake......»»
80% of world economy now aiming for net zero—but not all pledges are equal
More than 80 percent of global GDP—and 77 percent of global greenhouse gases—are now covered by a national net zero target, up from 68 percent and 61 percent last year, according to a new tracker co-led by Oxford Net Zero. But that number shrinks.....»»
GaN and SiC compete in the EV market
Third-generation gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors are competing for use in power devices in future cars. While SiC has taken the lead thanks to Tesla, GaN is not too far behind......»»
Highlights of the day: GaN drives the future of EV components
Third-generation gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors are competing for use in power devices in future cars. Efficiency in using GaN devices depends on design in circuit boards and matched use of collaborative devices. Bosch.....»»
Trapping molecules to find new physics
The Standard Model of particle physics has been extremely successful in describing how the universe works. However, there are some things that it cannot explain. Physicists have, therefore, been looking for new physics in particle accelerators such a.....»»
Study: 10 UNESCO forests emit more CO2 than they soak up
Sites containing some of the world's most treasured forests, including the Yosemite National Park and Indonesia's Sumatra rainforest, have been emitting more heat-trapping carbon dioxide than they have absorbed in recent years, a U.N.-backed report s.....»»
Layers of crystalline nanosheets enable tunable electronic properties
Boron is a versatile non-metal element, but until the last five years, chemists have only theorized about the useful properties and applications of two-dimensional (2D) boron-containing materials. In a study published this month in the Journal of Mat.....»»
Tiny microscopic hunters could be a crystal ball for climate change
Tiny unicellular creatures called protists could keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere by gobbling up bacteria that emit CO2, researchers say. Now, a study finds that a few simple measures of a protist's size and shape can be powerful predictor.....»»
Kiwi boffins aim to clear the air on livestock emissions
Tucked away in rural New Zealand, a multi-million dollar research facility is working to slash the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by farm animals—saving the world one belch at a time......»»
Greenhouse Gas Levels Hit a New High In 2020, Even With Pandemic Lockdowns
Despite a world economy that slowed significantly because of COVID-19, the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record last year, putting the goal of slowing the rise of global temperatures "way off track," according to th.....»»
New synthesis process paves way for more efficient lasers, LEDs
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new process that makes use of existing industry standard techniques for making III-nitride semiconductor materials, but results in layered materials that will make LEDs and lasers more.....»»