We get more useful energy out of renewables than fossil fuels
It costs less energy to get fossil fuels, but we can't use them as efficiently. Enlarge (credit: Yaorusheng) It doesn't take a lot of energy to dig up coal or pump oil from the ground. In contrast, most renewable source.....»»
“Energy-smart” bricks need less power to make, are better insulation
Cutting the energy used while firing the bricks means big savings at scale. Enlarge / Some of the waste material that ends up part of these bricks. (credit: Seamus Daniel, RMIT University) Researchers at the Royal Melbou.....»»
Is generative AI really going to “wreak havoc” on the power grid?
AI is just one small part of data centers’ soaring energy use. Enlarge / Someone just asked what it would look like if their girlfriend was a Smurf. Better add another rack of servers! (credit: Getty Images) Late last.....»»
Using supercomputer researchers discover new clues to improving fusion confinement
Nuclear fusion—when two nuclei combine to form a new nucleus, thereby releasing energy—may be the clean, reliable, limitless power source of the future. But first, scientists must learn how to control its production......»»
What the 3.2 million-year-old Lucy fossil reveals about nudity and shame
Fifty years ago, scientists discovered a nearly complete fossilized skull and hundreds of pieces of bone of a 3.2-million-year-old female specimen of the genus Australopithecus afarensis, often described as "the mother of us all." During a celebratio.....»»
Most plastics are made from fossil fuels and end up in the ocean, but marine microbes can"t degrade them
Marine plastic pollution is a massive environmental issue, with a plastic smog of an estimated 170 trillion particles afloat in the world's oceans. This highlights how urgently we need to develop strategies to mitigate this environmental crisis......»»
Speeding through the microcosm: Insights into ultrafast electron and lattice dynamics
A study has unlocked new dimensions in understanding the ultrafast processes of charge and energy transfer at the microscale. The research delves into the dynamics of microscopic particles, providing insights that could revolutionize semiconductor an.....»»
Struggling Our Next Energy enters strategic partnership with Foxconn
Electric vehicle battery startup Our Next Energy has entered a strategic partnership with Foxconn to keep the financially struggling startup afloat. Our Next Energy recently told employees about the partnership with the Taiwan-headquartered manufa.....»»
Researchers find unexpected excitations in a kagome layered material
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Ames National Laboratory have discovered an unexpected chiral excitation in the kagome layered topological magnet TbMn6Sn6. This chiral excitation can be viewed as a localized magnetic swirl or vortex. T.....»»
Study shows rising temperatures affect air quality over Los Angeles
Particulate matter and ozone are a major problem for people and the environment. Dr. Eva Pfannerstill, young investigator group leader at Jülich's Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK 8), is investigating where the volatile organic compound.....»»
Spectroscopic technique that singles out water molecules lying on the surface reveals how they relax after being excited
A more complete picture of how excited water molecules at an interface with air lose their energy has been uncovered by RIKEN scientists in a study published in the journal Nature Communications. This finding will be valuable for better understanding.....»»
How to use Vacation Mode on an Ecobee smart thermostat
Vacation Mode on an Ecobee smart thermostat allows you to converse energy while ensuring your home is comfortable when you return. Here's how it works......»»
Electric fields boost graphene"s potential, study shows
Researchers at the National Graphene Institute have made a discovery that could revolutionize energy harnessing and information computing. Their study, published in Nature, reveals how electric field effects can selectively accelerate coupled electro.....»»
Solid-state battery with 100x energy density could be used in Apple devices
Apple battery supplier TDK has announced the development of a technology it says could be used in next-gen solid-state batteries to offer one hundred times the energy density of existing ones … more….....»»
Opinion: The world no longer needs new fossil fuels, and the UK could lead the way in making them taboo
North Sea oil and gas has become a battleground issue in the UK general election......»»
Researchers film energy materials as they form
Shooting a movie in the lab requires special equipment. Especially when the actors are molecules—invisible to the naked eye—reacting with each other......»»
Starlings found to expend 25% less energy in follower position compared to flying solo
A multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team of researchers in the U.S. has found that starlings that fly in a follower position expend 25% less energy than when they fly solo. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of.....»»
250-million-year-old fossil seen anew with modern technology
Details of an ancient cousin of modern-day mammals are being revealed for the first time. Hi-tech scanning of an ancient fossil, which was captured in sandstone around 252–254 million years ago, is giving experts valuable insight into the animal's.....»»
TDK claims insane energy density in solid-state battery breakthrough
Apple supplier says new tech has 100 times the capacity of its current batteries. Enlarge / TDK says its new ceramic materials for batteries will improve the performance of small consumer electronics devices such as smartwatches.....»»
Light-Based Chips Could Help Slake AI"s Ever-Growing Thirst for Energy
Optical neural networks, which use photons instead of electrons, have advantages over traditional systems. They also face major obstacles......»»
Auto groups, energy trade organizations sue EPA over tailpipe emissions rule
A group of automotive dealerships, teamed with key energy and agriculture trade organizations, have filed a lawsuit against the EPA over its tailpipe emissions rule that encourages production of electric vehicles......»»