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High-performance plasmas may make reliable, efficient fusion power a reality

In the quest to produce nuclear fusion energy, researchers from the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have recently confirmed long-standing theoretical predictions that performance, efficiency and re

Robot fish could monitor water quality

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Nature inspires technology for an engineer and an ecologist teamed up at Michigan State University.

Solar Cell Celebration or Confusion?

October 29, 2009 by Sacman

Sacman's picture

The following story, that readers of this blog may have read a couple of months ago, celebrated the discovery of a solar cell production method that generated a whopping 43% ROI of the sun's input.

Poor in rural Oregon face 'double binds' when getting food

A new study by Oregon State University researchers shows that those in poverty in rural Oregon often know what kinds of foods they should be eating, but face tough choices between eating well and spen

Synthetic cells shed biological insights while delivering battery power

Trying to understand the complex workings of a biological cell by teasing out the function of every molecule within it is a daunting task. But by making synthetic cells that include just a few chemical processes, researchers can study cellular machinery one manageable piece at a time.

First in New York: Bionic technology aims to give sight to woman blinded beginning at age 13

NEW YORK (October 21, 2009) -- A 50-year-old New York woman who was diagnosed with a progressive blinding disease at age 13 was implanted with an experimental electronic eye implant that has partially restored her vision. A team led by Dr. Lucian V.

Report examines hidden costs of energy production and use

WASHINGTON -- A new report from the National Research Council examines and, when possible, estimates "hidden" costs of energy production and use -- such as the damage air pollution imposes on human health -- that are not reflected in market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources, or the electricity and gasoline produced from them.

New concept may enhance Earth-Mars communication

Direct communication between Earth and Mars can be strongly disturbed and even blocked by the Sun for weeks at a time, cutting off any future human mission to the Red Planet. An ESA engineer working with engineers in the UK may have found a solution using a new type of orbit combined with continuous-thrust ion propulsion.

Carnegie Mellon researchers save electricity with low-power processors and flash memory

PITTSBURGH -- Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Intel Labs Pittsburgh (ILP) have combined low-power, embedded processors typically used in netbooks with flash memory to create a server architecture that is fast, but far more energy efficient for data-intensive applications than the systems now used by major Internet services.

An experimental computing cluster based on this so-c

Scientists reveal new pattern in our daily clock

The findings of a study published in Science today (9th October 2009) turn a long-held theory on circadian rhythms on its head and mean that we may now be able to develop new drugs and approaches to tune the daily clock to treat sleep disorders and to aid recovery from long-distance flights.

New designs for smarter buildings

After two years of design, experimentation, fund-raising and building, the University of Arizona's Solar Decathlon team has completed construction of its 800-square-foot solar-powered house on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The UA's team will compete with entries from 14 other states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Germany and Spain.

Large-scale cousin of elusive 'magnetic monopoles' found at NIST

Any child can tell you that a magnet has a "north" and a "south" pole, and that if you break it into two pieces, you invariably get two smaller magnets with two poles of their own. But scientists have spent the better part of the last eight decades trying to find, in essence, a magnet with only one pole.

For safer emergencies, give your power generator some space

To subdue the steaming heat of hurricanes or to thaw out during a blizzard, gasoline-powered, portable generators are a lifeline during weather emergencies when homes are cut off without electricity. But these generators emit poisonous carbon monoxide -- a single generator can produce a hundred times more of the colorless, odorless gas than a modern car's exhaust.

For future superconductors, a little bit of lithium may do hydrogen a lot of good

Scientists have a long and unsuccessful history of attempting to convert hydrogen to a metal by squeezing it under incredibly high and steady pressures.

Metallic hydrogen is predicted to be a high-temperature superconductor. A superconductor is a state of matter where electrons, and thus electricity, can flow indefinitely and without resistance.

Silver nanoparticles give polymer solar cells a boost

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Small bits of metal may play a new role in solar power.

Researchers at Ohio State University are experimenting with polymer semiconductors that absorb the sun's energy and generate electricity. The goal: lighter, cheaper, and more-flexible solar cells.



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