Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

A solar hydrogen system that co-generates heat and oxygen      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have built a pilot-scale solar reactor that produces usable heat and oxygen, in addition to generating hydrogen with unprecedented efficiency for its size.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Microwaves advance solar-cell production and recycling      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New technology advances solar-cell production and recycling. New microwave technology will improve the manufacture of solar cells and make them easier to recycle.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Gentle method allows for eco-friendly recycling of solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

By using a new method, precious metals can be efficiently recovered from thin-film solar cells. The method is also more environmentally friendly than previous methods of recycling and paves the way for more flexible and highly efficient solar cells.

Biology: General Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Chemists redesign biological PHAs, 'dream' biodegradable plastics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

They've been called 'dream' plastics: polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs. Already the basis of a fledgling industry, they're a class of polymers naturally created by living microorganisms, or synthetically produced from biorenewable feedstocks. They're biodegradable in the ambient environment, including oceans and soil.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Cities will need more resilient electricity networks to cope with extreme weather      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Dense urban areas amplify the effects of higher temperatures, due to the phenomenon of heat islands in cities. This makes cities more vulnerable to extreme climate events. Large investments in the electricity network will be necessary to cool us down during heatwaves and keep us warm during cold snaps, according to a new study.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals Physics: Optics
Published

New textile unravels warmth-trapping secrets of polar bear fur      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have invented a fabric that concludes the 80-year quest to make a synthetic textile modeled on polar bear fur. The results are already being developed into commercially available products.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

Technology advance paves way to more realistic 3D holograms for virtual reality and more      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a new way to create dynamic ultrahigh-density 3D holographic projections. They now describe their new approach, called three-dimensional scattering-assisted dynamic holography (3D-SDH). They show that it can achieve a depth resolution more than three orders of magnitude greater than state-of-the-art methods for multiplane holographic projection.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Absolute zero in the quantum computer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Absolute zero cannot be reached -- unless you have an infinite amount of energy or an infinite amount of time. Scientists in Vienna (Austria) studying the connection between thermodynamics and quantum physics have now found out that there is a third option: Infinite complexity. It turns out that reaching absolute zero is in a way equivalent to perfectly erasing information in a quantum computer, for which an infinetly complex quantum computer would be required.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

Thermal paint: MXene spray coating can harness infrared radiation for heating or cooling      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of researchers has found that a thin coating of MXene -- a type of two-dimensional nanomaterial -- could enhance a material's ability to trap or shed heat. The discovery, which is tied to MXene's ability to regulate the passage of ambient infrared radiation, could lead to advances in thermal clothing, heating elements and new materials for radiative heating and cooling.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Colorful films could help buildings, cars keep their cool      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The cold blast of an air conditioner can be a relief as temperatures soar, but 'A/C' units require large amounts of energy and can leak greenhouse gases. Today, scientists report an eco-friendly alternative -- a plant-based film that cools when exposed to sunlight and comes in many textures and bright, iridescent colors. The material could someday keep buildings, cars and other structures cool without requiring power.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geology
Published

Surprise effect: Methane cools even as it heats      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Most climate models do not yet account for a recent discovery: methane traps a great deal of heat in Earth's atmosphere, but also creates cooling clouds that offset 30% of the heat.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

What really matters in multi-story building design?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The impact of multi-story building design considerations on embodied carbon emissions, cost, and operational energy has been revealed.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Energy: Technology Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Robot caterpillar demonstrates new approach to locomotion for soft robotics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have demonstrated a caterpillar-like soft robot that can move forward, backward and dip under narrow spaces. The caterpillar-bot's movement is driven by a novel pattern of silver nanowires that use heat to control the way the robot bends, allowing users to steer the robot in either direction.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Simulated terrible drivers cut the time and cost of AV testing by a factor of one thousand      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The push toward truly autonomous vehicles has been hindered by the cost and time associated with safety testing, but a new system shows that artificial intelligence can reduce the testing miles required by 99.99%.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

Molecular teamwork makes the organic dream work      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Molecular engineers have triggered a domino-like structural transition in an organic semiconductor. The energy- and time-saving phenomenon may enhance the performance of smartwatches, solar cells, and other organic electronics.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Bushfire safe rooms may save lives      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have built and tested a bushfire safe room that exceeds current Australian standards and could keep people alive or protect valuables when evacuation is no longer an option.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Qubits put new spin on magnetism: Boosting applications of quantum computers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Research using a quantum computer as the physical platform for quantum experiments has found a way to design and characterize tailor-made magnetic objects using quantum bits, or qubits. That opens up a new approach to develop new materials and robust quantum computing.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology
Published

Activity deep in Earth affects the global magnetic field      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Compass readings that do not show the direction of true north and interference with the operations of satellites are a few of the problems caused by peculiarities of the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic field radiates around the world and far into space, but it is set by processes that happen deep within the Earth's core, where temperatures exceed 5,000-degrees C. New research from geophysicists suggests that the way this super-hot core is cooled is key to understanding the causes of the peculiarities -- or anomalies, as scientists call them -- of the Earth's magnetic field.