Science News

A technology that harnesses solar energy to produce high-efficiency ammonia (NH3) has been unveiled by a research team affiliated with UNIST.

Climate change will increase the future value of residential rooftop solar panels across the United States by up to 19% by the end of the century, according to a new University of Michigan-led study.

Researchers from The University of Manchester investigating waste management practices for off-grid solar technologies in Malawi have discovered life-threatening quantities of lead pollution from improperly managed battery waste.

EPFL researchers are targeting the next generation of soft actuators and robots with an elastomer-based ink for 3D printing objects with locally changing mechanical properties, eliminating the need for cumbersome mechanical joints.

Aside from water, concrete is the most-used material in the world, with about 14 billion cubic meters being used every year. Of that, 40% of that is used to build places for people to live.

Deepwater divers who monitor and maintain underwater transmission lines and cables for offshore wind turbines face hazards such as subfreezing temperatures, low visibility, jellyfish and sharks.

The energy density of supercapacitors—battery-like devices that can charge in seconds or a few minutes—can be improved by increasing the 'messiness' of their internal structure.

As the globe grapples with the urgent need to shift from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources, solar power stands as a beacon of hope. However, a significant challenge has been to efficiently capture and utilize the full spectrum of sunlight. Traditional photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight into electricity but can't use the entire solar spectrum, especially the infrared part which is often wasted as heat.

Carlotta Rigotti and Eduard Fosch-Villaronga have published a new article that offers an insightful and critical literature review on fairness and AI in the labor market as part of the BIAS project.

A new study published in the journal Engineering unveils the remarkable carbon storage potential of shale reservoirs utilizing CO2 fracturing technology.

Every year, the nation's aviation industry uses around 22 billion gallons of jet fuel, which produces about 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide—or 3% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Because of this, researchers and policymakers alike are eyeing aviation as an industry ripe with opportunity to lower emissions.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), mainly used as the power of computer, communication and consumer electronic products, require higher energy density, longer cycling life, faster-charging capability, and a broader operating temperature range to meet the growing consumer demands.

Thinking of buying an electric vehicle but unsure about its resale value? New research finds that while older electric vehicle models depreciate in value faster than conventional gas cars, newer electric vehicle models with longer driving ranges are holding their value better and approaching the retention rates of many gas cars.

Over the next 25 years, as the world shifts away from fossil fuels, the oil and gas wells that have sustained the fossil fuel age will have to be plugged.

A study, published in Nature Energy, is among the first to explore the floating photovoltaics (FPV) at the continental scale, finding that FPV installed at existing major reservoirs could produce 20–100% of the electricity expected from Africa's planned hydropower dams. Using a state-of-the-art energy planning model covering the continent's entire energy system, the researchers found that FPV is cost-competitive with other renewables and thus a key part of Africa's future energy mix.

The energy demands of today's ubiquitous small electronic devices—including sensors, data transmitters, medical implants and 'wearable' consumer products such as Fitbits—can no longer be met by chemical batteries alone. This gap can be filled by energy harvesters, which turn ordinary, ambient vibrational energy into electrical energy.

The light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) can be fabricated in a sustainable and cost-effective way on both rigid and flexible surfaces making it suitable for a broad range of applications, like illumination, health care, and signage. Despite its potential, this technology faces a significant challenge: a decrease in emission efficiency at higher electrical currents, a phenomenon known as "efficiency roll-off."

A new robotic suction cup that can grasp rough, curved and heavy stone, has been developed by scientists at the University of Bristol. The team, based at Bristol Robotics Laboratory, studied the structures of octopus biological suckers, which have superb adaptive suction abilities enabling them to anchor to rock.

University of Queensland researchers have built a generator that absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) to make electricity.

A team of roboticists and mechanical and aeronautical engineers at Stanford University has developed a spider-like robot for possible use in exploring caves or lava tubes on Mars. In their paper published in the journal Science Robotics, the group describes their reasons for developing the new robot, their inspiration for the design, and how well it worked when tested in a real-world environment.