MIT researchers have a new energy storage design that will store heat generated by excess electricity from solar or wind power in large tanks of white-hot molten silicon. It converts the light from the glowing metal back into electricity to get energy back out. It should be vastly more affordable than lithium-ion batteries. It should …
Stanford researchers have designed a new technology that could lead to wireless charging of electric vehicles while they cruise down the highway. This wireless transfer scheme has an efficiency of 97 percent. The transfer range is one fifteenth of the wavelength. The range is 2 meters for a 10 megahertz system. The transfer efficiency can …
Here are three observations on futurists by Robin Hanson 1) Most folks I know who self-describe as future-oriented seem obsessed with the latest tech press releases. hey constantly circulate links on new tech gadget demos and analyses. Which might make sense if “the future” meant the next ten years. But if “the future” means the …
1. Slate – The mission of the 100-Year Starship Public Symposium: to set about organizing a century-long effort to send a spaceship to another star. The symposium was far-reaching, with presentations including “Modular Aneutronic Fusion Engine for an Alpha Centauri Mission” and “To Humbly Go … Breaking Previous Patterns of Colonization.” The meat of the …
Laser Particle Acceleration: Status and Perspectives for Nuclear Physics (12 pages) High power short-pulse lasers with peak powers presently reaching Terawatts and even Petawatt levels routinely reach focal intensities of 10^18–10^21 W/cm2. These lasers are able to produce a variety of secondary radiation, from relativistic electrons and multi-MeV/nucleon ions to high energetic X-rays and gamma-rays. …
At a seminar on Tuesday (Nov. 2), Bo Kong, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, described how China is “diversifying” its energy sources and greatly expanding its use of nuclear power. In related news, Deutsche Bank is projecting an increase of 12% in the price of coal in 2011 “China …
Ad Support : Nano Technology Netbook Technology News Computer Software Biomedical researchers at the University at Buffalo have engineered adult stem cells that scientists can grow continuously in culture, a discovery that could speed development of cost-effective treatments for diseases including heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. UB scientists created the new cell lines …
BBC News is among many places reporting the opening of the new Tallest building in the world – the Burj Dubai USA Today reports that the tower was renamed the Burj Khalifa in a nod to the leader of neighboring Abu Dhabi— the oil-rich sheikdom which came to its rescue during the financial meltdown. Abu …
Armadillo Aerospace have officially completed the 2009 Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge Level 2, on a rainy day at Caddo Mills, Texas Level 2 requires the rocket to fly for 180 seconds before landing precisely on a simulated lunar surface constructed with craters and boulders. The minimum flight times are calculated so that the Level …
sample of a novel material that may be used to remove heat from future radar systems. (Georgia Tech Photo: Gary Meek) Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are developing a novel material for transferring heat away from ultra-high-power defense electronics. The exotic material, a composite of diamond and copper, is one of the …