Harvard University researchers say they’ve developed a new type of battery that could make it economical to store a couple of days of electricity from wind farms and other sources of power. The new battery, which is described in the journal Nature, is based on an organic molecule—called a quinone—that’s found in plants such as …
Two EPFL scientists have shown how to achieve a dramatic increase in the capacity of optical fibers. Their simple, innovative solution reduces the amount of space required between the pulses of light that transport data. The breakthrough could increase the throughput of data in telecommunications systems by a factor of ten. Researchers have come up …
Zhejiang, one province in China, will pilot a novel solution to rising worker wages: investing $82 billion over five years to help local factories partially automate production processes. In Zhejiang province, average assembly-line wages nearly tripled from 2005 to 2012, from $2,425 to $6,750 per year. And Zhejiang officials aren’t alone in their thinking. China …
China is home to 60 of the world’s 100 tallest buildings now under construction. But the skyward aspirations of Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, have inspired incredulity tinged with hostility. Broad Group, a manufacturer based here in Changsha, has been planning to erect the world’s tallest building here this winter, and in record time. …
Facebook, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung are partnering to bring internet access to the remaining 5 billion people. Today, only 2.7 billion people – just over one-third of the world’s population — have access to the internet. Internet adoption is growing by less than 9% each year, which is slow considering how early …
More of the new phase 1 selections for NASA Innovative advanced concepts. Biomaterials out of thin air: in situ, on-demand printing of advanced biocomposites Imagine being able to print anything from tools and composite building materials to food and human tissues. Imagine being on Mars with the ability to replace any broken part, whether it’s …
The Chinese have launched their fifth crewed space mission on Tuesday via the Shenzhou-10 mission. The launch of the Long March 2F/G rocket was on schedule at 09:38 UTC, taking place from Pad 921 at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center’s LC43 Launch Complex. This new space chapter for the Chinese represents the final occupation of the …
Carnival of Space 301 is up at the Venus Transit The Meridiani Journal – Humans 2 Mars conference discusses manned NASA mission by 2030 Dark Lightning “Lights Up” the Sky Scientists have recently discovered the phenomenon they call “dark lightning.” This burst of high-energy gamma rays happens just before the flash of ordinary lightning. And …
Motorists in 2020 will have a widening choice of super-efficient gas and diesel cars, hybrids (which switch between batteries and an internal-combustion engine) and models that run on natural gas or hydrogen. There will be some electric cars (more than now) but they will remain a relatively small segment. The Road to Driverless Cars A …
Crude oil production increased by 790,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) between 2011 and 2012, the largest increase in annual output since the beginning ofU.S. commercial crude oil production in 1859. The U.S.Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects U.S. crude oil production to continue rising over the next two years represented in the Short‐Term Energy Outlook (STEO). …
Robin Sachs was most well known as an actor for his science fiction and fantasy work. He was in Babylon 5 as a guest star six TV episodes and the TV movie In the Beginning. He played Minbari Warrior Caste members of the Grey Council and two Narns. He also played the main villain in …