Energy

  1. Tech

    Speedy, springy robot ‘Salto’ catches some serious air

    A lightweight robot nicknamed “Salto” can bound from floor to wall and back. Such fast and agile bots may someday aid in search-and-rescue operations.

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  2. Physics

    Wind power gets downsized — but in a good way

    Two young scientists have developed ways to tap into wind power on a small scale.

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  3. Tech

    Star Trek technology becomes more science than fiction

    On Star Trek, the characters used devices that seemed wild, futuristic and impossible. But those sci-fi gadgets are inspiring real-world, useful inventions.

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  4. Computing

    Self-designed tattoos are fashionable technology

    Researchers have created do-it-yourself temporary tattoos. They’re a fashion-forward way to control electronic devices.

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  5. Physics

    Famous physics cat now alive, dead and in two boxes at once

    Splitting Erwin Schrödinger’s famous — and fictitious — cat between two boxes brings scientists one step closer to building quantum computers from microwaves.

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  6. Materials Science

    Nanowires could lead to super-long-lived battery

    Scientists have long been looking for ways to make rechargeable batteries that last forever. They now may be close. Their solution: gel-dipped nanowires.

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  7. Physics

    Sunlight + gold = steaming water (no boiling needed)

    Nano-gold is the new black, at least when it comes to absorbing heat. When tiny gold particles get together, they become energy super-absorbers — turning them black.

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  8. Physics

    Scientists Say: Yottawatt

    On Earth, scientists measure energy use in watts. When you have lot of those watts — one million billion billion — you have a yottawatt.

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  9. Chemistry

    Smash hit: Making ‘diamond’ that’s harder than diamonds

    Scientists had suspected extreme meteorite impacts might turn graphite into an unusual type of diamond. Now they’ve seen it happen — in under a nanosecond.

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  10. Physics

    Black hole smashup sent out ‘yottawatts’ of power

    When two black holes collided, they released a lot of energy in gravity waves. How much? How about 36 septillion yottawatts of power!

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  11. Microbes

    Microbes mine treasure from waste

    Like miniature factories, bioreactors house microbes recruited to chew through wastes to clean dirty water, make chemicals or generate electricity.

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  12. Tech

    Cool Jobs: The power of wind

    Science and engineering careers explore all aspects of wind, from terrible tornadoes to aeronautics and clean energy.

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