Archive for the ‘energy’ category: Page 292
Jan 29, 2018
NASA tests light, foldable plane wings for supersonic flights
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: energy, transportation
Planes that can fold their wings to different angles while in the air have the potential to fly faster than their peers, and NASA has recently made headway into their development. The space agency has conducted a series of test flights proving that it can control the wings it designed to move into any position and that they have aerodynamic benefits. While the technology has existed for a long time, it typically requires the use of heavy hydraulic systems. NASA’s version doesn’t need that kind of machinery: it relies on the properties of a temperature-activated material called shape memory alloy instead. Upon being heated, the alloy activates a twisting motion in the tubes serving as the wings’ actuator, moving the wings’ outer portion up to 70 degrees upwards or downwards.
The foldable wings will give typical planes like commercial airliners a way to adapt to different flight conditions. They can give pilots more control over their aircraft and could even lead to more fuel efficient flights. Planes designed to fly at supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound), however, will get more out of this technology.
Jan 27, 2018
Tesla Powerwalls will power 50 homes in a community, ‘it’s like putting around $50,000 in your pocket’, says contractor
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: energy, habitats, sustainability
Home builders are starting to see the advantage of incorporating solar and energy storage products directly as part of their offerings. One home builder in Australia decided to make solar arrays and Tesla Powerwalls standard in 50 “knockdown rebuild homes” and claims that ‘it’s like putting around $50,000 in your pocket’. Earlier this week, we reported on how Tesla’s giant Powerpack system in Australia made around $1 million in just a few days through the country’s wholesale electricity market. Homeowners can do the same on a smaller scale if they have a home solar array and a Powerwall, Te…
Jan 26, 2018
European Electricity Industry Pledges to Deliver on Paris Agreement | UNFCCC
Posted by Odette Bohr Dienel in categories: business, energy, environmental, governance
“EURELETRIC, the association representing the interests of the electricity industry in Europe, has said the region’s power companies intend to be both part of a competitive European economy and reliably powered by clean, carbon-neutral energy.”
Jan 22, 2018
This Hearst ranch has raised cattle since 1865, now it also powers Apple’s headquarters — By Anita Balakrishnan | CNBC
Posted by Odette Bohr Dienel in categories: business, energy, environmental, solar power
“The historic Hearst cattle ranch has become a hybrid solar farm for Apple’s Cupertino campus.”
Jan 19, 2018
Graphene Could Be a Source of Endless, Clean Energy
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: energy, materials
Scientists have discovered an endless energy supply in the naturally occurring Brownian motion of graphene.
Jan 18, 2018
How the Science of Decision-Making Will Help Us Make Better Strategic Choices
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: energy, information science, science
Neuroscientist Brie Linkenhoker believes that leaders must be better prepared for future strategic challenges by continually broadening their worldviews.
As the director of Worldview Stanford, Brie and her team produce multimedia content and immersive learning experiences to make academic research and insights accessible and useable by curious leaders. These future-focused topics are designed to help curious leaders understand the forces shaping the future.
Continue reading “How the Science of Decision-Making Will Help Us Make Better Strategic Choices” »
Jan 14, 2018
Proof-of-Work Alternatives: Massive electric consumption by cryptocurrency mining
Posted by Philip Raymond in categories: bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, economics, energy, environmental
Some blogs and news outlets eschew long titles. Publishers want readers to scan a list of topics that fit on one-line each. But, a better title for this article would be:
“Massive electric consumption by cryptocurrency mining:
An unfortunate environmental nightmare will soon pass!
… Proof-of-Work alternatives are on the horizon”
A considerable amount of electricity is used in the process of mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Miners are effectively distributed bookkeepers, and this use of resources is part of a system called “proof-of-work”. It keeps the books fair, honest, and without an ability for the miners to collude (In other words, they cannot ‘cook the books’).
Jan 9, 2018
Scientists think they’ve discovered a fourth type of fuel for humans — beyond carbs, fat, or protein
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: energy, food
- Ketones could super-charge the body in a way that’s unlike any other source of fuel.
- San Francisco-based startup HVMN recently launched a drink made of pure ketone ester to harness its performance-boosting qualities.
- The company partnered with Oxford University to leverage $60 million-worth of scientific research on elite athletes.
The nutrition label on a shot-sized bottle of this clear, odorless liquid defies traditional explanation. It contains 120 calories — roughly the equivalent of a hearty slice of bread — yet it has no fat, no protein, and no carbohydrates.
Those calories instead come from ketones, an ingredient that Geoff Woo, cofounder and CEO of San Francisco-based human performance startup called HVMN (pronounced “human”)to call “the fourth macronutrient.”
Jan 8, 2018
The growing adoption of LEDs is having a tangible effect on carbon emissions
Posted by Jeremy Lichtman in category: energy
LED bulbs contributed to a reduction of 570 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2017, according to an estimate by IHS Markit—equivalent to closing more than 160 coal power plants.
Published 2 hours ago | Photo by Reuters/Toru Hanai.