This polyurethane foam degrades on land and in the ocean
Microorganisms break down and consume the foam, which is being used to make fully biodegradable shoes
Sep 2022 29
Prachi Patel
Prachi Patel is a Pittsburgh-based freelance journalist who writes about energy, materials science, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and computing. Writes for Scientific American, IEEE Spectrum, Chemical & Engineering News, and MRS Bulletin. Find her at www.lekh.org.
Sep 2022 22
Researchers invent a new device to tap into the power of waves
Building on the phenomenon that creates static electricity, researchers propose a design that generates twice the power per unit volume as previously reported systems
Sep 2022 15
Fast transition to carbon-free energy could save trillions
The cost of green energy technologies is plummeting, and transitioning to them quickly could be much cheaper than doing it slowly, researchers say
Sep 2022 8
New biodegradable, recyclable battery is made of crab shells
Looking for a lithium alternative, researchers combined chitin and zinc to create a low-cost, long-lived battery with a smaller environmental footprint.
Sep 2022 1
Engineers devise a resin to recycle wind turbine blades into countertops, diapers, and even gummy bears
The world will produce over 40 million tonnes of turbine blade waste by 2050. A new resin makes it easier to turn them into valuable products.
Aug 2022 25
Floating artificial leaves create fuel from sunshine and water
Lightweight artificial leaf that works just as well as natural ones could float on ponds and seas to make clean fuel
Aug 2022 18
Engineers make strong concrete with waste tire rubber
The new greener, lighter concrete ditches expensive, mined natural materials for ground-up tires, finding a use for the billions that go to landfill
Aug 2022 11
Tiny device could aid large-scale carbon storage
Lab-on-a-chip reveals how chemical reactions with the gas unfold in rocks at very high time and scale resolutions
Aug 2022 4
New heat pump design inflates efficiency and deflates costs
The remarkably simple new technology could lower the cost of owning a climate-friendly HVAC system and increase its adoption
Jul 2022 28
First-of-its-kind solar tower brews jet fuel from water and CO2
Technology to make carbon-neutral kerosene has moved out of the lab and into a real-world demonstration, hinting at the future of solar jet fuels
