Science Policy Challenges, Part Two: A Strained Electrical Grid
The federal government has a critical role to play in ensuring a smooth transition to a secure and modernized electrical grid.
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Many Ways to March for Science
Cathy Seiler: Why I March for Science The March for Science is this Saturday, April 22. Thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of scientists and supporters of science will take to the streets in Washington, DC, and more than 500 cities in satellite marches around the globe. I will be participating in Bend, Oregon. Why do I march? I march because science is incredible. How cool is it that scientists are working on curing HIV/AIDS with cord blood transplants? How cool is it that science has increased the length and quality of our…
Science Policy Challenges, Part One: A Rising Sea
Regions along the eastern seaboard of the United States and in locations around the world are facing rising sea levels. Good science policy is needed to save these cities. By Jonathan Trinastic A rising sea Miami Beach, Florida, recently decided to spend $400 million to elevate seawalls, raise city streets, and build more water pumps. Why? Sea levels have risen so high in the Miami area that slightly higher tides or short bursts of rainfall can now cause significant flooding. This “sunny day flooding” by ocean water routinely damages basements…
The Brainy Life of Bees
By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic The thought of worker bees buzzing about their colonies in service of the queen may not suggest a rich mental life at first. However, two experiments run by separate teams at Queen Mary University of London reveal a surprising potential for bumblebees to learn novel tasks as well as experience mental states similar to human optimism. The findings suggest that bees can transfer learned skills across generations—one of the primary requirements for primitive culture. I’m just pulling your string Crows, apes, and dolphins get plenty of…
Nanostructured Honeycomb Creates Electricity from Light
By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic Zoom in to the nanometer scale—less than the width of a human hair—and you might think the new device designed by a team of scientists led by Lei Zhang is a honeycomb. Upon closer inspection, you would find that the hexagonal structure is made of gold and that a long string of organic molecules winds up and down through each hexagonal space. And one more thing: this device, so perfectly structured in the world of atoms and molecules, can create electricity from light. These researchers from…
Sunlight, the Equitable Energy Source
There are potential benefits for everyone when governments support the advancement of solar technology and economic development plans that encourage its distribution.
Chilean Solar Farm, Cheapest Power Project Ever
Chile looked long and hard for some magic to ignite the country’s sluggish economy. The spell may finally be cast in the form of a solar farm.
Science and the City: The Mechanics Behind the Metropolis
In Science and the City, Laurie Winkless explores the best scientific ideas and minds preparing our cities for this world of tomorrow.
Carbon Capture: Transforming Greenhouse Gas into Rock
Is there a way to capture excess carbon dioxide and chemically trap it underground to mitigate the effects of climate change? Perhaps, but it’s a long way off. By Jonathan Trinastic A few months ago, after drilling a well 400 meters deep, scientists in Iceland were repeatedly frustrated that the well kept breaking down. Retrieving the pump from the depths of the earth, they found its base covered in a scaly green and white material that clogged the end of the machine. Instead of feeling dismay over the equipment failure,…
Phosphorescent Concrete Lights the Way Home
By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic Imagine a future when, as dusk turns to night during a long drive, the darkening highway begins to glow in soft hues of blue and green to illuminate the path ahead. Such a possibility could become reality after the creation of light-emitting cement by Jose Carlos Rubio at the University of San Nicolas Hidalgo in Mexico. The novel material could provide lighted pathways for cars, trucks, bikes, and pedestrians without using electricity. Countries of Concrete Most developed countries now rely on vast networks of roads to…