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POPSScientists create solar cells with a twist. I suppose it won't be hard to have the power to at least power a Laptop. Perhaps a Solar powered tent for camping. We are finding new ways to transform energy into media we can use, and it, with the open information on the web is only bound to improve dramatically
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POPSWheat stubble could power a greener future When considering alternate energy sources, all stages of the process needs to be taken into account. To translate energy from one media to another, energy needs to be used to allow the conversion. Very often however, rather than direct input a catalyst can be used, to both streamline the conversion, or use a form of energy such as solar, or latent chemical energy. via a catalytic converter, or an organic process. Photosynthesis, and Yeast, metabolism, are examples that involve both. Some of the best catalysts are Enzymes, chemical 'messengers' which can co-ordinate the operation of proteins which are used like an organic 'toolkit'
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POPSTelescope spots monster galactic cluster They theorize that the fact that it's 7.7 billion light years away (as far as they know) meant that it was before the acceleration due to dark energy made it impossible for galactic clusters that large to hold together. It reminded me of a poem by Hughes Mearns. 'Antigonish' As I was going up the stair, I saw a star that wasn’t there. It wasn’t there again today, I wish, that star would stay away. (I thought I'd adjust it to cover Light years, and dark matter.)
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POPSWhat if Electricity Was FREE??? The life story and work of Nikola Tesla. He invented AC electricity, Neon Lights, Radio transmission, The Electric motor, Wireless electricity transfer, Remote control, Hydraulics, Lasers, Space weapons, Robotics, and many, many more things. As Tesla claimed to have invented a way to harness free energy from the voltage difference in the ionosphere that causes lightning, he was seen as a threat to the world energy economy and most of his inventions were classified for national security by the US government. A lot of his discoveries in physics have not been released to the public, despite being invented nearly 100 years ago. In 2006 the first company publicly announced it could successfully power items by remote power without wires, (news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6129460. stm) something Tesla had invented nearly a century ago.
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POPS0.3% of Saharan Sun Enough To Power Europe The visionary proposal comes as the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission released its strategic energy technology plan which highlighted photovoltaic cells as one of the eight technologies that need to be developed in the future. The plan also includes fuel cells, hydrogen, clean coal, second generation biofuels, nuclear fusion, wind and smart grids.
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POPSDebate on radioactive dump flares again
There's the NIMBY idea. Not in my back yard. Everywhere is someone's backyard. They keep on saying that we need the dump for 'low level waste' centralized so it's not forgotten. it sounds like smoke to me. More toxic waste needs to be put somewhere, and it's easy to say 'since we already have a dump why not just stretch the limits.-and there'll be a fortune earned by the instigators, while they say how 'great things' can be done with the money, then there'll be no flow down. Is it is a good idea to drink poison as a public service to prevent it being drunk by someone else? If humanity is around in 10,000 years, they'll still be cursing their ancestors. What is really criminal is the number of viable alternative energy sources that have been choked for the sake of money. There's energy everywhere. We just couldn't be bothered looking. I'm sure Nuclear energy is championed to justify the use of uranium in Nuclear weapons.and depleted uranium munitions. Why not dump it on your enemy?
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POPSScientists mimic Earth's spinning core They say that the strength of the Earth's magnetic field has decreased by 10% in the last 150 years. Perhaps with the scale of electricity we produce, we are draining it like a battery. Maybe gradually slowing the movement of the metal. according to the law of conservation of energy. The production of energy is not spontaneous. It is a conversion, from one form to another. The fossil fuels drive a generator, but the electricity is produced due to the magnets in a dynamo interacting with the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic energy converted to electrical energy. 26 ton Sphere full of boiling Sodium? They've disconnected the sprinklers, and the fire hoses. Humans and a 26 ton sphere full of wet sodium are better off in two different states. Sodium cracks water into caustic soda, and hydrogen with an attitude. Makes an oil fire look like a cigarette lighter. At least it's over in a flash.
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POPS Climbing as easy as walking for some. Nature Abhors a vacuum. When the treetops offered a niche, Some of the smaller primates made it their home and no doubt evolved specifically to it. The fact that larger primates and other predators had difficulty getting to the tree tops, would have made it much easier for a squirrel monkey, or a lemur to get away, they would have had difficulty defending them selves against anything, and they can't run very fast. A lot of squirrel monkeys who got too close to the ground, wouldn't have had any descendants. If everything could climb trees, there probably wouldn't have been any squirrel monkeys now.
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POPSNuclear may lose it's green tag if costs rise The cost of reprocessing low grade Uranium ore. An industry spokesman said that there should be enough high quality ore for at least 85 years. 85 years when the waste lasts for an age? Sounds brilliant. Consider the amount of nuclear waste that will exist as a result of wasting energy.
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POPSUN climate panel 'downplayed' tech need The United Nations panel for climate chance, included into it's calculations the idea that energy efficiency would increase over time. It was not specific as to how this was going to happen. Some people see scientists as Magicians with magic wands, when they are blind men with sticks. Very often when a scientist discovers something, they are at least as surprised as anyone else. Assuming there will be technological advance, is like promising money before it has been earned.
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POPSBiofuel flight gets turbulent response He says algae will be the most likely source for renewable energy in the future. Algae? The way energy use is skyrocketing, in time anything available will be used, corn, rice, wood, cotton. Over above any waste material any fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The problem is the escalation of energy use is beyond the capacity to produce it. Has it ever occurred to anyone that the biggest waste by product of energy use the way things are designed today, is HEAT. There should make more productive means of energy transformation developed. So much of the 'energy' that is produced as fuel burns to power an engine amongst other things, goes straight out the exhaust pipe, without performing any useful function. Like the way they use nuclear energy to boil water to make steam. after the medium is expanded through heating/combustion, it stays that way. Why? because we're too busy thinking about the next 5 minutes. The children, and grandchildren can worry about the future. If there is one.
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POPSSolar plant a 'small but important step' The Australian centre gets an incredible amount of sunlight. There's very little that can be done without the first step. Remember computers became a prospect (distant) when they invented the transistor. Every program is a series of small steps. Step left 0 step right 1-(or vice versa) at least until we work out how to go organic (it's not far off). Who knows, with the amount of sunlight Australia gets, in time energy is likely to become an export. We'll just have to look out for real estate agents. "Want to buy a block of land in the desert?- Get it while it's hot."
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POPSVibrating raindrops may power our homes At the moment the charges generated are only small, but some things only need a small charge to operate. It is literally harnessing gravity. There is energy everywhere, it's just a matter of learning to harness it. Of course there is the known problem of inefficient, and destructive means of generating energy, being perpetuated due to vested interests. Energy sources such as this have been known for years by those who profit and administrate, and their existence has been smothered. Now with the net things like this are impossible to hide from the public, and their base fear may eventuate. That people will be able to be self sufficient. If the planet lasts that long.
7
POPSStormy Jupiter reveals more secrets. Jupiter has a metallic Hydrogen core that creates a Magnetosphere similar to the one created by Earth's Iron core. Scientists have known that Jupiter generates more energy than it receives from the Sun, but how it affectes the Atmosphere below the surface layer of clouds was unclear. They are still trying to work out the way the Atmosphere is affected by the combination of these energy sources, but they are learning to make a distinction between the two effects. This data shows effects that to be a result of Energy generated by Jupiter. They are thought to be below any possible influence of the sun. (Of course the scientists could always be surprised again. That seems to happen fairly often.)
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POPSWhy can't the U.S. be more like Varese? If this town in Italy can be 100% dependent on renewable power, why can't towns/cities in the U.S. do the same? It really makes me angry to live in a country that holds itself out as a world leader, yet we need to look at small towns in Italy to see examples of the Power Revolution. It frightens me that Big Oil stands in the way of the U.S. leading the Revolution.
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POPSDark energy a furphy says new paper Dark energy does seem like the 'unknown unknown' that exists purely to balance equations. Trying to make the universe fit our picture, rather than the other way around. If they want to call it anything but an illusion, they have to find a way to measure it independently, or fix their theories. The most significant feature of dark energy so far has been, that they're not sure if it's there or not.
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POPSEnergy drinks jolt blood pressure There are warnings on these drinks which tell consumers to limit the number of drinks per day, but these are more seen to be suggestions. Often they are consumed in large numbers even if only to maintain the 'buzz' Of course caffeine is a traditional means of achieving the same effects, but very often the negative effects of caffeine and taurine combined are not considered, because they do not seem to be relative to young and healthy people. The caffeine and taurine with their diuretic effect can make the drinker thirsty. While the effects were considered to be of more concern for people with already high blood pressure and heart problems, the volumes that are consumed, and the likely continued use warrants more study. There is the chance that benefits can be seen from the studies. For example they could be used in cases of low blood pressure.
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POPSCarbon Nanotubes to knit bullet proof armour The Nanotubes can transfer more energy back to the bullet after they absorb and spread the impact, because of their greater flexibility. Polymers like kevlar can spread the load, but can still result in internal damage.
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POPSLEDs to replace city street lights The city near Detroit Ann Arbour, is replacing traditional bulbs with white LEDs, which last an average of five times as long, and the energy saving will be the equivalent of taking 400 cars of the road.
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POPSNanowire generates it's own spark in the light. 200 times thinner than a human hair, they convert light into electrical energy, and at the nanoscale they have enough output to run ultra-low power electronics, including some that could be worn on, or inside the body.
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