
System Converts Solar Efficiently to Steam
A graphite disk resting on carbon foam collects sunlight to heat water directly to steam with 85 percent efficiency. Cynthia Graber reports

System Converts Solar Efficiently to Steam
A graphite disk resting on carbon foam collects sunlight to heat water directly to steam with 85 percent efficiency. Cynthia Graber reports

Top 10 (Transport) Sights in Paris
Few tourists travel explicitly to see a city’s or country's mode of transportation, but I dare say that besides transport nerds such as myself, there are examples which qualify as must-see, including Japan's Shinkansen high-speed train, Lisbon's old tram system, and the streetcars of New Orleans, among others.


EPA Criticized for Weak Oversight of Drillers' Toxic-Waste Disposal Wells
A Government Accountability Office report says environmental regulators are failing to adequately enforce rules for wells used to dispose of toxic waste from oil and gas drilling

Pure Lithium in Battery May Generate More Powerful Battery
Stanford researchers claim they have made a breakthrough in creating a lithium anode

White House Warns Delaying Climate Action Costs Billions More
A new report shows that failing to combat global warming would dramatically increase the cost of such climate insurance

Moth Eyes Inspire Different Solar Cell
Moth eyes absorb almost all incident light, thus reducing reflection that predators would notice. Researchers have now used the moth eye structure as the basis of a highly efficient solar absorbing cell. Larry Greenemeier reports

Alternative Fusion Technologies Heat Up
Start-ups in fusion-energy research are fueled by venture capital and a lot of hope

China and the U.S. Partner to Boost Search for CO2 Capture
A new agreement between China and the U.S. may stimulate research on capturing CO2 pollution

World's Largest Carbon Capture Facility Under Construction in Texas
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) could be a key technology option in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the world's fossil fuel power plants.

Biodiversity Hotspots Getting Hotter (and That's Not Good)
Biodiversity hotspots are golden places on earth where the number and diversity of animals and plants is exceptional. Environmentalists say that hotspots are the most critical of all places to protect against the ill effects of human development and climate change.

Can the Fern That Cooled the Planet Do It Again?
Researchers hope to use the fernlike Azolla to reverse the global warming effects of burning fossil fuels

Put the Muse Back in Museums
Science museums should recruit the public in confronting the planet’s toughest challenges