David Biello is a contributing editor at Scientific American.
More Solar Panels at the White House
The Washington Post‘s indefatigable Juliet Eilperin got an unnamed official at the White House to confirm that solar panels are being reinstalled at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this week—fulfilling a promise made by the Obama administration three years ago.
We Could Make Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Real
At some point cloaked in the (recent) mists of time, Elon Musk took over the mantle of leading U.S. visionary, as is the prerogative apparently of our technology billionaires.
Is the U.S. Grid Better Prepared to Prevent a Repeat of the 2003 Blackout?
The nation’s electrical system has undergone some revamping--maybe still not enough--since tens of millions in the Northeast experienced a prolonged outage 10 years ago
Why Is the Boreal Forest Breathing CO2 More Deeply?
The flow of CO2 into and out of the vast northern forests has been increasing in recent years, thanks to climate change
How Long until We Have the Superhuman Exoskeletons from Elysium?
A roboticist-neuroscientist explains
Cultured Beef: Do We Really Need a $380,000 Burger Grown in Petri Dishes?
For the first time, the public has been treated to the spectacle of lab-grown meat cooked and eaten via live Webcast. Backed by Google billionaire Sergey Brin, Dutch tissue engineer Mark Post unveiled his “cultured beef” at a press event on August 5, answering the question posed by a 2011 Scientific American feature: “When Will [...]
Can Farming Provide a Solution to Climate Change?
Farming is one of the few human activities that can pull CO2 from the atmosphere and store it safely
Geothermal Power Plants Face Rocky Starts
The technology that revitalized gas drilling could start an entirely new energy boom
Fracking Could Help Geothermal Become a Power Player
Why isn't there more use of geothermal energy for power plants?
How to Survive as a Biofuel-Maker: Sell Algae to Bakers [Slide Show]
Algal biofuels remain a distant prospect, but oil from algae might prove to be a more sustainable food
A Republican Secretary of State Urges Action on Climate Change
Former Secretary of State George Shultz, who helped stop ozone depletion, describes the importance of energy security and the environment
U.S. Farmers View Climate Change as Just Another Weather Challenge
Why don't U.S. farmers believe in human-caused climate change?
On a Wing and a Sunbeam: Solar Plane Pilots Look to Circle the Globe
A solar-powered airplane successfully flew across the U.S. this year in 65 days. Next up: around the world
Injection Wells Spawn Powerful Earthquakes
New research shows how human activity deep underground combines with natural earthquakes far away to set off potent local temblors
Are Pipelines Safer Than Railroads for Carrying Oil?
Oil Sands May Irrevocably Tar the Climate
The fate of the Alberta's tar sands mines—and the climate—may come down to the Keystone XL pipeline
Tar Sands No Worse than Other Oils for Pipeline Spills
Obama Has a Plan for Climate, What If It Involves Tar Sands?
Will You or the Grid Control Your Electric Car?
Simply controlling where and when electric cars charge could go a long way to easing any spikes in electricity demand
Who Is Fooling Whom When It Comes to Combating Climate Change?
Pandora's Promise: The Triumph of Hope over Fear in Nuclear Power?
Microbes May Once Have Breathed Rocket Fuel
Newly discovered microbes breathe rocket fuel
Reaction in Action: Before and After Pictures at the Atomic Level
Why Twisters Hammer Tornado Alley
An interview with a severe storm scientist explains what happened in Oklahoma