35 Years of Renewable Energy
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been working for 35 years to make solar power and other technologies a reality. David Biello reports
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Fukushima Disaster Blame Belongs with Top Leaders at Utilities, Government and Regulators
The nuclear disaster could and should have been avoided, according to an independent commission investigating the accident in Japan
The 62nd Annual Lindau Meeting: Connecting Generations of Physicists
More than 20 Nobel laureates and about 550 young researchers from dozens of countries will meet at Germany's Lindau Island on Lake Constance from July 1-6 to discuss classic and cutting-edge physics...
Electricity Generation "Burning" Rivers of Drought-Scorched Southeast
A new report reckons the water cost of electricity generation
White Rot Fungi Slowed Coal Formation
The evolution of the ability to break down a plant's protective lignin largely stopped the geologic burial of carbon that formed present-day coal deposits—and may provide secrets to making biofuels from inedible parts of plants...
Cover Charge: New Spray-On Battery Could Convert Any Object into an Electricity Storage Device
The lithium ion battery is applied in layers, each of which is an aerosol paint, leading to possible solar-energy applications
Oil Exploration Ramps Up in U.S. Arctic
Shell is preparing to lead a new oil rush in the American north this summer despite spill risks
Scientists Harness Human Power for Electricity
From footfalls to button pushes, scientists seek to generate current to power small devices
Anticlotting Compounds Shown to Protect Mice from Radiation Poisoning
Two compounds already approved for use in humans increased the survival of lab mice even after they were exposed to radiation
Warming Oceans Will Follow Laws of Physics
Warmer waters mean higher sea levels, but how high? David Biello reports
Flying Jets with Microbes
Brazil has long fueled its cars with ethanol brewed from sugarcane, but now the world's first airplane powered by crop has flown over Rio de Janeiro—thanks to genetically engineered microbes...
Are Fracking Wastewater Wells Poisoning the Ground beneath Our Feet?
Leaking injection wells may pose a risk--and the science has not kept pace with the growing glut of wastewater
30 under 30: Working on Small Scales to Solve Huge Energy Challenges
Meet Vinamrita Singh, 25, one of the up-and-coming physicists attending this year's Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
30 under 30: A Graphene Researcher and Competitive Equestrian
Meet Andre Wilmes, 23, one of the up-and-coming physicists attending this year's Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
For Sustainability, Go Beyond Gross Domestic Product
The widely used economic measure grossly distorts the environmental and social costs of some growth, David Biello reports
Earth Summit: A Report Card to Preview the Rio+20 Mega-Conference
The world has failed to deliver on many of the promises it made 20 years ago at an Earth summit in Brazil
Fracking Can Cause Earthquakes, but So Can Oil and Gas Extraction
New report documents seismic activity related to a host of energy technologies
Of 2 Minds: How Fast and Slow Thinking Shape Perception and Choice [Excerpt]
In psychologist Daniel Kahneman's recent book, he reveals the dual systems of your brain, their pitfalls and their power
A New Leaf: New Catalyst Boosts Artificial Photosynthesis as a Solar Alternative to Fossil Fuel
Scientists have found a single catalyst for artificial photosynthesis that could create storable solar energy in a liquid or gaseous form for use in transportation or electric power generation...
