Energy3104 articles archived since 1845

First Dedicated Biorefinery Could Wean Hawaii Off Imported Oil

New technology converts all kinds of plant waste into usable fuel--and is part of a growing array of technologies aimed at island energy independence

Solar Steam Helps Coax Heavy Oil from Old Fields

A demonstration project in California may prove that steam created with the sun's heat can help get more oil out of the ground

Different Strokes: New Lower-Pollution Auto Rickshaw Engines Could Save Lives and Curb Climate Change [Slide Show]

The two-stroke rickshaw, although convenient in traffic-snarled cities, is a toxic nuisance--but new engines could clean up its act

Different Strokes: New Lower-Pollution Auto Rickshaw Engines Could Save Lives and Curb Climate Change [Slide Show]

The two-stroke rickshaw, although convenient in traffic-snarled cities, is a toxic nuisance--but new engines could clean up its act

100 Years Ago: Loss of the Titanic

Innovation and discovery as chronicled in past issues of Scientific American

AI Me-Rector Sets: Self-Assembling Robotic Cubes Can Replicate Objects [Video]

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers experiment with modular bots smart enough to morph into things placed near them

U.S. Military Forges Ahead with Plans to Combat Climate Change

Climate policy may be a minefield for politicians but the Pentagon sees liabilities from global warming and is both reducing the armed forces greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate impacts...

Radioactive Iodine from Fukushima Found in California Kelp

Fossil Free: Microbe Helps Convert Solar Power to Liquid Fuel

By pairing biology and photovoltaics, a new "electrofuel" system could build alternative fuels

Compressed-Air Car Winds Way to Market

Tata Motors hopes to release its compressed-air car in India by August. Larry Greenemeier reports

A Rosie Future: Jetsons-Like Gadgets with "Ambient Intelligence" Are Key to Smart Homes and Cities

Information collected by AI software from sensors in homes and cities could identify and address health, safety and environmental problems without human intervention

Small Reactors Make a Bid to Revive Nuclear Power

Can small, LEGO-like reactors help create better prospects for the nuclear industry?

Spread Reckoning: U.S. Suburbs Face Twin Perils of Climate Change and Peak Oil [Excerpt]

Sprawling metropolitan areas like Merriam, Kans., face fundamental challenges from global warming and the end of easy oil

Power Plants: Could a Rechargeable Battery Be Made from Paper and Pulp By-Products?

Experimenting with plant lignin as a replacement for lithium and other metals, scientists create a rechargeable battery--but much work lies ahead to translate it into a usable power source...

Edison's Revenge: Will Direct Current Make a Comeback in the U.S.?

The rise of direct current using devices and direct current generation have some rethinking the use of alternating current in the grid

Can Fast Reactors Speedily Solve Plutonium Problems?

The U.K. is grappling with how to get rid of weapons-grade plutonium and may employ a novel reactor design to consume it

National Lab Fires Off Record Laser Shot

The shot represents a milepost in an effort to get past the break-even point- ignition -in coaxing fusion energy from a tiny frozen fuel pellet

Global Energy Hunger Leaves Little Room to Displace Dirty Fuels

One of the promises of renewable energy is its ability to displace polluting fossil fuels, but is it fulfilling that pledge? David Biello reports

Can Radical Efficiency Revive U.S. Manufacturing?

Both traditional and new U.S. industries will have to increase energy efficiency if the nation is to retain its global position as a leading manufacturer

Can Fracking and Carbon Sequestration Coexist?

Drilling for natural gas and storing CO2 deep underground may be headed for a collision