Environment Roundup
There's good news about both sea turtles and solar energy.
Electric Dolphins
One dolphin species hunts by detecting the electricity given off by its prey.
Nuclear Reactor Robots
Robots offer a safer way to inspect nuclear reactors for defects.
Waste Heat Cooling
A prototype cooling system runs on waste heat from car exhaust.
Toxin Filters Roundup
In the event of a nuclear accident, a new filter made of natural materials could treat water contaminated with radioactive iodine.
Storing the Wind
The Department of Energy is developing new ways to store energy.
Podcast for 20 February 2011
ANNUAL MEETING SPECIAL: The new science of aeroecology, deconstructing taste preferences, new ways to store energy, and 3-D printers that could one day produce replacement organs.
Cow Reactors Roundup
A new study of the bacteria in cow's stomachs could help boost the production of biofuels.
Podcast
NATURE OF INVENTION: Sea urchin teeth could inspire new nano-materials, and hornet stripes could lead to better solar technology. Also: automatic transmissions could revolutionize electric wheelchairs, and there's new research on the genetics of hair color and male pattern baldness.
Wasted Food Energy
Reducing food waste could translate into big energy savings.
Energy Roundup
A new nano-coating for thermoelectric materials could make generating electricity from heat much more efficient.
Podcast
SPACE UPDATE: NASA prepares to launch a human-like robot into space, engineers are designing a more efficient system for launching payloads into orbit, why microwaves aren't as dangerous as some people think, and the physics behind the color of clouds.
Microwaves
Some people think microwave ovens and cell phones are dangerous, but their fears are not backed up by science.
Sharkskin Paint
A paint modeled on sharkskin could reduce drag on aircraft and save fuel.
Hydrogen Catalyst
A new molecular catalyst may make clean hydrogen power economically viable.
Podcast
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE: Ecologically-friendly plastic, a cleaner way to produce hydrogen fuel, cell phone air sensors, the perils of spaceflight, the ethical implications of synthetic life, and more.
Air Pollution & Pregnancy
Exposing pregnant women to a common air pollutant may impact their children's intelligence.
Podcast
TECHNOLOGY REPORT: Lung-powered batteries, a spider-inspired water-repellent, art-restoring lasers, the health risks of polycarbonate plastics, and more.
Podcast
Mountaintop removal mining's devastating effects on the environment, ancient Martian lakes, an herbal disappointment, fish that punish cheaters, and reading and writing in the brain.
Podcast
Debunking 2012 doomsday hype, developing a better rocket fuel, vegetarian spiders, and the genetics of aggression in Africanized bees.