Rice University scientists have optimized a process to convert waste from rubber tires into graphene that can, in turn, be used to strengthen concrete. The researcher says that the environmental benefits of…
Category: Technology
Cooling homes without warming the planet
As incomes in developing countries continue to rise, demand for air conditioners is expected to triple by 2050. The surge will multiply what is already a major source of greenhouse gas emissions:…
MIT engineers make filters from tree branches to purify drinking water
The interiors of nonflowering trees such as pine and ginkgo contain sapwood lined with straw-like conduits known as xylem, which draw water up through a tree’s trunk and branches. Xylem conduits are…
Big breakthrough for ‘massless’ energy storage
Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have produced a structural battery that performs ten times better than all previous versions. It contains carbon fibre that serves simultaneously as an electrode, conductor, and…
Self-folding nanotech creates world’s smallest origami bird
If we want to build a fully functional nanosized robot, we need to incorporate a host of capabilities, from complicated electronic circuits and photovoltaics to sensors and antennas. But just as importantly,…