New Atlas

Drones Audio available

Wing-integrated battery pack nearly doubles drone's flight time

Ben Coxworth March 14, 2019

We've already heard how batteries that are built into the structure of items – such as cars or satellites – could help extend run times without increasing bulk. Now, the flight time of a drone has been almost doubled, thanks to such "structural batteries."

The experimental drone takes flight in Ohio

Environment Audio available

Record-breaking device uses sunlight to produce hydrogen at 15% efficiency

Dario Borghino March 5, 2019

After a decade of research, scientists at KU Leuven in Belgium have developed a device that can uses sunlight to produce a record-breaking 250 liters (66 gal) of hydrogen a day.

The panel generates a record 250 liters (66 gal) of hydrogen per day and could be ...

Energy Audio available

Researchers create flags that harvest energy from solar and wind

Paul Ridden February 12, 2019

Scientists at the University of Manchester in the UK have developed flags that are reckoned to be the first to harvest solar and wind at the same time. Not enough to power a house, or even a gadget such as a smartphone, but could be enough for set it and forget it remote sensors.

The inverted flags are made using piezoelectric strips that harvest energy as the device flaps around ...

Energy Audio available

Carbon capture system turns CO2 into electricity and hydrogen fuel

Michael Irving January 21, 2019

Inspired by the ocean’s role as a natural carbon sink, researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Georgia Tech have developed a new system that absorbs CO2 and produces electricity and useable hydrogen fuel.

Scientists have developed a new device that can absorb CO2 and produce electricity and hydrogen fuel

Science

Global wake up call headlines the year in science

Darren Quick December 29, 2018

Another year is winding up, so it's time to look back at the scientific breakthroughs that excited us this year. From innovative new materials that open the door to more advanced tools and products, to discoveries that continue to push the borders of human knowledge, 2018 didn't fail to deliver.

Energy

The most innovative battery designs of the year

Nick Lavars December 28, 2018

How we store that energy is a constant work in progress, and while scientists are making important but incremental advances with inventive new materials, others are out to entirely reinvent what we think of as a battery. Here are five of the most innovative examples from 2018.

The Energy Vault grid-level energy storage system uses concrete blocks, stacked in a tower

Energy Audio available

Largest ever continuous oil and gas resource found in the United States

David Szondy December 9, 2018

The US Department of the Interior has announced the discovery of the largest continuous oil and gas field ever found, estimated to contain 46.3 billion barrels of oil, 281 trillion ft³ of natural gas, and 20 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.

Some 46.3 billion barrels of oil, 281 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 20 billion ...

Energy

Fluoride-based battery challenges lithium for stability and stamina

Michael Irving December 6, 2018

A new study shows how fluoride might be put to work in better batteries. Researchers at Caltech, JPL, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Honda Research Institute have developed fluoride-based batteries that could potentially last much longer than existing lithium-ion-based devices.

A fluoride ion (pink) floating in a liquid BTFE electrolyte

Energy Audio available

MIT's conceptual "sun-in-a-box" energy storage system plugs into molten silicon

Michael Irving December 6, 2018

Lithium-ion batteries aren't necessarily the best choice for grid-scale energy storage. Researchers at MIT have outlined a new system they call a “sun in a box,” which stores energy as heat in molten silicon and harvests it by tapping into the bright light it emits.

A render of MIT's new grid-scale energy storage system

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

Unexpected discovery reveals we burn more calories in the afternoon than in the morning

Rich Haridy November 11, 2018

A new study has revealed that our bodies burn calories at different rates throughout the day. The research, evaluating energy expenditure during resting states, suggests our circadian clock plays a major part in regulating metabolism.

A new study has found around a 10 percent difference in resting energy expenditure between early ...