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John Platt
Butterfly Wings Inspire A New Idea in Solar
Oh, the things we can learn from nature! Take butterflies, for example. An examination of the microscopic properties of butterfly wings by scientists in China and Japan has led to a new idea in solar cells, one which the scientists say could yield a greater efficiency than most other solar cells on the market.
Student Brings Solar-Powered Refrigeration to Areas without Electricity
There are still many parts of the world without ready access to electricity. This makes it hard to preserve medicines or to store foods that could quickly go bad. But 21-year-old Emily Cummins — previously named as one of the Future 100 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year and the Ultimate Save-The-Planet-Pioneer in the Cosmopolitan Ultimate [...]
At Last, a Greener Idea in Clothes Drying
Little known fact: there is no ENERGY STAR rating for energy-efficient clothes dryers. That’s because they really don’t exist. Until… now? Later this year, Hydromatic Technologies Corporation will introduce their new DryerMiser technology which promises to cut the energy use of clothes drying in half.
Ready to Put Some E. Coli in Your Tank?
Around the world, scientists are working on new kinds of biofuels that could help reduce our reliance on oil- and coal-based energy. The latest development comes out of UCLA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, where a team led by professor James Liao has come up with a way to convert E. coli bacterium into [...]
Turning Coconuts Into Car Parts?
Researchers at Baylor University are have come up with a method to turn coconut husks — which would otherwise become waste — into car parts. Talk about your new-car smell! The outer husks (which you normally don’t see in the grocery store) have been blended with polypropylene fibers, then hot-pressed to become car parts that [...]
