Self-healing and eco-friendly devices that generate electricity from body heat could power wearable gadgets, such as a heart monitor for runners Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2267575-stretchy-bands-generate-electricity-from-body-heat-to-power-gadgets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: electricity
MIT Is Building a ‘One-Stop Shop’ For 3D-Printing Robots
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: MIT’s CSAIL department this week showcased “LaserFactory,” a new project that attempts to develop robotics, drones and other machines than can be fabricated as part of a “one-stop shop.” The system is comprised of a software kit and hardware platform designed to create structures and assemble circuitry and sensors for the machine. A…
The Empire State Building and Its Related Buildings Are Now Powered By Wind
The iconic Empire State Building that has crowned Midtown Manhattan since the early 1930s is now a game changer in American architecture in a different way: by becoming completely powered with renewable energy. The Hill reports: Announced on Wednesday, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) confirmed that it struck a three-year contract with Green Mountain Energy to power its entire commercial real…
Remote Tasmanian Island To Be Powered By ‘Blowhole’ Energy That Harnesses Waves
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Technology that harnesses wave energy through a “blowhole” is being tested at a remote Tasmanian island in a project backed by federal grants and investors. When the mostly above-water unit is connected in about a month, King Island in Bass Strait will be powered by three renewables — wave, wind and solar….
Bouncing backpack is easier to carry and generates electricity
A backpack fitted with shock absorbers that react to the wearer’s movement makes it feel easier to carry while also generating enough electricity to power LEDs Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2266518-bouncing-backpack-is-easier-to-carry-and-generates-electricity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
New Study: A Zero-Emissions America is Now Pretty Cheap
“Until recently, it was unclear whether variable renewable energy, nuclear, or fossil fuel with carbon capture and storage would become the main form of generation in a decarbonized electricity system,” argues a recently-published analysis titled Carbon-Neutral Pathways for the United States. “The cost decline of variable renewable energy over the last few years, however, has definitively changed the situation.” Ars Technica…
Are We Slowing Global Warming?
This week New York Magazine featured a new article by journalist David Wallace-Wells about the state of the fight against global warming. He warns that “Already, the planet is warmer, at just 1.2 degrees, than it has ever been…” But there’s also some good news:
Just a half-decade ago, it was widely believed that a “business as usual” emissions path would bring…
US Emissions In 2020 In Biggest Fall Since WWII
US greenhouse gas emissions tumbled below their 1990 level for the first-time last year as a result of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC reports: A preliminary assessment from research group Rhodium says that overall emissions were down over 10%, the largest fall since World War II. Transport suffered the biggest decline, with emissions down almost 15% over 2019….
Massive Blackouts Have Hit Iran. The Government is Blaming Bitcoin Mining.
Massive blackouts and smog have hit cities across Iran. It’s a toxic mix as the country, already under economic duress and suffocating U.S. sanctions, simultaneously battles the region’s worst coronavirus outbreak. Blackouts are not new in Iran, where an aging and subsidized electricity sector is plagued by alleged mismanagement. But this time, government officials say that bitcoin mining at cryptocurrency farms…
Superconducting Microprocessors? Turns Out They’re Ultra-Efficient
Long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo quotes IEEE Spectrum: Computers use a staggering amount of energy today. According to one recent estimate, data centers alone consume two percent of the world’s electricity, a figure that’s expected to climb to eight percent by the end of the decade. To buck that trend, though, perhaps the microprocessor, at the center of the computer universe, could…