In the news, it seems like electric vehicles are everywhere—from new tech developments to changing policies to increasingly interesting designs. And while the road to electric vehicles may be bumpy, reports show that it’s absolutely crucial to electrify our transportation sector in order to reach critical climate change goals. But unfortunately, the feeling of EV […]
How a 14-year-old kid became the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion
This story from the March 2012 issue of Popular Science covered the nuclear fusion experiments of Taylor Wilson, who was then 16. Wilson is currently 28 and a nuclear physicist who’s collaborated with multiple US agencies on developing reactors and defense technology. The author of this profile, Tom Clynes, went on to write a book […]
Recycling plants spew a staggering amount of microplastics
An unsettling report released barely a year ago painted a grim picture of the plastics industry—only about 5 percent of the 46 million annual tons of plastic waste in the US makes it to recycling facilities. The number is even more depressing after realizing that is roughly half of experts’ previous estimates. But if all […]
Europe’s fourth biggest airport plans to ban private jets
Europe’s fourth busiest airport wants to ground private jet setters for good, making an unprecedented move that could set a new industry benchmark in tackling global travel emissions. In order to achieve the high-profile goal, however, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has a very bumpy journey ahead of it. Per Bloomberg, the Netherlands’ largest air hub first […]
Inside Microsoft’s surprising push for a right to repair law—and why it matters
This article originally appeared in Grist. In March, Irene Plenefisch, a senior director of government affairs at Microsoft, sent an email to the eight members of the Washington state Senate’s Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee, which was about to hold a hearing to discuss a bill intended to facilitate the repair of consumer electronics. Typically, […]
A decommissioned nuclear plant may roar back to life in Michigan
Just months after it was supposedly shut down for good, a Michigan nuclear power plant could come roaring back to life with help from the very company charged with its demolition. According to an AP report published on Wednesday, Holtec Decommissioning International hopes to resurrect the 800 megawatt Palisades Nuclear Generating Station in Michigan’s Van […]
Watch a heavy-lifting drone land a perfect delivery on an offshore wind turbine
An autonomous drone with the wingspan of an albatross is now trialing cargo restocks for a giant offshore wind farm in the North Sea. Overseen by the Danish wind power company Ørsted, the 128-pound unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)—roughly the weight of “a large baby giraffe”—is meant to cut down on time and costs, while also […]
Tinkering with wood turned an insulator into a tree transistor
It’s often one of the earliest science facts learned in grade school: Wood is a natural insulator. For those who need a refresher, that simply means the material generally isn’t a great conductor for electricity. But as elementary as that information may be, a team of researchers have added an asterisk to the rule of […]
A new robotic seed can wriggle into soil to harvest climate data
Soil is one of the most crucial, if not underrated, elements of daily life—it’s essential for growing the food and resources we rely on, combats drought, protects against flooding, and can sequester carbon dioxide for years to come. But, the dirt beneath our feet is constantly under threat due to rising temperatures and biodiversity loss […]
Light pollution is erasing the stars in the sky—here’s why we should care
This article was originally featured on The Conversation. For most of human history, the stars blazed in an otherwise dark night sky. But starting around the Industrial Revolution, as artificial light increasingly lit cities and towns at night, the stars began to disappear. We are two astronomers who depend on dark night skies to do […]