Engineering
Wireless power demonstration overcomes a major hurdle
Engineers have made optical beaming work in a proof-of-concept experiment. Their demonstration showed that wireless power could be just around the corner.
China’s experimental thorium reactor is ready for testing
An experimental thorium reactor in China could greatly expand the number of people who can benefit from clean nuclear energy.
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$25 flights and zero emissions: How electric planes could change air travel
In partnership with Million Stories
You could be flying electric by 2023.
Mars colonies could be built from astronauts’ blood and urine
To minimize the cost of building Mars colonies, astronauts could make concrete using space dust and their own bodily fluids.
UK building road with “wonder material” graphene
The United Kingdom is launching a world’s first trial to test whether adding graphene to recycled asphalt can increase a highway’s lifespan.
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The man hacking hot water to save the planet
In partnership with Million Stories
The U.S. Energy Department estimates that tankless water heaters can be up to 34% more efficient than conventional storage water heaters - cutting your annual heating costs by 40%.
Twisty nuclear fusion reactor gets twice as hot as the sun
Physicists optimized a nuclear fusion reactor to overcome a problem that causes heat loss and prevents the device from sustaining fusion.
Rule-bending engineers protect New Orleans from Hurricane Ida
By going beyond the "100-year storm" standard for flood protection, U.S. engineers helped minimize the impact of Hurricane Ida on New Orleans.
Nuclear fusion experiment puts ignition within our grasp (Updated)
Scientists appear on the brink of achieving nuclear fusion ignition, bringing the dream of near-limitless clean energy closer to fruition.
Microbes inside concrete can warn us about rotting infrastructure
By learning about the bacteria that live inside concrete, scientists hope to develop early warning systems about damage.