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future tech

08/14/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Unexpected discovery could pave the way to more efficient biofuels and bioproducts

An ordinary yet important enzyme might be the key to unlocking even more riches out of plants. In an article on News Wise, Tennessee-based researchers announced that the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase could make it much easier to turn plants into valuable biofuels and bioproducts. Amino acids are vital for both plants and the organisms […]

07/15/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Sandia National Laboratories receives $10m from DOE to design a cheaper and more efficient solar energy system

The U.S. Department of Natural Energy (DOE) has bestowed a $10.5 million grant on a New Mexico-based research and development laboratory. In return, the researchers will come up with a cheaper and better version of an existing utility-scale solar power system, an article in News Wise states. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) will be refining “concentrated […]

06/20/2018 / By David Williams

Electric planes make debut at Fresno’s Chandler Airport

It wasn’t that long ago when the world saw the first working airplane take to the skies, relatively speaking. Since then, aviation technology has improved by leaps and bounds. Now a brand new one-of-a-kind electric plane has debuted in the U.S. through the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport, and they show that great things lie ahead […]

06/03/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Oil companies in Saudi Arabia use nanotechnology for petroleum extraction to minimize environmental pollution

There are few greater oxymorons than “environment-friendly oil company,” especially if said company is the biggest example in the world. But Saudi Aramco is trying to do just that, using nanotechnology to max out the petroleum from its oil wells while minimizing environmental pollution, an article in Nanowerks stated. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) professor Nancy Burnham […]

06/03/2018 / By Vicki Batts

Engineers have figured out a way to reduce plastic landfill, and you won’t believe how they’re doing it

Humans have generated an enormous amount of plastic waste over the last few decades – there is no question about that. It’s estimated that between 1950 and 2015, a staggering 8.3 billion tons of plastic was produced. And, as one might expect, a sad majority of it has ended up in landfills. The question of what […]

05/29/2018 / By Edsel Cook

New laser-based system can locate small methane leaks in an area of several square miles

Methane leaks in oil and gas production sites will soon be unable to escape notice. Colorado-based researchers are validating a laser-based spectroscopy technique that can “sniff” out the tiniest emissions over several square miles. According to a ScienceDaily article, the new system can monitor its assigned areas nonstop. The current approach to detecting methane emissions involves on-site […]

05/24/2018 / By David Williams

Hybrid-powered hydrofoil is a luxury yacht that skims above the water using diesel-electric propulsion system

Luxury yachts are, by design, often too stylish for their own good. Often equipped with flashy adornments that do nothing but look cool, they can sometimes give the impression of being nothing more than tricked-out boats. But one company wants to defy the assumption that they can’t be built with a nearly perfect ratio of […]

05/16/2018 / By David Williams

Improvements in solar cell technologies increase their lifespan tenfold

As the saying goes: “All good things come to an end.” Solar panel technology is certainly no exception – this doesn’t mean that solar power technology is about to go away soon, but that solar cell technologies currently offer limited lifespans that can still be greatly improved. Now, new research shows exactly how it can be […]

05/10/2018 / By Jessica Dolores

Driverless ride sharing taxis you can order from an app coming soon

It’s a scene straight out of a futuristic film. The year is 2022. You step into a driverless electric car using a big front door. You can see everything within and outside the car, thanks to big swaths of glass on the sides and roof. The car can weave through traffic, change lanes, overtake other […]

05/08/2018 / By Janine Acero

Learning from nature: Scientists create new material inspired by leaves to separate oil from water for cleaning up oil spills

Scientists have developed 3-D printed solutions to solve one of the most devastating man-made disasters. They looked at leaf structure to create a material that can separate oil and water, which has potential applications in safer and more efficient oil spill clean-up methods. The researchers used 3D printing to mimic a biological phenomenon in leaves called “Salvinia effect,” […]

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