Research and Technology


New Study Links Air Pollution and Early Death in the U.K.

In a study appearing this month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, MIT researchers report that emissions from cars, trucks, planes and powerplants cause 13,000 premature deaths in the United Kingdom each year.

Deadly Jellyfish Weapons Unraveled

Heidelberg researchers have succeeded in unravelling the defense mechanisms of jellyfish. Scientists working with Prof. Dr. Thomas Holstein and Dr. Suat Özbek from the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) of Heidelberg University, together with collaborators from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), analyzed the proteome, or full set of proteins, of the stinging cells in the freshwater polyp Hydra.

Natural Clothing with Solar Power Chargers In the Works at Colorado State University

Colorado State University apparel design and production researchers and students are working to develop natural-fiber outdoor clothing that can charge MP3 devices, tablets, computers, GPS units and cell phones with built-in -- but comfortable to wear -- solar panels. The project is so impressive that it was recently selected to compete in a sustainability design competition in Washington, D.C., from April 21-23.

UC Berkeley Advances Sustainable Chemistry Education with Dow Gift

A Dow gift allows UC Berkeley to renovate and update its green chemistry program.

Italian Researcher Invents Floating Solar Panels

Marco Rosa-Clot, a professor at Florence University, has introduced his new project that addresses the limited-space concerns of photovoltaic panels: The Floating Tracking Cooling Concentrator (FTCC) System, which harnesses small basins and natural and artificial lakes to install PV plants.

New Study Shows No Evidence of Groundwater Contamination from Hydraulic Fracturing

Wait. What? Hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to extract natural gas has no direct connection to reports of groundwater contamination, based on evidence reviewed in a study released by the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin.

EPA Health Assessment for Popular Dry Cleaning Solvent

In an effort to protect public health, the EPA completed an assessment of the popular dry cleaning solvent - perc. The final assessment determined that perc is a "likely human carcinogen."

USDA Creates Online Tool for Mapping Water Use and Drought

Farmers and water managers may soon have an online tool to help them assess drought and irrigation impacts on water use and crop development, thanks to the work of two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Biosphere Study at the University of Arizona

Scientists are preparing to launch a 10-year project to study water resources, gas exchange and carbon cycling in three man-made landscapes built in a half-acre laboratory at the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2.

Examining the Strength of Spider Silk

A study combines experimental observations of spider webs with complex computer simulations has shown that web durability depends not only on silk strength, but on how the overall web design compensates for damage and the response of individual strands to continuously varying stresses.

Computer Model Optimizes Biofuel Operations

Research into biofuel crops, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, has focused mainly on how to grow these crops and convert them into fuels. But many steps lead from the farm to the biorefinery, and each could help or hinder the growth of this new industry.

Navy Researchers Investigate Microbial Fuel Cell Technology for Small-scale Autonomous Planetary Explorers

Robotic exploration to remote regions, to include distant planetary bodies, is often limited by energy requirements to perform, in repetition, even the simplest tasks.

Researchers Develop Cheaper Method of Manufacturing Fuel Cells

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a new and significantly cheaper method of manufacturing fuel cells.

Researchers Develop Solar-powered Runway Anti-icing System

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas are developing an anti-icing system that could make airport runways safer and less expensive to maintain during winter months.

Prairie Soil May Provide Answers to Countering Climate Change

Explaining the purchase of a hundred pounds of dry ice to the authorities might be a bit awkward for some people; however, for Ari Jumpponen, associate professor of biology at Kansas State University, it's just another day as a scientist.

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Study Shows Acid Pollution in Rain Decreased with Emissions

Emissions regulations do have an environmental impact, according to a long-term study of acidic rainfall by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Environmental Troubles Growing in Middle East Gulf Region Due to Rapid Coastal Development

The rapid, large scale coastal development underway in the Middle East must be better planned and managed to avoid aggravating degradation and losses in the fragile marine ecosystems shared by eight Gulf countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – warns a new report by the United Nations University (UNU).

Duke University Study Offers Seven Safeguards for Hydraulic Fracturing

A new report by Duke University researchers offers several health and environmental measures for North Carolina lawmakers to consider as they debate legalizing horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

Thousand-color Sensor Reveals Contaminants in Earth and Sea

Technology with the ability to detect more than 1,000 colors, the hyperspectral camera is being used to diagnose contaminants and other environmental hazards in real time.

Researchers use classic antennas to harness more power from the sun

Researchers are now developing a solar panel composed of nano-antennas instead of semiconductors.