energy - Stephen Ornes

Green ammonia could produce climate-friendly ways to store energy and fertilize farms

Agriculture, energy, Physics, Recent Work / Stephen Ornes

Curbing climate change goes hand-in-hand with decarbonizing energy production. But how can communities continue to meet the global demand for electricity without releasing more CO2? A cadre of chemists says one solution may be hiding in an unlikely source: ammonia—the pungent, clear, nitrogen-rich gas, or liquid, that’s most often used as an agricultural fertilizer. Most

Green ammonia could produce climate-friendly ways to store energy and fertilize farms Read More »

Life at the bottom

Recent Work / Stephen Ornes

What does Absolute Zero mean? Temperature tends to be relative — the air is below freezing, her fever is above normal. But scientists probe the extreme ends of the spectrum of what’s called absolute temperature: At the upper limit, absolute hot is a theoretical furnace where the laws of physics melt away. On the flip side, absolute zero —

Life at the bottom Read More »

The Energy Scavengers

Features, materials science, Physics / Stephen Ornes

By harvesting the everyday energy of static electricity, scientists may have found the world’s most plentiful source of renewable, sustainable power. The plastic gizmo in Zhong Lin Wang’s hand doesn’t look like tomorrow’s solution to our looming energy crisis. It’s about the size and shape of a small grapefruit, but smooth and translucent. As he

The Energy Scavengers Read More »

Green Hornets

Radio / Stephen Ornes

Oriental wasps turn ultraviolet light into energy, say researchers from Tel Aviv University. Listen to this show from the Loh Down on Science to learn more.

Green Hornets Read More »