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Archive for the ‘energy’ category: Page 9

Jul 27, 2024

Novel tunable ultrasonic liquid crystal light diffuser paves the way for next-gen indoor lighting

Posted by in categories: energy, materials

This results in differences in the acoustic energy between the LC layers, glass disks, and the surrounding air, inducing an acoustic radiation force acting at the LC layer and glass disk boundary. This effect changes the molecular orientation of the LC layers, altering the transmitted light distribution. By changing the electrodes to which the is applied, the direction of the molecular orientation and therefore the diffusion directivity can be easily rotated.

The researchers investigated the diffusion characteristics of the device and found that the diffusion angle depends on the input voltage amplitude and is maximized at 16 V. Above this voltage amplitude, the diffused light can become unstable. Additionally, the transmitted light distribution depends on the polarization of incident light.

“Light diffusers that allow control over diffusion directivity can reduce and enable users to tune the light distribution to their taste, resulting in better aesthetics Our device marks the first report of an ultrasonically controllable optical diffuser based on LC material, providing users control over diffusion directivity within a small space,” said Prof. Koyama.

Jul 26, 2024

Fusion Sparks an Energy Revolution

Posted by in category: energy

After hitting a power-output milestone, fusion technology is ready to graduate from small-scale lab experiment to full-sized power plant.

Jul 26, 2024

The Development of Transhumanism in China — Article by Peter Wang

Posted by in categories: economics, education, energy, food, policy, transhumanism

Ancient Chinese society was dominated by feudalism. The economy was dominated by agriculture, and the development of science and technology was slow or even suppressed. The main achievements of this era were the four major inventions of China: papermaking, gunpowder, the compass, and printing. Why was this so? For an ancient civilization with a history of several thousand years, why was the development of science and technology so backward? The fundamental reason was the idea of imperial power. Ancient China was centered on the emperor, and everything on the Chinese land was owned by the emperor, including the farmers on that land. The emperor was afraid of a peasant revolution and was afraid that others would take the emperor’s place, and as a result successive emperors would use the policy of fools. Instead of allowing farmers to read books, the emperors just wanted the farmers to plant the land every day, like slaves, so that the farmers would have no ability to overthrow the rulers. This idea of imperial power had greatly suppressed the development of science and technology.

In 1949, Mao Zedong established the first democratic, self-improving, unified China in Chinese history: The People’s Republic of China, a stable country; a country without feudal ideas; and a country that serves the people. Only then did China begin to truly develop its own education, technology, and industry. It was aimed for ordinary people to have food to eat, houses to live in, and books to read, and it was also intended for them to be more involved in technology and democracy. However, Chinese politics had hindered the development of science and technology (superhuman science), such as the Great Leap Forward, which severely reduced China’s productivity and starved many people; the Cultural Revolution had destroyed China’s economic development, education, and technology, bringing China back to pre-liberation overnight. These events were relatively unfortunate. Political struggles have severely hindered the development of science and technology (superhuman science) in China.

In 1978, China began reform and opening up. This phase of reform and opening up was China’s greatest era. China has changed from a closed country to an open country. Deng Xiaoping formulated a basic national policy centered on economic construction, which has enabled China’s economy to develop rapidly. At this time, China attaches great importance to the development of education, science and technology, and the economy. At the same time, special attention is also paid to foreign exchanges, and advanced education and technology have been introduced from abroad. In education, a large number of international students are sent to study in developed countries such as the United States, which has cultivated a large number of scientific and technological talents for China; economically, a large number of foreign companies have been introduced to optimize state-owned enterprises and support for private enterprises, so China’s economy has developed rapidly.

Jul 26, 2024

Escaping kinetic traps: How molecular interactions make it possible to overcome the energy barrier

Posted by in categories: energy, nanotechnology, physics

In a paper in Physical Review Letters scientists from the department Living Matter Physics at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) propose a mechanism on how energy barriers in complex systems can be overcome. These findings can help to engineer molecular machines and to understand the self-organization of active matter.

Jul 25, 2024

LLNL researchers uncover key to resolving long-standing ICF hohlraum drive deficit

Posted by in category: energy

In inertial confinement fusion experiments, lasers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility focus on a tiny fuel capsule suspended inside a cylindrical x-ray oven called a hohlraum. (Photo: Jason Laurea)

Jul 25, 2024

Sustainable Million-Mile Battery Bet Pays Off For Mercedes-Benz

Posted by in categories: energy, finance, sustainability, transportation

“The technological focus is on significant increases in range through advances in energy density and the reduction of charging times,” Mercedes explained, noting that the partnership cements a reliable EV battery cell supply chain while providing financial support for Farasis to build a factory in Germany.

How Sustainable Is A Million-Mile EV Battery?

Continue reading “Sustainable Million-Mile Battery Bet Pays Off For Mercedes-Benz” »

Jul 25, 2024

Toyota Eyes Perovskite Solar Cells For Solar Car Of The Future

Posted by in categories: energy, space, sustainability

Fans of perovskite solar cell technology have been promising the moon, and stakeholders are increasingly confident that it will deliver. Among them is Toyota, which has just tapped its Woven Capital branch to put down a 5.5 billion yen stake in the perovskite solar startup EneCoat Technologies. If you’re thinking the solar-powered electric car of the future is coming, that’s a good guess, because EneCoat lists mobility applications among its areas of focus.

New Solar Cells For The Solar Car Of The Future

Continue reading “Toyota Eyes Perovskite Solar Cells For Solar Car Of The Future” »

Jul 24, 2024

Hydrogen production from the air

Posted by in category: energy

While obtaining H2 from water splitting offers a promising strategy for renewable fuel production, current technologies rely on liquid freshwater. Here, authors use a hygroscopic electrolyte to achieve electrocatalytic water vapor splitting driven by renewable resources without liquid water.

Jul 24, 2024

Iceland will tunnel into a volcano to tap into virtually unlimited geothermal power

Posted by in category: energy

An initiative that sounds a lot like Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth might mark the first time humans have tapped into magma, the molten rock liquid flowing beneath Earth’s crust. In 2026, Iceland’s Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) project will drill into a volcano’s magma chamber, seeking to tap into its super-hot fumes to generate geothermal energy at a scale that has never been attempted before.

The endeavor promises to power homes across Iceland with a renewable, limitless energy source. And no, this won’t cause the currently active Krafla volcano to erupt, according to John Eichelberger, a volcanologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks interviewed by New Scientist.

Geothermal energy, a technology harnessed by Iceland for years, involves drilling into hot underground regions to produce steam from heated water. This steam drives turbines, generating electricity. Today, at least 90% of all homes in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy and 70% of all energy used in the island nation comes from geothermal sources.

Jul 24, 2024

The sun is super active right now. Here’s how it can affect electronics on Earth

Posted by in categories: energy, space

To most people, the sun is a steady, never-changing source of heat and light. But to scientists, it’s a dynamic star, constantly in flux, sending energy out into space. Experts say the sun is now in its most active period in two decades, causing potential disruptions to radio and satellite communications. John Yang speaks with Bill Murtagh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to learn more.

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

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