New Helmet for Skiers and Snowboarders Scans for Brain Injuries

When folks zip down icy, snow-covered mountains at warp speed, it's only natural that some (OK, most) of those people are going to take a fall. That's why skiing and snowboarding, while fun, can

Science City Stores Warm Air from Summer to Heat Buildings in Winter

Humans are pretty temperature-sensitive creatures, which means we use a ton of power every year through heating and air-conditioning systems. But imagine if there were a way to save the summer's

New Nanoparticle Tattoos Can Monitor Glucose Levels in Diabetics

For some people, staying healthy could require getting some ink. Researchers at MIT recently created a new type of tattoo designed for folks living with diabetes. Once injected, the nanoparticle

Electric “Dynacar” Goes From Zero to 87 MPH in 10 Seconds

Photo courtesy of Physorg A new electric concept vehicle puts race cars to shame. Spain's Tecnalia Technological Corporation recently unveiled the Dynacar, an electric car than can go from

Cell Phone Sensors Can Detect Toxins, Alert Emergency Responders

It's amazing how far cell phones have come in just the last couple years - and the tech is about to get a lot more innovative. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego are creating

BP Considers Tube, Top Hat to Stop Deepwater Horizon Leak

After its containment cap filled with ice-like crystals and failed to stop the flow of oil, BP has been scrambling to come up with new solutions to the Deepwater Horizon leak. And we hope they

DNA Could Replace Silicon to Create Cheap, Abundant Logic Circuits

Right now, most semiconductor chips (those tiny pieces that are crucial to computers and electrical circuits) are crafted from silicon, a relatively expensive material. But what if we told you

Waste Combustor Turns Plastic into Clean Energy

Just think about all the plastic people use every single day--bottles, Tupperware, packaging--the list goes on and on. Now imagine if all that plastic were diverted from the recycling plant or

BP Considers Other Options After Oil Containment Cap Fails

It's one failure after the next for oil giant BP. The corporation's latest attempt to stop oil from spilling out of the Deepwater Horizon well fell short. This weekend, BP attempted to place a

Three-Inch Device Detects 3,000 Types of Viruses and Bacteria

Turns out good things really do come in small packages. Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently unveiled a three-inch device that can detect up to 3,000 different

Game Teaches City Planners to Tackle Water, Energy Problems

If you want city planners to learn how to handle the serious problems metropolises face, let them play games. IBM’s CityOne is kind of like a SimCity for urban planners and city officials.

Austrian Company Turns Phone Booths into EV Charging Stations

As more and more folks adopt cell phones, public phone booths across the globe are quickly becoming obsolete. And while mobile phones may be considerably more convenient than their public

Electronics Recycling 101: Five Charities that Accept Old Electronics

Recycling used electronics is great, but in some cases, there's an even greener option out there -- several charities accept used and even broken electronic equipment. These non-profits ensure

Google Invests $40 Million in North Dakota Wind Farms

Google has long been a champion of clean energy. The search-engine giant established the Google Energy subsidiary, created energy monitoring tech like Google PowerMeter and regularly invests in

Shooting Laser Beams in the Sky Could Produce Rain Clouds

Researchers at Switzerland's University of Geneva have come up with an interesting way of making it rain--shooting lasers high up into the sky. Though the strategy seems like science fiction,

Purple Pokeberries Could Provide Low-Cost Solar for Developing Nations

Civil War soldiers used the dye from purple pokeberries to write letters home. Now, the bright-colored weeds are being used for a far more modern purpose. Researchers at Wake Forest University's

Pepsi’s Reverse Vending Machine Pays You to Recycle

Traditional vending machines require cash before providing folks with a tasty beverage. The Dream Machine, a new type of vending kiosk, embraces a much cooler concept: It gives you points and

Electronics Recycling 101: Tips to Repurpose Old Electronics

Most folks think that when electronics break or become outdated, the only option is to toss them in the trash or recycle them. But on the contrary, there are a number of ways to transform

Japan Gears Up to Launch “Ikaros” Solar Sail Spacecraft

Photo courtesy of JAXA Solar backpacks and sun-fueled vehicles are impressive, but a solar-powered spacecraft just blows our minds. Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, plans to

Electronics Recycling 101: The Problem With E-Waste

America's love affair with consumer electronics will likely rage on for years to come. With a constant stream of iPads, e-readers and smart phones hitting the market, it's hard not to get sucked

Shoe Generator Harvests Power from Walking

Photo courtesy of lusi These shoes were made for walking--and for producing power. A researcher at Louisiana Tech University designed a shoe that contains a small generator in its sole. When

22 US Cities Consider Building Streetcar Lines

Urban greenies across the US may finally get what they desire -- streetcar lines in their home cities. Due to a change in federal transportation policy under President Obama, 22 American cities

Pressure Cooker Creates Better Algae-Based Biofuel

University of Michigan researchers are turning up the heat in their quest to produce better algae-based biofuels. A team of scientists recently discovered that heating microalgae in a pressure

Indonesia Plans to Harness 4,000 Megawatts of Power From Volcanoes

The Indonesian government recently announced plans to develop a hot new energy resource -- real hot. The country's leaders aim to generate 4,000 megawatts of geothermal energy from volcanoes by

WaterShed: Students Design House that Runs on Wind, Rain, Solar and Waste

Whoever said today's college kids are apathetic never met this group of University of Maryland students. 300 students and a team of faculty members are teaming up to design a house that derives

New Gasification Process More Efficiently Converts Biomass to Biofuels

A traditional gasification plant Turning biomass like switchgrass and other plants into usable fuel is no easy feat. Gasification, one method of converting feedstocks to fuels, traditionally

Sensory Wristwatch Detects Medical Emergencies Before They Happen

Imagine knowing you're getting dehydrated before you collapse. Or receiving an alert that your blood sugar levels are dipping too low. Or for those with pacemakers, getting a warning that you're

NASA’s Gift to Earth: A Climate Change Supercomputer

Just in time for Earth Day, a new NASA data-crunching tool aims to revolutionize global climate change research. NASA Earth Exchange, or NEX, uses a 128-screen supercomputer to combine satellite

Cows on Treadmills Could Produce Six Percent of the World’s Power

At one farm in Northern Ireland, cows are giving up green grass in favor of green power. In order to decrease his reliance on fossil fuels for electricity, farmer William Taylor created the

Recyclable LZF Alhambra Lamp Inspired by Origami

The latest lighting design from LZF Lamps puts paper swans to shame. The Spanish design firm used origami figures to inspire its giant, geometric pendant lamps, which debuted at this week's

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