April 5, 2021
The cost of harvesting solar energy has dropped so much in recent years that it’s giving traditional energy sources a run for their money. However, the challenges of energy storage – which require the capacity to bank an intermittent and seasonally variable supply of solar energy – have kept the technology from being economically competitive.
Cornell researchers led by Lynden Archer, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering and the James A. Friend Family Distinguished Professor of Engineering, have been exploring the use of low-cost materials to create rechargeable batteries that will make energy storage more affordable. These materials could also provide a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which currently dominate the market but are slow to charge and have a knack for catching fire.
New batteries give jolt to renewables, energy storage eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Science Expeditions, Engineering Expo offer virtual events statewide April 9â11 For news media
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A volunteer displays a bear skull during a Science Expeditions activity in 2019. Photo: Jeff Miller
Science Expeditions and Engineering Expo, marquee science-focused open houses that typically take place on the University of WisconsinâMadison campus, will offer a bevy of largely virtual â but still hands-on â events across the state from April 9 to April 11.
Taking advantage of the proliferation of virtual events, both open houses will offer greater access than ever to research labs, at-home experiments and live science demonstrations. More than a dozen live, virtual events begin April 9, with many more available all weekend and even beyond.
Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Scientists stabilize atomically thin boron for practical use nanotech-now.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nanotech-now.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Online field trips bring science across Wisconsin For news media
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During the spring semester, high school students at KM Global School in Wales, Wisconsin, will take a field trip to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where they will turn an Easter egg into a little generator.
But the students won’t
exactly be in the lab at the university.
Instead, they’ll log online and participate in a Zoom classroom where they’ll meet with scientists from the UW–Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center Education and Outreach Group. The students will build triboelectric nanogenerators using a bouncy ball, an Easter egg, aluminum foil, clear office tape, a few wires, and an LED light.