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Science

Engineers Develop Flexible, Inorganic LED Display

By Posted on 8.21.2009 2 Comments
The promise of OLED technology is that, unlike its inorganic counterpart, it can be used to create flexible and nearly transparent ultra-thin screens, opening up myriad possibilities for what we can do with displays and lighting.

8.23.2009 at 09:23am - Comment by antic

A kindle uses electronic ink that reflects light from an external source such as a lamp or the sun. LEDs make their own light, which uses more energy and can be overwhelmed ("drowned out") by a brighter light source such as the sun.
Science

Leaked Conversation Suggests EEStor's Battery-Killing Ultracapacitor Is Nearly Complete

By Adrian Covert Posted on 7.30.2009 32 Comments
We've been closely following EEStor's potentially game-changing ultracapacitor--a technology that could allow for electric cars that charge almost instantaneously and drive hundreds of miles on a single charge. And if a purportedly "leaked" phone conversation from EEStor CEO Richard Weir currently making the rounds is legit, the long-in-development ultracapacitor has hit a breakthrough, and could be unveiled within months.

7.31.2009 at 04:04am - Comment by antic

@ ford2go Regarding leakage: according to the EEStor wikipedia article, the company claims their capacitors break all the rules of thumb regarding capacitor storage abilities to include self-discharge (they say their's leaks only .1% a month). They also say there's virtually no degradation from charge/discharge cycles over time. All these claims are a little hard to swallow, especially given the secrecy. It's like those groups that claim to have found a dead big-foot but won't show anyone the body. However, more reputable MIT researchers have recently modified a type of lithium battery that seems to defy the rules as well, charging/discharging household batteries in a matter of seconds. www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200903132
Science

Leaked Conversation Suggests EEStor's Battery-Killing Ultracapacitor Is Nearly Complete

By Adrian Covert Posted on 7.30.2009 32 Comments
We've been closely following EEStor's potentially game-changing ultracapacitor--a technology that could allow for electric cars that charge almost instantaneously and drive hundreds of miles on a single charge. And if a purportedly "leaked" phone conversation from EEStor CEO Richard Weir currently making the rounds is legit, the long-in-development ultracapacitor has hit a breakthrough, and could be unveiled within months.

7.31.2009 at 04:02am - Comment by antic

@ ford2go Regarding leakage: according to the EEStor wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor), the company claims their capacitors break all the rules of thumb regarding capacitor storage abilities to include self-discharge (they say their's leaks only .1% a month). They also say there's virtually no degradation from charge/discharge cycles over time. All these claims are a little hard to swallow, especially given the secrecy. It's like those groups that claim to have found a dead big-foot but won't show anyone the body. However, more reputable MIT researchers have recently modified a type of lithium battery that seems to defy the rules as well, charging/discharging household batteries in a matter of seconds. (http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/battery-material-0311.html) & (www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200903132)
Science

Leaked Conversation Suggests EEStor's Battery-Killing Ultracapacitor Is Nearly Complete

By Adrian Covert Posted on 7.30.2009 32 Comments
We've been closely following EEStor's potentially game-changing ultracapacitor--a technology that could allow for electric cars that charge almost instantaneously and drive hundreds of miles on a single charge. And if a purportedly "leaked" phone conversation from EEStor CEO Richard Weir currently making the rounds is legit, the long-in-development ultracapacitor has hit a breakthrough, and could be unveiled within months.

7.31.2009 at 03:59am - Comment by antic

@ ford2go Regarding leakage: according to the EEStor wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor), the company claims their capacitors break all the rules of thumb regarding capacitor storage abilities to include self-discharge (they say their's leaks only .1% a month). They also say there's virtually no degradation from charge/discharge cycles over time. All these claims are a little hard to swallow, especially given the secrecy. It's like those groups that claim to have found a dead big-foot but won't show anyone the body. However, more reputable MIT researchers have recently modified a type of lithium battery that seems to defy the rules as well, charging/discharging household batteries in a matter of seconds. (http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/battery-material-0311.html) & (www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200903132)
Science

Surf Anywhere, Inside a Giant Wheel

By Dan Smith Posted on 7.27.2009 12 Comments
Ever feel ripped off that you can only surf or snowboard in the confines of the ocean or on a snowy mountain? The new Loop-In design concept hopes to allow you to shred out of those constraints. Looking like a surf-/snow-/skateboard hybrid attached to two gigantic hoop wheels, the In-Loop promises radical movement just about anywhere, dude. The Loop-In is still only a concept at this point, based upon the often-theorized, rarely used, huge overhead hoop wheel. In the wild 1920s and '30s, Popular Science had a mania for predicting revolutionary transport concepts that incorporated similar wheels.

7.25.2009 at 10:55am - Comment by antic

It'a actually Loop-In, not In-Loop.
The Environment

Green Dream: A Solar Power Plant in Your Backyard

By John B. Carnett Posted on 8.17.2009 27 Comments
John B. Carnett, PopSci's staff photographer, is using the latest green technology to build his dream home. This is the first entry in his new blog tracking the build--follow along at popsci.com/green-dream No, it's not a death ray. The folks at RawSolar are creating what looks like a very affordable solar thermal tracking dish. This is a mini version of the concentrating solar power systems you see commercially in the 25 kilowatt range.

7.19.2009 at 12:49pm - Comment by antic

Here's a helpful link for determining how much solar energy your area receives on average for each month of the year. The statistics are in terms of kilowatt hours per meter squared per day. 30-Year Average of Monthly Solar Radiation, 1961-1990 http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook/sum2/state.html
The Environment

Green Dream: A Solar Power Plant in Your Backyard

By John B. Carnett Posted on 8.17.2009 27 Comments
John B. Carnett, PopSci's staff photographer, is using the latest green technology to build his dream home. This is the first entry in his new blog tracking the build--follow along at popsci.com/green-dream No, it's not a death ray. The folks at RawSolar are creating what looks like a very affordable solar thermal tracking dish. This is a mini version of the concentrating solar power systems you see commercially in the 25 kilowatt range.

7.18.2009 at 08:25pm - Comment by antic

Nevermind, I used wikipedia and found that you were in fact referring to a direct measure of watts for sunlight itself.
The Environment

Green Dream: A Solar Power Plant in Your Backyard

By John B. Carnett Posted on 8.17.2009 27 Comments
John B. Carnett, PopSci's staff photographer, is using the latest green technology to build his dream home. This is the first entry in his new blog tracking the build--follow along at popsci.com/green-dream No, it's not a death ray. The folks at RawSolar are creating what looks like a very affordable solar thermal tracking dish. This is a mini version of the concentrating solar power systems you see commercially in the 25 kilowatt range.

7.18.2009 at 08:19pm - Comment by antic

Thank you 3DTOPO for the added expertise. I have very little myself and was relying entirely on figures from the various websites. May I ask if there's a link for the the 1000-watt per 1-square meter figure that you used? Specifically, I would like to know if the wattage is determined by the standard type of turbine used, or is 1000w/meter squared a direct measure of the energy contained in the sunlight?
The Environment

Green Dream: A Solar Power Plant in Your Backyard

By John B. Carnett Posted on 8.17.2009 27 Comments
John B. Carnett, PopSci's staff photographer, is using the latest green technology to build his dream home. This is the first entry in his new blog tracking the build--follow along at popsci.com/green-dream No, it's not a death ray. The folks at RawSolar are creating what looks like a very affordable solar thermal tracking dish. This is a mini version of the concentrating solar power systems you see commercially in the 25 kilowatt range.

7.18.2009 at 11:20am - Comment by antic

Just to give everybody an idea of how much power it may generate, here's a few facts. According to the RawSolar website, the mirror can heat water to 212-750°F (100-400°C), making steam. The Waste Heat Engine (WHE) by Cyclone Power Technologies, which runs on steam as low as 225°F can produce up to 16hp at the maximum efficiency obtained at 600°F. This is enough horsepower to run a 10kw generator. The NetZero home concept by GE expects to use solar panels to generate the 3-4kw its home requires. These are all numbers I pulled off the various websites, there may be some loss of efficiencies when the systems are combined. In addition, this sort of system will more than likely operate at less than peak performance for large portions of any given day.
Science

Win Jonathan Coulton's New DVD/CD Set!

By PopSci Staff Posted on 7.1.2009 200 Comments
Jonathan Coulton, PopSci's contributing troubadour and longtime friend, has a new DVD/CD set out titled "Best. Concert. Ever." Leave a question or comment below for a chance to win the goods. We'll announce our ten lucky winners on July 17th. Good luck!

7.5.2009 at 10:52am - Comment by antic

I would not mind winning something.