July 2011: The Future of Energy

Future Energy

The Last Drops

Oil won’t run the world forever, but it will for the next few decades. What’s the smartest way to get from here to a greener energy economy? by Paul Roberts

How Power Happens

Where does U.S. energy come from, and where does it go? by Fathom Information Design

Next-Gen Nukes

Nuclear power is risky, but it’s also an essential source of clean energy. Two new reactor designs can make it safer by Kalee Thompson

Fusion Energy

**Our dependence on big systems–big oil, big coal–steers us away from little ones, such as biofuel made from garbage, that are transforming communities in other countries
** by Brooke Borel

Space-Based Solar Power

Satellites that capture light from the sun and beam power back to Earth by Corey Binns

The Low-Hanging Fruit

Human waste gives off gas that happens to be an excellent, cheap fuel. Will the developed world ever welcome the power of sewage? by Hillary Rosner

What’s New

• The Goods: July 2011’s Hottest Gadgets
• Spy-Like Sunglasses Film and Share Videos
• Ferrari Engineers Create an All-Weather, All-Wheel-Drive Supercar
• Easy-to-Use and Affordable Tools to Make Your Homemade Music Sound Professional
• Spring-Loaded Arm Gives Superpower Strength to Office Workers
• Camera’s 40,000 Lenses Help Salvage Blurry Images
• A Dolphin-Like Speedboat That Can Reach 50 MPH and Launch 18 Feet Into the Air

Headlines

• Are We Prepared for a Catastrophic Solar Storm?
• When The Sun Unleashed Its Plasma Blast This Week, Earth Got Lucky
• Magnets and Stink Bombs Keep Sharks at Bay
• Building a Rodent-Sized, Wearable Brain-Imaging Device
• Wearing Yellow Might Give Tennis Players an Edge
• Want a Space Suit? You Just Might Find One at an Auction
• How Scientists Ship Snowmen to Bahrain, Chill Beer and Keep Vaccines Cool

How 2.0

• The Ultimate Tailgating Station Combines a TV, Wine Refrigerator and Grill
• How to Build a Sweet-Sounding Tube-Amp iPod Dock
• Tinkerer Emulates Iron Man With Real-Life, Palm-Mounted Laser Weapon
• What Happens to Your Digital Data After You Die?
• Marshall’s Plans: You Can Find Anything in Surplus Stores

FYI

• FYI: What Is the Hottest Pepper in the World?

Megapixels

• Spiders Fleeing Pakistan’s Floodwater Take to the Trees
• Scientists Discover Filaments That Might Help Cells Separate

[

](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/popular-science/id364049283?mt=8)