Until now, scientists were unable to extract samples of pure human DNA from ancient skeletons, mostly because their contamination with the abundant modern DNA that came from the workers that took them to light. (more…)
We always had a problem with excess wind energy and to be more specific, researchers never found a good way to store the surplus of wind energy. Currently, excess wind energy is stored in huge underground tanks. This technique is called Compressed Air Energy Storage and Seamus Garvey, an UK professor at the Nottingham University, thinks that he might have the perfect solution for this matter.
The study of Prof. Garvey began two years ago and he discovered that using a wind turbine, he could compress the air. His idea consists of a structure situated at a depth of 600 meters which will contain plastic bags that will stow about 25 Megajoules of energy per meter cubed.
For the moment there are only two places where you can find CAES, one is in McIntosh, Alabama and the other is in Huntorf, Germany. Prof. Garvey hopes that his idea will be promoted because for the future there many economic advantages.
A team of researchers at the Oregon State University has been developing a program destined to educate students and teach them about the importance of renewable energy. This program was started back in 1998 and since then many students brought their contribution to develop prototypes of wave energy technologies.
One of the best projects is a conceptual wave park consisting of permanent magnet linear generator buoys which will be tethered to the sea floor. Inside the buoy you will find an electric coil which wrap up a magnetic shaft and their motion generate by the waves is the one that produces electricity.
The buoys are going to be anchored at about 2 miles offshore therefore the electricity will be sent through cables and according to the researchers 200 buoys will provide enough energy to power downtown Portland.
According to Ausra, a solar power company, their solar-thermal technology can power up to 90 percent of the electricity of the U.S.A. and they will still have enough power for most of electrical cars. Also, they say that this could result in a reduction of 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emission with an area of 9,600 square miles.
One of the drawbacks for Ausra is the storage. If they will develop a technology that will store the energy for 16 hours, then they will “take on coal”. This technology is being developed at Bakersfield, California and is expected to be completed this summer. Another is the distribution of the power. It will be very hard to transport the energy in big cities like New Yor, but researchers are trying to build an efficient conductor all around the country.
This is an important step for the solar energy and for the Earth’s health as well as for all the people in the world. I hope that they finish their research as soon as possible.
Craig Venter is a genetics pioneer and is one of the best biologist in the world. He is responsible for sequencing the human genone and for mapping ocean’s biodiversity, facts done in 2001 respectively in 2003. Now he is back with another project - to create the first synthetic microoranisms which could produce alternative fuels.
Mr. Venter himself builds the chromosomes from nothing and inserts them into bacteria and then the organisms are coming to life. Also he is founder of Synthetic Genoms, started in 2005, and he is the creator of the biggest molecules ever to be created by humans. He can do whatever he wants with the lab-made DNA - he decides what is good and what is not so good. Now he is trying to make it perfect in order to produce that fuel that I was talking about.
The reproduction of the microorganisms could eventually lead to solar powered oil factories, but also if it have to reproduce they will need CO2 for maximum efficiency. This oil is called “the fourth generation of biofuel” but I think that should watch the video below for more information.
