Lifeboat Foundation

In physics, as in life, it’s always good to look at things from different perspectives.

Since the beginning of quantum physics, how light moves and interacts with matter around it has mostly been described and understood mathematically through the lens of its energy. In 1900, Max Planck used energy to explain how light is emitted by heated objects, a seminal study in the foundation of quantum mechanics. In 1905, Albert Einstein used energy when he introduced the concept of photon.

But light has another equally important quality, known as momentum. And as it turns out, when you take momentum away, light starts behaving in really interesting ways.

MIT spinoff Quaise Energy is building a drill that vaporizes rock — so that we can tap into the energy miles below our feet.

Geothermal energy: Earth’s core is as hot as the surface of the sun, but we don’t have to go too far below the surface to start feeling the heat — in the Mponeng gold mine in South Africa, which has a depth of 2.5 miles, rock temperatures can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Continue reading “MIT wants to use a rock-vaporizing drill to cut 12 miles into Earth’s crust” »

Perovskite solar cells might revolutionize how humans generate energy from sunlight.
https://brilliant.org/ElectricFuture.
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In this video we’ll explore the world’s fastest improving new solar technology, and provide an exclusive peek inside the lab of a team working on this breakthrough material.

Continue reading “Solar 3.0: This New Technology Could Change Everything” »

North Virginia will make multi-billion dollar decisions this year on the region’s transportation future—decisions that are only going to induce more driving.

During an industrial control systems hacking challenge, a Dutch team won $40,000 for cracking tech used to control the power grid.

Kitekraft discusses airborne wind turbines as well as the sustainability of kite-powered systems that are lightweight and have a lower carbon impact.

BHL Cryotanks have demonstrated a 75% mass reduction compared to existing state-of-the-art aerospace cryotanks (metal or composite), enabling hydrogen aircraft and eVTOL makers to store as much as 10 times more liquid hydrogen fuel without adding mass. As a result, aircraft can travel longer distances without refueling.

GTL has fabricated and tested multiple BHL Cryotanks at a range of scales and has been demonstrated to be leak-tight even after repeated cryo-thermal pressure cycles. This technology has achieved TRL 5+ and is compatible with a variety of cryogenic propellants, including liquid oxygen, liquid methane, and liquid hydrogen.

The BHL Cryotank pictured here measures 2.4 meters long with a 1.2-meter diameter and weighs 12 kilograms (roughly 26 pounds). With the addition of a skirt and vacuum dewar shell, the total system weight is 67 kilograms. This particular tank system can hold over 150 kilograms of liquid hydrogen, giving it a hydrogen storage ratio of at least 50% (the weight of stored hydrogen fuel relative to total system weight), which is as much as 10 times greater than current state-of-the-art fuel tanks. HyPoint estimated that an aircraft equipped with GTL dewar tank technology could achieve as much as four times the range of a conventional aircraft using aviation fuel, cutting aircraft operating costs by an estimated 50% on a dollar-per-passenger-mile basis.

Now, this up-and-coming entrepreneur recycles coconut waste to help prevent deadly landslides. Meet Alhaji Siraj Bah, founder of Rugsal Trading, who overcame tragedy and is using an alternative to wood for cooking fuel.