Scientists have discovered a new material that allows light to be controlled and measured in surprising ways. Wired News reports a new type of material that has scientists speaking in almost mystical terms about light.
The new substance is a “metamaterial” and it has a property called negative refraction. This means that, in theory, the material could [...]
Archive for Jonathan Kolber
Metamaterial Has Practical Applications Beyond Invisibility
Alternative Energy: A Fuel Cell That Burns Charcoal
A researcher at the University of Hawaii has developed a fuel cell that burns charcoal.
It’s different from conventional fuel cells in two ways. First, charcoal is a renewable fuel and (second) the burning works at relatively warm temperatures – warm enough to bake bread.
Most fuel cells are designed to burn hydrogen. It’s touted as a [...]
Hydrogen Is Not The Answer: Transitional Technology in the Alternative Energy Market
Most of the so-called sources of alternative energy are, at best, transitional in nature. By “transitional,” I mean that they can carry us from the hydrocarbon era into something entirely new.
By “entirely new” I mean such things as zero-point energy. (I know an esteemed aerospace engineer who attests to having seen one of these operating steadily [...]
A Taste of Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was perhaps the greatest scientist of the 20th century. Though Albert Einstein’s discoveries get more credit, Tesla’s work made a more significant difference in our everyday lives.
He invented radio (before Guglielmo Marconi), alternating current (which allowed the electric grid), the transistor and hundreds of other things. One of his claims was to have [...]
