100 years ago, ‘ghost ship’ sails baffled Einstein—now they’re making a comeback
On the rough and icy waters of the North Sea in 1925, an unusual vessel plowed its way from Danzig,...
Power Source
How much carbon can we safely store underground? Much less than previously thought.
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. Drawing down carbon from the air and stashing...
Can ‘ice batteries’ cool down our soaring energy demands?
Researchers at Texas A&M University are perfecting a deceptively simple solution to our increasingly overburdened energy grid: ice-cooled buildings. This...
A hidden fuel source beneath the Midwest? Scientists are investigating.
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. About a billion years ago, the United States...
Ice moves by itself on experimental metal surface
Engineers have designed a flat metallic surface that allows ice to zip across it without a push to get it...
When the U.S. almost nuked Alaska—on purpose
Carving an artificial harbor out of Alaska’s remote northwest coast would take just an instant, claimed the Atomic Energy Commission...
Radioactive wasp nest found at former nuclear weapons site
Safety workers recently encountered a scenario straight out of a sci-fi film while surveying a decommissioned nuclear weapons plant in...
Yes, Superman’s kryptonite is (sort of) real
Superman’s only major weakness—aside from bright red capes—is kryptonite. The fictional mineral was first described in 1943 during an episode...
New paint ‘sweats’ to keep buildings cool
Buildings coated in a cement-based paint that “sweats” could help keep communities cool during the hottest days of the year....
Earth’s fiery ‘Door to Hell’ is starting to close
The Earth is dotted with numerous “gateways to Hell.” In the remote Siberian tundra, the Batagay Crater continues to expand...
How a 1,200-person village in Senegal traded diesel generators for solar power
On the southern border of Senegal lies a small village called Keur Niangane. The roughly 1,200 residents of this village...
New nuclear fusion reactor’s electromagnet could lift 10 monster trucks
The world’s largest and most powerful superconducting electromagnet is ready to become the pulsing “heart” inside of a massive tokamak...
