'Watched' households use less energy
BEHAVIOUR CHANGER: People use less energy when they know their use is being monitored, a new US study has found.
View ArticleNew solar cell technology sparks interest
SIMPLE SOLAR: Cheaper and more efficient solar cell technology could soon appear on our roofs, thanks to a breakthrough in photovoltaic cell design.
View ArticleKeeping cool with magnetic nanoparticles
NANO-SLURRY EFFECT: Magnetic nanoparticles could one day help deal with the problem of "hotspots" in power plants and computers, say researchers.
View ArticleWhat is fracking?
ASK AN EXPERT: We hear a lot about fracking as a mining technique for extracting gas from coal seams and shale deposits. How is it done? And when is it used?
View ArticleHydrogen gets a boost from proton flow
LITHIUM REPLACEMENT: A new battery fuelled by hydrogen could one day provide a cheaper and more effective alternative to lithium ion batteries, say researchers.
View ArticleFusion energy prospects heat up
FUTURE NUCLEAR POWER: US scientists have made an important milestone in the costly, decades-old quest to develop fusion energy.
View ArticleArtificial photosynthesis gets a boost
SOLAR FUELS: A new thin-film coating made from titanium dioxide could convert sunlight to a zero-emission fuel more efficiently.
View ArticleRock salt lithium could make batteries safer
BATTERY BOOST: Japanese researchers may have unlocked the key to a new generation of lithium ion batteries that overcome concerns about fire risk.
View Article'Optical fibre' made out of thin air
LASER BREAKTHROUGH: Scientists say they have turned thin air into an 'optical fibre' that can transmit and amplify light signals without the need for any cables.
View ArticleE. coli could power fossil fuel alternative
RENEWABLE ENERGY: Scientists have found a way of generating renewable propane using E coli, a bacterium widely found in the human intestine.
View ArticleInventors of blue LEDs win Nobel physics prize
NOBEL PRIZES: Three Japanese-born researchers have won the Nobel Prize for Physics for inventing an energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source that led to the creation of modern LED light...
View ArticleFirst look at nuclear fuel in a meltdown
NUCLEAR MELTDOWN: Scientists have managed to take their first close-up look at what happens to nuclear fuel when it becomes molten, as it would in a nuclear reactor meltdown.
View ArticleThe world's first wind farm
VIDEO FROM THE VAULT: Towards 2000 captured the birth of modern renewable wind power in 1981.
View ArticleNew clear thinking on risky business
OPINION: The future will always be a risky business. Take nuclear energy; how do we manage the risks of tomorrow in our planning today? asks Paul Willis.
View ArticleThe subdued roar of the Boxing Day earthquake
THE SOUNDS OF SCIENCE: That subdued roar is the sound of the massive earthquake that caused the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.
View Article'The end of the oil age is coming'
VIDEO FROM THE VAULT: As the human population climbs beyond 7 billion and the desire for first world affluence spreads across the globe, the demand for oil has never been higher.
View ArticleFly eyes inspire solar panels
GREAT MOMENTS IN SCIENCE: The eye of a 45-million-year-old fly can increase the power output of a solar panel by 10 per cent. Dr Karl is inspired by how an ancient insect helped solve a modern problem.
View ArticleWhat are fossil fuels, and why are they such a popular energy source?
BERNIE'S BASICS: With their strong link to climate change, why are fossil fuels such a hard habit to break?
View ArticleFusion vs fission: clean, green nuclear technologies explained
FUTURE ENERGY: How close are we to having nuclear plants that fit the clean, green bill? What are the different technologies and what do they offer?
View ArticleRechargeable batteries: facts, myths and explosions
BATTERY BASICS: Should you let your phone go completely flat before recharging? Why do lithium batteries explode? And aren't they bad for the environment?
View ArticleWhat will your house look like in 2025?
OPINION: Our homes are set to be revolutionised by the application of renewable energy and smart gadgets, writes Dr Adam Bumpus.
View ArticleSolar cell technology: how it works and the future of sunshine
SOLAR CELL BASICS: One in seven homes in Australia has solar panels on their roof - more than anywhere else in the world. So what's going on in all those shiny rooftop structures?
View ArticleApps that help you get to know the world around you
SCIENCE APPS: Feel like your head's always buried in a smartphone? We've got some apps to get you into the world outside your phone.
View ArticleCould we capture and store energy from lightning?
GREAT MOMENTS IN SCIENCE: Could lightning power the planet instead of fossil fuels? Dr Karl does the numbers and the answer is surprising.
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