Lifeboat Foundation

Intermolecular interactions are the forces that pertain between molecules. In general, these interactions scarcely extend beyond the boundaries of molecules. For the most part, they are effective over distances of less than 1 nanometer (10^-9 m).

The largest distances discovered to date were in energy transmissions, where almost 10 nanometers were reached. A team led by LMU chemist Heinz Langhals has now found intermolecular interactions which, to the astonishment of the scientists, extend beyond 100 nanometers.

The researchers were able to demonstrate this using the concentration-dependent fluorescence decay time of dyes. “In this way, molecules can not only interact with their neighbors, but do so up to almost macroscopic dimensions,” says Langhals.

An Israeli energy startup has developed a microturbine that can run on 50% hydrogen gas – next up one that runs on 100% of the clean green gas.

Researchers have demonstrated a way of measuring the electronic states of a material’s surface while avoiding signal contaminations from deeper layers.

The electronic states of a material’s surface might only be 2D, but they offer a depth of interesting physics. Such states, which are distinct from those of the material’s bulk, dominate many phenomena, such as electrical conduction, magnetism, and catalysis, and they are responsible for nontrivial surface effects found in topological materials and systems with strong spin-orbit interaction. Surface electronic states also control the properties of so-called 2D materials, such as graphene. To understand surface phenomena and harness them in practical devices, researchers chiefly rely on photoemission spectroscopy, which measures the energy and momentum of electrons emitted when photons hit the material. The high resolution with which electron energy and momentum can be characterized allows physicists to measure both the band structure and the density of states (DOS) in the few surface layers where escaping photoelectrons originate.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Puk1doe4kvw

The media is going nuts over Elon Musk calling for more oil and gas at an energy conference in Norway, but the full quote is not being widely reported and brings some important context.

Earlier this year, Elon Musk called to drill for more oil, which raised a few eyebrows, but it was in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how it sent gas prices skyrocketing:

Continue reading “Media goes nuts over Elon Musk calling for more oil and gas, but here’s the full quote” »

Sea Wave Energy Ltd (SWEL) has been working for more than a decade on a floating wave energy device it calls the Waveline Magnet. With several prototypes tested on-and off-shore, the company claims it delivers “ultra low cost,” with high output.

Solar electricity generation is proliferating globally and becoming a key pillar of the decarbonization era. Lunar energy is taking a lot longer; tidal and wave energy is tantalizingly easy to see; step into the surf in high wave conditions and it’s obvious there’s an enormous amount of power in the ocean, just waiting to be tapped. But it’s also an incredibly harsh and punishing environment, and we’re yet to see tidal or wave energy harnessed on a mass scale.

Continue reading “Wave-riding generators promise the cheapest clean energy ever” »

The US Navy is exploring the novel technology of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) against Chinese and Russian hypersonic weapons in the absence of a potent defense against these highly maneuverable missiles.

The top admiral of the US Navy, Michael Gilday stated that directed energy systems are being developed as a potential countermeasure against hypersonic missiles, calling the advancements made by Russia and China in hypersonic weapon technology “a significant concern.”

The development of devices that would use high-energy lasers or high-power microwaves to remove a threat is a major priority for the Navy, according to Adm. Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, who is also the Chief of US Missile Defense Agency.

The CATL tech with impressive claims for energy density, cooling, and range will first go into the Chinese premium EV brand.

Australian lab uses catalyst to generate 700ºC heat from hydrogen that could be used to retrofit power stations.

Kyiv will lose nearly two-thirds of its deposits if the Kremlin is successful in annexing Ukrainian territory.

At least $12.4 trillion worth of Ukraine’s essential natural resources, including energy and mineral deposits, are now under Russian control.

“The Kremlin is robbing Ukraine” of its natural resources, the backbone of it’s economy, according to an analysis by SecDev posted by Washington Post on August 10.

Continue reading “In the Ukraine war, a battle for the nation’s mineral and energy wealth” »