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Electricity

The Patents Behind Christmas Lights

This Christmas, take a moment to appreciate the many innovations that make holiday light displays and the strand of bulbs on your tree possible

Why Aren’t There Electric Airplanes Yet? It Comes Down to Batteries.

Batteries need to get lighter and more efficient before we use them to power energy-guzzling airplanes

A time-lapse image showing the plane flying across a gymnasium.

MIT Flies Model Airplane Powered by the Blue Glow of Electric Fields and Ionic Winds

The model plane, with no moving parts, could pave the way for new flight technology that emits no pollutants

Leif Asp envisions a car with a body that acts as an energy source.

Let’s Build Cars Out of Batteries

If batteries could make up the very structure of our vehicles and electronics, those products would be far lighter and more efficient

WiTricity has partnered with BMW to release the first consumer-ready remote charging system for an electric vehicle.

Is Wireless Charging for Cars Finally Here?

The Massachusetts startup WiTricity has developed a mat that charges electric vehicles using magnetic resonance

"Light Up" is the winner of a biannual competition for green energy-generating public art sponsored by the Land Art Generator Initiative.

Art Meets Science

This Golden Canopy Could Power 500 Homes

Architects propose a new sustainable landmark on a Melbourne beach that is both public art and a power plant

Study participants Kelly Thomas, who was paralyzed in a truck crash and Jeff Marquis, who was injured while mountain biking.

New Research

How Implanted Electrodes Helped Paralyzed People Stand and Walk Again

Two new studies demonstrate that epidural stimulation and intensive therapy can help people overcome paralysis from spinal cord injuries

The pores visible on the underside of this shark's snout are electrical field-sensitive ampullae of Lorenzini.

New Research

Magnets Help Keep Sharks Out of Fish Traps

Adding cheap magnets to the traps reduced shark and ray bycatch by a third and increased fish hauls by just as much, according to a new study

These electrode-embedded chopsticks can simulate saltiness.

Using Electric Currents to Fool Ourselves Into Tasting Something We’re Not

Nimesha Ranasinghe is bringing a new dimension to virtual reality, embedding electric taste simulation technology into utensils

Most garages can double as EV charging stations.

For Electric Vehicles to Take Off, Apartments Need to Come with Charging Stations

As EVs make more inroads, giving tenants somewhere to plug in their cars could become a selling point

This Conductive Paint Turns Walls Into Giant Touchscreens

The interactive surfaces could make “smart” home features much more subtle and affordable

“Cheaper electricity is better. Clean energy is better,” says Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross.

Future of Energy

Is a Texas Town the Future of Renewable Energy?

A high-wattage Republican Mayor of Georgetown, Texas, has become the unlikeliest hero of the green revolution

New Research

Earthlings: There’s No Need to Freak Out About Tonight’s Solar Storm

Expect small disruptions to satellite communications and minor surges in the power grid. Find out how USGS predicts effects of geomagnetic storms

Trending Today

How Conflict in the Balkans Is Screwing Up Europe’s Clocks

Kosovo and Serbia’s clash over energy dropped the oscillation of the Euro grid, making clocks run as much as six minutes behind

Future of Energy

Electric Eels Inspire a New Type of Battery

Researchers took a cue from the electric eel to create a soft, foldable battery that could one day power devices like pacemakers

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Future of Energy

Future of Energy

Bold new ideas to meet the world’s burgeoning need for power

Trending Today

Belgium Ends Telegram Service After 171 Years

The end of Belgian telegrams isn’t the end of the service across the world, but it’s getting close

Ask Smithsonian

Do Other Animals Cry and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

Water-strapped cities with growing populations and energy needs could benefit the most. Greater Phoenix, for instance, is served by this reservoir and irrigation system fed by the Colorado River.

Five Questions You Should Have About Evaporation as a Renewable Energy Source

What’s the big deal with evaporation-driven engines?

The electric eel is the National Zoo's new main attraction.

Family Travel

The Shocking World of Electric Fishes

Fish like eels use electricity to navigate their worlds

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