Futurity covers research news from the top universities in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
People are willing to pay a premium for energy-efficient homes, according to new research. Georgia Warren-Myers, a property lecturer at the University of Melbourne and…
A new discovery offers hope for cost-effective carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Although considered critical to avoiding catastrophic global warming, scientists have questioned the feasibility…
Researchers have proposed three different methods for providing consistent power in 139 countries using 100 percent renewable energy. The inconsistencies of power produced by wind,…
New research indicates that poplar trees could be an economically viable biofuel material. In the quest to produce affordable biofuels, poplars are one of the…
Vertical axis wind turbines, which may have fewer effects on birds and nearby people, could increase public support for new wind energy installations, new research…
Engineers working to make solar cells more cost effective ended up finding a method for making sonar-like collision avoidance systems in self-driving cars. The twin…
Lithium batteries made with asphalt could charge 10 to 20 times faster than the commercial lithium-ion batteries currently available. The researchers developed anodes comprising porous…
Scientists have turned wood into an electrical conductor by making its surface graphene. Chemist James Tour of Rice University and his colleagues used a laser…
Researchers have created a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system with embedded microtracking that is capable of producing 50 percent more energy per day than the standard…
In today’s increasingly powerful electronics, tiny materials are a must as manufacturers seek to increase performance without adding bulk. Smaller is also better for optoelectronic…
A new device mimics the branches and leaves of a cottonwood tree and generates electricity when its artificial leaves sway in the wind. The concept…
A new polymer added to jet fuel can reduce the chance of an explosion after a crash. Recent tests show that it improves safety without…
The economic damage or “social cost” of a ton of carbon dioxide emissions could actually be six times higher than the value the United States…
More intense future hurricanes powered by warming global temperatures will significantly increase power blackouts for some major US cities, researchers predict. Engineers created a…
"Right now, this design has the greatest potential of producing economical fusion power of any current concept," says Thomas Jarboe. (Credit: University of Washington) Fusion…
Oil platforms off the coast of Southern California create a fertile breeding ground for fish, producing 10 times more fish weight than conventional marine habitats…
Expanding public transportation, walking, and biking in cities could save more than $100 trillion in public and private spending between now and 2050.A new report…
People who fish recreationally in the Gulf of Mexico may be entitled to up $585 million in compensation due to lost fishing opportunities following the…
The best way to get oil out of the ground may be to pump in foam.Scientists pumped foam into an experimental rig that mimicked the…
Damage to coral reefs from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was even more far-reaching than originally believed.Because the oil…