Clean Energy Standard Should Not Include Nuclear, Coal: Experts
Coal proponents claim that new technologies can turn coal into a source of clean energy. Yet the technology they urge us to adopt is totally unproven at commercial scale and over a meaningful time frame. In any case, coal plants under consideration with carbon capture and storage would still rely on outdated, dirty energy technologies of the past. Coal Geology
German Researchers Build Terminator Robot Hand
The robot hand is made by researchers at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics. It exerts up to 30 Newtons of pressure with its fingers, plenty for either a stimulating massage or a deadly choking grip. It is also fast. The joints can spin at 500-degrees per second. If it tenses the springs joined to the tendons first, and then releases that energy, the joints can reach 2,000-degrees per second, or 333 rpm. Wired
Jordan Signs Up for Epic ‘Sahara Forest Project’
Jordan has recently announced its support for the large-scale Sahara Forest Project which brings together solar power and desalination of seawater to provide sustainable energy and agricultural solutions in desert regions. The project aims to create carbon neutral energy, fresh water and food, contribute to forestation and all in the midst of desert lands. Green Prophet
City Investigates Tree Deaths Near Wastewater Treatment Plant
The city of Jacksonville is investigating mysterious deaths of trees. Since 2007, trees in a city-owned forest have been dying and experts are trying to figure out why. The deaths are limited to a two-thousand acre section where a wastewater land treatment system is located. It treats wastewater from the city and then irrigates the forest land with the treated liquid. WITN
Robot Balances Pencil, Thanks To Artificial Retinas
A new robot developed in Switzerland uses a pair of silicon retinas that only react to sudden changes in illumination, transmitting a simple ‘on’ or ‘off’ response that reduces the need for complex data processing – an approach that mimics biological vision. The robot uses a pair of silicon retinas that only react to sudden changes in illumination, transmitting a simple ‘on’ or ‘off’ response that reduces the need for complex data processing – an approach that mimics biological vision. Robotics Wire