Tag: energy
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Electricity from bacteria: the future of clean energy?
Elle Bethune discusses how bacteria can power batteries, and how these can be used for clean energy on Earth and finding life in space. Clean energy has become a hot topic in science, and for good reason. While most of us have heard of wind, solar or even geothermal energy as alternatives to fossil fuels,…
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Did warm-bloodedness result from the Permian extinction?
Based on body thermoregulation, we generally divide animals into two categories. Those who can generate and regulate their body heat themselves are called endotherms, or warm-blooded, because the heat generated by their metabolism is distributed around the body through blood flow. Animals who lack this ability are called ectotherms, and have to rely on external…
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Scalable artificial photosynthesis device can produce fuel from sunlight, CO2 and water
A new device developed by a team in Cambridge marks a breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis technology, due to its efficiency and scalability. It converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and formic acid. Utilising the greatest renewable energy source available to us – the sun – this technology does not require electricity to power…
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Dissecting BP’s 2050 net-zero carbon pledge
Sami Cheqrouni Espinar examines the credibility of each of the aims outlined by BP to shift its position in a transforming energy sector. On the 12th of February 2020, BP set a company-wide ambition of achieving net-zero emissions by the year 2050. Bernard Looney, the current CEO of BP, stated, “the world’s carbon budget is…
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Making The Brain: The Role of Mitochondria
Many people have heard the phrase “mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell”, whether as a part of their biology studies at school, or from the various memes on social media. This is said because mitochondria are structures within cells that provide over 90% of the energy needed by the body. These tiny organelles are…
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Has lockdown sparked a change in our energy habits?
We like to think that, as individuals, we are unique and original. In fact, as a group, we are utterly predictable. Monday through Friday, the majority of the UK population wakes up around 7, commutes, works 9 to 5, then jumps into evening traffic, and arrives home to make themselves some dinner and a nice…