science

Graham Philips | (ABCTVCatalyst) | – “Australian scientists from the University of New South Wales have set a new world record for the efficiency of commercially-viable solar cells. Dr Graham Phillips investigates new technology that is able to convert more than 40 per cent of the sun’s light into electricity. This is more than double […]

astronomy and outer space

Saturn’s moon Enceladus has an Ocean, Geysers and maybe Life

contributors

By Andrew Coates | (The Conversation) The Cassini mission that has investigated Saturn since 2004 has revealed much about the giant planet and its many moons. Perhaps most tantalising is the discovery that the moon Enceladus is the source of strong geysers ejecting plumes of water and ice. A new study of Cassini data published […]

Central Intelligence Agency

Drone program Crashing as Spiritually Damaged Pilots quit in Droves

contributors

By Pratap Chatterjee | (Tomdispatch.com) – The U.S. drone war across much of the Greater Middle East and parts of Africa is in crisis and not because civilians are dying or the target list for that war or the right to wage it just about anywhere on the planet are in question in Washington. Something […]

Climate Change

Surprise: Noted Climate Change Denialist Secretly Took Oil Co. Payouts

contributors

By Nadia Prupis | (Commondreams.org) A prominent climate change denier and researcher quietly took more than $1.2 million in payouts from the energy industry, including the Koch brothers and other oil lobbyists, for the past 14 years, newly released documents have shown. Wei-Hock “Willie” Soon, a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, accumulated a […]

Health

Cigarettes to Kill 1 Billion this Century Despite Global Treaty (+ John Oliver)

contributors

By Laurent Huber | – GENEVA (IPS) – February 27 will mark the 10th anniversary of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first global public health treaty. Today the FCTC has 180 Parties, making it among the most widely-adopted international instruments. About 90 percent of the world’s population falls under […]

Climate Change

iSolar! Apple putting nearly $1 Bn into Solar Farm to Power Corporate Campus

contributors

Bloomberg Business | — “Apple is embracing renewable energy with an $848 million commitment to obtain electricity from a solar farm that’s big enough to power its offices in California, along with 52 retail stores and a data center. Bloomberg’s Michael di Capua and Bloomberg Businessweek’s Brad Stone speak on “Bloomberg West.”” Bloomberg Business: “Apple […]

Republican Party

Bad News for US Biotech: GOP’s Scott Walker so anti-science he can’t affirm Evolution

contributors

Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks) – “Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks gives his final judgment on Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s recent comments on evolution. Cenk finds it hard to believe that a leading candidate for the 2016 Presidential nomination can’t go on the record on evolution.” The Young Turks: “Final Judgement: Scott […]

Energy

Can Plants teach us how to make Better Solar Panels?

contributors

CCTV America | — “Even with the robust sales, solar panels aren’t terribly efficient, converting only about 10-15 percent of the sun’s rays into useable and storable energy. A group of scientists are hoping to improve that and they are inspired by nature. CCTV America’s Jessica Stone reported this story from Albany, New York.” CCTV: […]

Education

Inside the green schools revolution

contributors

How can we design better, ‘living’ classrooms, places that will not only improve the lives of teachers and students, but also have less of an impact on the environment? Bryn Nelson goes back to school to find out.