ZPEnergy.com - NANOGENERATORS, COAL-TO-DIESEL, ELECTRONS AS WAVES, etc.

NANOGENERATORS MAY SPARK MINIATURE MACHINES (UPDATE), April 13
Researchers have developed a new technique for powering nanometer-scale devices without the need for bulky energy sources such as batteries. By converting mechanical energy from body movement, muscle stretching or water flow into electricity, these "nanogenerators" could make possible a new class of self-powered implantable medical devices, sensors and portable electronics.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news64157349.html

NUCLEAR PUTS RENEWABLE ENERGY AT RISK, April 14
A new report from Dr Catherine Mitchell and Dr Bridget Woodman of Warwick Business School at the University of Warwick in the UK, examining the contribution nuclear power could make to the UK's energy 'mix', says that if the UK Government opts for new nuclear build, it risks becoming locked into expensive technology that won't help reduce carbon emissions.

Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news64238337.html

COAL-TO-DIESEL BREAKTHROUGH COULD DRASTICALLY CUT OIL IMPORTS, April 13
Professor Alan Goldman and his Rutgers team in collaboration with researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a way to convert carbon sources, such as coal to diesel fuel. This important advance could significantly cut America's dependence on foreign oil - what President Bush called "an addiction" in his 2006 State of the Union address. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, our 286 billion tons of coal in the ground translate into energy reserves 40 times those of oil.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news64157533.html

GRAPHENE PROVIDES FOUNDATION FOR NEW DEVICES THAT HANDLE ELECTRONS AS WAVES, April 14
A study of how electrons behave in circuitry made from ultrathin layers of graphite - known as graphene - suggests the material could provide the foundation for a new generation of nanometer scale devices that manipulate electrons as waves - much like photonic systems control light waves.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news64239590.html

GENERALLY SPEAKING: A PRIMER ON GENERAL RELATIVITY, April 13
"The one sentence statement of general relativity is that 'gravity is the curvature of spacetime,'" explains Dr. Sean Carroll, assistant professor of physics at the University of Chicago. "Really, the differences come in understanding what that sentence means."
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news64168756.html

COULD REDUCING GLOBAL DIMMING MEAN A HOTTER, DRYER WORLD?, April 14
Despite concerns over global warming, scientists have discovered something that may have actually limited the impact of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in recent years by reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the Earth. So-called "global dimming," will be the focus of a NOVA special scheduled to air on April 18 and featuring Lamont-Doherty researcher Beate Liepert.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news64244336.html

BRITON SAYS GLOBAL WARNING MAY UP HUNGER, April 14
Britain's top government scientist warns current global warming will raise temperatures enough to put 400 million more people at risk of hunger.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news64238511.html