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Typically, diesel fuel is made from crude oil, but scientists can make high-grade diesel from coal, natural gas, plants, or even agricultural waste, using a process called Fischer–Tropsch (FT). FT Diesel is the ideal liquid transportation fuel for automobiles, trucks, and jets. It’s much cleaner burning than conventional diesel, and much more energy-efficient than gasoline. But, FT Diesel is expensive to make and generates lots of waste. With support from the National Science Foundation and its Center for Enabling New Technologies through Catalysis (CENTC), chemists around the United States are working together to improve the cost and energy efficiency of alternative fuels. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
(Source: DCMP)
Clearly shows the environmental impacts of both renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Provides an overview of numerous renewable energy sources, how the energy is collected, and the pros and cons of renewable energy. Also explores what is happening around the globe with the introduction of wind farms, wave parks, and solar farms.
Part of a series that features a wide variety of video footage, photographs, diagrams, graphics, and labels. For this particular video, students will focus on the three types of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas as well as their uses in modern society. Part of the Science Video Vocab series.
Montana State University plant pathologist Gary Strobel travels the seven continents to collect samples of endophytes. Endophytes are microorganisms that live within the living tissue of a plant. With support from the National Science Foundation, Strobel, engineer Brent Peyton and their team, have discovered that endophytes have the ability to make diesel-like fuel. And, amazingly, it takes the team just a few weeks to create the fuel. Part of the National Science Foundation Series "Science Nation."
Solar panels are becoming a familiar site in communities across the United States, but what about solar fuels? A solar fuel is produced from sunlight through artificial photosynthesis, mimicking what Mother Nature has been doing for billions of years. Many chemists and chemical engineers are working to make solar fuels a viable option in the future. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
Hurricanes are one of the most powerful and destructive forces on Earth. How do they form? The formation of a hurricane is complicated, but basically, it depends on 3 factors: warm water, moist air, and converging winds. Part of the "Danger Zone" series.
With today's high fuel costs, it is time to start looking beyond petroleum and into renewable resources to power vehicles. Ethanol is a clean-burning fuel derived from plants, primarily corn. It is combined with gasoline to produce a cleaner fuel that doesn't emit as many greenhouse gases as pure gasoline. Pure ethanol has not yet been approved to fuel vehicles, but it is the fuel of choice for racecars. By mixing gasoline with ethanol, fuel supply can be extended. Explores the production of ethanol and highlights the importance it holds in the "green power" movement.
The engine's job is to convert the energy in fuel to speed. With the application of scientific principles, NASCAR mechanics have discovered ways to quickly and efficiently get the race cars the speed they need to compete. Part of "The Science of Speed" series.
Explains the science behind the workings of a nuclear power station. The basic version explores what fission is; the role of cooling water in nuclear reactors; the nuclear fuel cycle on mining, milling, enrichment, fabrication, and spent fuel on storage and reprocessing; and other uses of nuclear energy, including "non-power" uses. The advanced version expands on this information with a specific example of a fission reaction; the use of water to vary reactor power; different methods of mining uranium; a detailed discussion of enrichment, including structure and properties of uranium hexafluoride; and two methods of enrichment: centrifuging and gas diffusion.
Water is used by everyone, and in the process, a lot of it goes to waste. Whether it goes down drains, sewers, or toilets, much of it ends up at a wastewater treatment plant where it undergoes rigorous cleaning before it flows back to the environment. The process takes time, money and a lot of energy. What if that wastewater could be turned into energy? It almost sounds too good to be true, but environmental engineer Bruce Logan is working on ways to make it happen. With support from the National Science Foundation, Logan and his team at Penn State University are taking the idea a step further. They are developing microbial fuel cells to channel the bacteria's hard work into energy.
Rising acidity in sea water is harmful to all ocean life. This short animated video explains how burning fossil fuels is increasing the acidity of the world's oceans. This is also impacting the fragile underwater ecosystems.
What would you think of powering a car using a water fuel cell, a home furnace powered by permanent magnets, or a self-driven electromagnetic engine with enough power to put a spacecraft into orbit? This is all energy that humans wouldn't have to pay for and that wouldn't pollute the earth. Not only would free energy change the world, but it would end human dependence on having to use so much of the world's fossil fuels.
Black carbon is the fancy name for soot, and it is causing changes in the Arctic climate. It comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Studies suggest that black carbon is contributing to the acceleration of sea ice melting in the Arctic, and the loss of this ice would lead to more rapid warming and possibly irreversible climate change.
Energy has been essential for the development of human activities from the Industrial Revolution to present day. Over the course of history, human consumption of energy has increased significantly. Currently, society depends largely on nonrenewable energies that come from fossil fuels. However, the increase in greenhouse gas emissions has highlighted the need to change from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources that reduce environmental contamination. Many industries are committing to the development of alternative energy sources that don’t contribute to global warming. Chapter 9 of Air: Climate Change Series.
Scientists at MIT's D-Lab are turning trash into treasure. They are using trash to heat homes and cook in developing countries. Part of the "Science Out Loud" series.
Honey bees make honey from nectar to fuel their flight. They also need pollen for protein. So they trap, brush, and pack it into baskets on their legs to make a special food called bee bread. Part of the "Deep Look" series.
Will we be able to grow all of our fuel in the future? Uncovers a biofuel jet truck, a record-breaking flying machine, and a unique car made almost entirely of organic matter. Also, explores new ways of harvesting energy from biomass.
Part of a series that features a wide variety of video footage, photographs, diagrams, graphics, and labels. For this particular video, students will focus on the biological processes involved in cellular respiration and how these processes provide energy to living things. Part of the Science Video Vocab series.
The roaring '20s marked a decade of unprecedented prosperity. It's no wonder the inventions that defined the 1920s are all about entertainment and convenience. Motion picture and television are two of the greatest inventions since sliced bread - both of which were invented during this time. Other inventions featured include the rocket, the lie detector, and Einstein's refrigerator.
Can we stop, or even reverse global warming? Follows the work of a Nobel Prize-winning scientist on the Canadian prairies, an inventor in New York who has designed a unique synthetic tree, and a mega-project in Europe where CO2 instead of being sent skyward, is stored far out of harm's way deep beneath the seabed.
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Biology related concepts
A collection containing 59 resources, curated by Benetech
