An artist’s rendition of the tough new plastic. | Photo courtesy of Mark Robbins, Oak Ridge National Lab. Your car’s bumper is probably made of a plastic called ABS, shorthand for its acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene components. Light, strong and tough, ABS is also used to make ventilation pipes, protective headgear, kitchen appliances, Lego bricks and… Keep reading →
Even in these days of low gas prices, plug-in electric and other types of alternative fuel vehicles are still often cheaper to fill up than conventional ones. With tax season approaching, there are more ways to save money than ever. Plug-in electric vehicles, charging stations, and other alternative fueling infrastructure qualify for federal or state… Keep reading →
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) today announced up to $60 million in funding for two new programs that aim to solve some of the nation’s most pressing energy challenges by accelerating the development of novel energy technologies. The first program, NEXT-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Automated on-Road vehicles… Keep reading →
Astronaut Ellen Ochoa is our fourth and final woman in STEM #ThrowbackThursday for 2016. | Illustration by Carly Wilkins, Energy Department. It’s Women’s History Month on Energy.gov. During the month of March, we’re highlighting the great contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM fields made by women of color throughout history, as well… Keep reading →
How two sets of twin sisters became best friends and found careers through science. | Graphic by Carly Wilkins, Energy Department. Is your sister like a best friend? Is your best friend like a sister? Can she help you with your chem lab? “All of these things,” said Emma and Molly White and Ru-Shyan and… Keep reading →
Everything you can see is made of normal matter…but that’s only 4 percent of the universe. Find out how the National Labs search for the invisible “dark matter” scientists believe holds galaxies together. | Graphic above by Carly Wilkins, Energy Department. Illustrations below by Greg Stewart, SLAC. The world we see is embedded… Keep reading →
In the Middle Ages, alchemists worked diligently to transform base metals, such as lead, into gold or other precious metals. While these ambitions were without success, medieval alchemy set the stage for modern chemistry. One trick of the trade today is catalysis, in which a substance — the catalyst — is added to speed the… Keep reading →
Aging infrastructure is one of the top concerns among electric utility leaders across the United States. Utility leaders need to address this issue proactively before failures create serious reliability issues, accelerate costs and strain the labor force beyond its capacity. Addressing this myriad of aging assets requires manpower and extensive capital investment – investment that… Keep reading →
It’s rare for a work of science fiction to contain much science fact. But in “The Martian,” a very real technology helps keep a very made-up astronaut alive on the Red Planet. “The Martian” begins with a crew of NASA astronauts on a mission to explore Mars. An unexpected weather event forces the research team… Keep reading →
It’s Women’s History Month on Energy.gov. During the month of March, we’re highlighting the great contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM fields made by women of color throughout history, as well as taking a look at fascinating work that women are doing in STEM fields today. Our latest #WomeninSTEM video features Dr.… Keep reading →
