Charcoal is carbon. Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. What does this have to do with its absorbancy?
Laws, treaties and the limits of human technology have kept some petroleum reserves just beyond the reach of oil companies. So where are they dying to drill? See more »
Oil drilling, though difficult, is pretty simple when compared to oil shale extraction. Getting oil shale, solidified oil trapped inside rock, to the surface is currently more expensive and environmentally harmful than conventional drilling. How much do you know about this potential fuel source trapped beneath the Earth's crust? See more »
For decades, we've depended on an outdated, centralized power system that wastes power and occasionally fails to meet everyone's needs. The idea of a localized power grid, or microgrid, might just be the change we need. See more »
Manufacturers -- whether they make corn ethanol fuel, biodiesel fuel, pancake syrup or even frozen pizza -- produce waste and polluted water. Now there's a completely new process called Activated Carbon Facilitated Oxidation, or AC FOX that can handle water that is polluted with organic material. Learn all about AC FOX. See more »
If it weren't for the billions of barrels of oil estimated to lie within its borders, you might never have heard of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But this protected corner of Alaska has generated more controversy than its vast, arctic acres co See more »
You may remember the blackout that occurred on Aug. 14, 2003. It was the biggest in U.S. history. And just like every major blackout, it raised a lot of questions about how the power-distribution system works. See more »
How can water cut through steel? A device called a waterjet uses extreme force to cut through all sorts of things. See more »
Have you ever wondered what happens when you flip a switch to turn something on? You're completing an electric circuit, allowing a current, or flow of electrons, through the wires. See more »
Hazardous waste disposal is an ongoing struggle that's monitored by the EPA. How is meant to be disposed of, and what happens when something goes wrong? See more »
Manhole covers have been blasting out of the ground in New York City. Find out what causes these strange explosions and how powerful they really are. See more »
