Environmental Science

Imagine finishing off a nice cup of morning coffee and then, instead of throwing the grounds into the trash, pouring them into a cartridge where they become printer ink.

By Jacob Silverman

LED light bulbs have taken over the market. But what are their pros and cons?

By Francisco Guzman

While you shouldn't expect to find a "flying electric" option at the airport anytime soon, electrically powered aircraft not only exist, but the technology continues to evolve at an encouraging rate.

By Robert Lamb

Ever wish the lawn would just mow itself? Well, the Husqvarna Automower is about as close as you'll get to that dream -- with the added bonus of using the sun for power.

By Maria Trimarchi

The Earth is incredibly heavy. How do scientists determine the weight of the Earth?

By HowStuffWorks

From toothbrushes to iPhones, we fill our lives with a seemingly unending string of gizmos -- all of which depend on electricity to give us what we need to make it through the day. What if you could generate that power?

By Robert Lamb

The world flushes up to 20 percent of its drinking water down various drains. That's a lot of water going to waste. Waterless toilets could squelch the squandering.

By Susan L. Nasr

Solar energy is abundant and infinitely renewable. Therefore, it's not surprising to see the proliferation of devices that rely on the sun -- especially solar aircraft.

By Susan L. Nasr

The Northeast Blackout of 2003 left millions without power and cost approximately $6 billion. Experts believe we can avoid future blackouts by storing energy along the U.S. electric grid.

By Susan L. Nasr

Did you ever make a potato clock as a kid? If so, you already understand the basic principles that make a soil lamp work.

By Julia Layton

There are two main ways of generating energy from the sun. But one -- solar thermal technology -- is really poised to take off as a clean, reliable form of alternative energy.

By Maria Trimarchi

A 10-minute shower can seem like nothing on a cold, sleepy morning, but it might cost you 50 gallons of water (or more). Is there a way to limit the volume of water you use?

By Julia Layton

Green roofs, long popular in Europe, are making their way into the United States. Find out what a green roof is and how it can solve some problems conventional roofs have.

By Sarah Dowdey

The dead zone, caused by massive amounts of algae growth, is a vast area off the Gulf of Mexico that is deadly to marine life. How is human activity making the dead zone worse?

By Jacob Silverman

For more than 40 years, scientists have tried to figure out what's causing large parts of Canada to be "missing" gravity. The force of gravity around Hudson Bay is lower than surrounding areas. Learn about two theories that may explain the phenomenon.

By Jacob Silverman

Vertical farming is a method of large-scale farming in an urban environment. Learn about the benefits of a vertical farm and vertical farming technology.

By Jacob Silverman

It may look like a wasteland now, but a mysterious mound-building civilization once called Peru's arid valleys home. Did a shift in climate drive them to settle -- and eventually disappear?

By Julia Layton

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust -- unless of course you've been embalmed, buried in a steel and hardwood coffin and interred in a concrete vault. For some people, the luxurious excess that accompanies traditional burial is no longer appealing.

By Maria Trimarchi

What if the land you relied upon simply blew away? In the 1930s, poor stewardship and crushing drought created black blizzards and an internal American exodus known as the Dust Bowl.

By Maria Trimarchi

Electrifying dance moves might impress your friends, but they usually don't help power the club you're dancing in. What's piezoelectricity, and how could it help twist the future of energy generation?

By Maria Trimarchi

Drilling down thousands of feet in lightless ocean depths and transporting that oil to the surface without spilling it isn't exactly easy. Did we mention the rough seas?

By Robert Lamb & Desiree Bowie

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?

By Robert Lamb

Researchers think the Chicxulub crater was caused by the massive asteroid that also killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. What else do we know about this peak-ring crater?

By Mark Mancini

As high-yield oil supplies become harder to find, energy companies are turning to oil sands: mixtures of bitumen, sand and water. How do you extract oil from mucky, viscous soil?

By Maria Trimarchi & Desiree Bowie

Haunted by ideas of your body polluting the Earth after you're gone? Microbial fuel cell technology could allow you to harness the energy of your own decomposition to power batteries.

By Maria Trimarchi