Erasmus University Rotterdam / Paul de Ruiter Architects

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Campus renewal and sustainability ambitions go hand in hand at Erasmus University Rotterdam. In the newest addition to the campus, the multifunctional educational building called Polak, the university’s ambition is emphatically manifested: to be among the most sustainable campuses in the Netherlands. The energy-efficient building, of which both the interior and the exterior are designed by Paul de Ruiter architects, fits  into the new educational strategy of the Erasmus University, aimed at activating, small-scale education.

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Graphene 'moth eyes' to power future smart technologies

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New ultra-thin, patterned graphene sheets will be essential in designing future technologies such as 'smart wallpaper' and Internet-of-things applications

• New ultra-thin, patterned graphene sheets will be essential in designing future technologies such as 'smart wallpaper' and internet-of-things applications
• Advanced Technology Institute uses moth-inspired ultrathin graphene sheets to capture light for use in energy production and to power smart sensors
• Graphene is traditionally an excellent electronic material, but is inefficient for optical applications, absorbs only 2.3% of the light incident on it. A new technique enhances light absorption by 90%.

New research published today in Science Advances has shown how graphene can be manipulated to create the most light-absorbent material for its weight, to date. This nanometre-thin material will enable future applications such as 'smart wallpaper' that could generate electricity from waste light or heat, and power a host of applications within the growing 'internet of things'.

Using a technique known as nanotexturing, which involves growing graphene around a textured metallic surface, researchers from the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute took inspiration from nature to create ultra-thin graphene sheets designed to more effectively capture light. Just one atom thick, graphene is very strong but traditionally inefficient at light absorption. To combat this, the team used the nano-patterning to localise light into the narrow spaces between the textured surface, enhancing the amount of light absorbed by the material by about 90%.

Solar cells operate by absorbing light first, then converting it into electricity. The most efficient cells needs to do this absorption within a very narrow region of the solar cell material. The narrower this region, the better the cell efficiency. The ability to strongly absorb light by these structures could pave the roadmap to higher cell efficiencies. CREDIT University of Surrey

Scientific Advances - Ultra-broadband light trapping using nanotextured decoupled graphene multilayers

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Sodium-ion Battery Material Sourced from Apples #science

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From KIT via gizmag: A carbon-based active material produced from apple leftovers and a material of layered oxides might help reduce the costs of future energy storage systems. Both were found to have excellent electrochemical properties and stand for the environmentally compatible and sustainable use of resources. Now, these materials are presented by researchers of […]
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MIT Develops a System that Shocks Water Clean #BioHacking

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Interesting read, Via HitachiGlobal Unlike some other approaches to desalination, this one requires little infrastructure, so it might be useful for portable systems used in remote locations, or for emergencies where water supplies are disrupted by storms or earthquakes. With clean water in short supply around the world, new methods to treat salty, brackish and […]
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frommoon2moon: Moon to Moon: Tour of Dreamy secluded Tree...

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frommoon2moon:

Moon to Moon: Tour of Dreamy secluded Tree house

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tomhauptman: Aboard the ISS taking still photographs with a...

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tomhauptman:

Aboard the ISS taking still photographs with a 400mm telephoto attached to a digital camera.

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irina-irina-irina: Bridget Hall My Bridget

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irina-irina-irina:

Bridget Hall

My Bridget

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voiceofnature: Callaway Gardens is located in Pine Mountain,...

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voiceofnature:

Callaway Gardens is located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, on 6,500 acres. It was founded in 1952 to promote and protect native azalea species. Today, Callaway Gardens features a wide variety of recreational attractions including a large enclosed butterfly habitat and butterfly center, and a wide variety of cultivars and native plants.

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The Year / Estudio Guto Requena

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The Year is an industrial space turned dance club, with its hangar reimagined as an interactive light installation. Located in Vila Nova Leopoldina, The Year complements the urban transformation of the São Paulo industrial zone, more recently a space for film productions and the creative industry.

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Ridiculously Rad Rock Hopper

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The Ridiculous XC Bike is well aware that it’s different! Don’t be fooled by the low positioning of its handlebars – this is a...
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Dr Jaeyoung Park Answers Nextbigfuture commenter questions on EMC2 fusion

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Dr Jaeyoung Park is the lead of the EMC2 Fusion company. Here his are answers to questions put to him by Nextbigfuture commenters.

First a few slides describing electrostatic fusion and polywell fusion

Q1: With the scaling from WF–6 → WF–7 → WF–8 (expected), at what point will the WF series become large and powerful enough to confine deuterium-deuterium at high enough energy and time so as to demonstrate above-break-even energy production?

If you see my answers #9 & #10 in the Talk-Polywell site, it should provide good background information about this question. We plan to build a break-even machine after the next phase R&D campaign, assuming that we get the results we are hoping for in 3 years and does not run into unexpected showstoppers.

Q2: With the same WF 6 → 7 → 8 → N sequence, what have been the scaling factors thathaven't scaled to expectation (either above, or below)?

We are still evaluating the WB scaling. Now that we finally succeed in making the WB, it is now time to start testing its scaling over a wide range of parameters. Note that one of the previously discussed scaling, “Magrird or magnetic grid” scaling is found to be irreverent since we weren’t able to achieve potential well formation using magnetically insulated grids. The readers are encouraged to read my answers #3 & #7 in the Talk-Polywell site.

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First US Air Force image of B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber

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The first official drawing of the U.S. Air Force's B-21 bomber has been revealed and it looks like an updated B2 bomber

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James unveiled the artist rendering Friday based on the initial design concept.

Black, sleek, with swept-back wings and stealthy design make this aircraft look a lot like another famous bomber — the B-2 Spirit.

James seemed to hint at that during her announcement. "The B-21 has been designed from the beginning based on a set of requirements that allows the use of existing and mature technology," she said at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida.

James also indicated it is critical B-21 has a long-range standoff weapon and that needs to be LRSO. ALCM built for 10 yrs, been around 30 yrs.

JUST IN from #AWS16: @SecAF23 releases first rendering of #LRSB, the new B-21 http://pic.twitter.com/85fCCY0TTR

— Air Force Assoc. (@AirForceAssoc) February 26, 2016

Rand: It's critical B-21 has a long-range standoff weapon and that needs to be LRSO. ALCM built for 10 yrs, been around 30 yrs. #AWS16

— Air Force Magazine (@AirForceMag) February 26, 2016

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Disruptive advanced nuclear design is in pre-licensing design review

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Terrestrial Energy announced that it is submitting its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) design to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for Phase I of its pre-licensing Vendor Design Review. During the course of this review, which is an optional feedback process offered by the CNSC, Terrestrial Energy will be demonstrating that the design meets Canadian regulatory requirements in a number of technical topic areas. This is seen as the first step towards an eventual license application to build its first commercial demonstration IMSR power plant.

Terrestrial Energy CEO, Simon Irish, made the following comment regarding the engagement:

“Terrestrial Energy is entering a new phase of its development – moving ahead from reactor research and design, to engineering and regulatory compliance. This new chapter takes the Company towards the submission of a formal license application to build and operate the first commercial demonstration Integral Molten Salt Reactor plant in the 2020s.

Terrestrial Energy is developing a next-generation nuclear reactor based on its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) technology. The IMSR represents true innovation in safety, cost and functionality. It will offer safe and reliable power solutions for electricity production, both on- and off-grid, and also energy for industrial process heat generation. These together extend the applicability of nuclear energy far beyond its current footprint. With this profile, the IMSR is capable of driving the rapid global decarbonization of the primary energy system by displacing fossil fuel combustion across a broad front. It is complementary to renewable power sources and ideal for distributed power systems on existing grids. Using an innovative design and proven Molten Salt Reactor technology, the IMSR can be brought to global markets in the 2020s. Terrestrial Energy is currently developing its IMSR commercial demonstration power plant for deployment in Canada.

Why is Terrestrial Energy's Integral Molten Salt Reactor a big deal ?

• A molten salt 7.4 MWth test reactor was operated at Oak Ridge from 1965-1969. So no question about technical feasability
• A conservative first IMSR design should be competitive with established power at about 3 cents per kWh
• Later designs should be able to get lower than 1 cent per kWh
• Design is walk away safe with passive safety systems
• First designs would produce 6 times less nuclear waste and later designs can close the fuel cycle
• Canada can use the first several hundred reactors to directly produce steam to profitably produce oil from the oilsands
• Canada and Terrestrial Energy can thus use the oilsand reactors to profitably climb the learning curve before factory mass production of supersafe, super efficient and disruptively lower cost reactors
• These system could provide 100% of global electricity demand without any emissions

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