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- Teens take home science gold: A low-cost, self-driving vehicle; battery alternatives and analyses of galaxy clusters claim top prizes at a global high school science competition
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- Pee is for power: The water in urine can be a source of hydrogen for electrical generators
FOR KIDS: Hot technology
A new device harvests energy that would otherwise go wasted
Web edition: July 20, 2012
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Battery alternative
Design of the new device that uses temperature changes to produce electricity. Golden lines represent wires sandwiched between two plates that conduct electricity.
Z.L. Wang
Almost every device that needs energy also wastes energy, but a new device harvests energy that would otherwise go wasted. The new design can use even tiny changes in temperature, either warming or cooling, to produce electricity. It may not do much to power a city, but the new device might one day help eliminate the need for batteries in cell phones, tiny radios or other personal electronic devices.
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Citations
S. Webb. Catching some rays. Science News for Kids, July 2, 2007. [Go to]
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