Ancient light from the very early universe takes billions of years to get to our part of the galaxy. By the time scientists on Earth get to observe this ancient light it has traversed a twisted pattern distorted by the pull of matter in its way. This is known as B-modes and its secret has been unraveled using the National Science Foundation’s South Pole Telescope, and the Herschel space observatory.

Scientists believe there are two kind of B-modes. The first kind were generated a few billion years into our universe’s existence while the second type were produced when the universe was formed, fractions of a second after its birth in the Big Bang. It is the second kind that may hold clues to how the universe began and that is a mystery all scientists everywhere are interesting in solving.

The data from the Planck mission is being combed to find more instances of this primordial B-modes of light. Researchers were looking for the kind of polarized light formed by a process called gravitational lensing. This is where the gravitational pull from matter disturbs the path of light. Further scientific study is needed to sort and make sense of all the data that this ancient light may hold.

Lasers have become an integrated part of our lives. We use them to print files from the computer, listen to music on CDs, view movies on DVDs, operate on eyes, monitor blood pressure, cut and weld metal for automobiles and a whole lot more. One more use of lasers is going to be to test drinking water potability.

Potable water is water that is safe enough to be consumed by human beings. Testing the quality of drinking water before it is piped to the city is a major responsibility as new contaminants can enter the water and cause diseases for the full population of a city. The researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Freiburg have developed the technology to allow lasers to test the quality of drinking water.

The new system automatically analyzes water samples at the waterworks using their quantum cascade laser. The apparatus can not only identify if the water is contaminated, but also narrow down to find out what impurity is present in the water. It has been designed in such a manner that it can immediately identify any dangerous substance present in the water and give early warning. Such a science project will indeed have a positive impact.

Part of the reason why solar energy took so long to catch on is that the number of solar cells required to produce usable energy was massive. This was because of the failure of the solar cells to convert the solar energy efficiently, which resulted in loss of solar power. Nano technology may have a solution to overcome this large loss of power.

At the Arizona State University researchers have developed nano particles using graphite which are able to improve the absorbtion of solar energy of solar cells. Traditional Photovoltaic solar panels can use only a fraction of the sunlight that reaches them. The rest gets converted to heat and impedes the absorption of energy.

This limitation was partially overcome by using solar collectors. The solar thermal collector collects this extra heat and uses it to boil water, make steam and run a turbine to generate electricity. It is these solar collectors that the researchers have improved by adding mixed nanoparticles including those of graphite.

Being black in color makes graphite a good absorber of heat. This increases the heat collection of the solar collectors making them more efficient. There are many potential uses of these improved solar thermal collectors and the researchers are working on many science projects related to this as well.

The use of solar panels on the roof to heat water for the bathrooms is standard practice in many countries world wide today. Some other solar devices have been used for cooling purposes, but have not been found very economical. However the researchers at the Madrid Universities Carlos III and Politécnica are doing path breaking research in using solar power for heating as well as cooling.

Their suggestion is to incorporate  solar energy collectors into a gas-based co-generation system with an absorption machine. This will allow the energy expenditure and CO₂ emissions both to be reduced. This gas engine generates electricity which can be used to power air conditioning during the summers. The extra heat that is trapped can be used during winters to warm the rooms. The prototype has been built.

The hybrid tri-generation plant built by the researchers at Madrid upplies 1.7 MW of electricity, 1.3 MW of heating and 2 MW of air conditioning.  Unfortunately the size and scope of the gas engine is such that at present it would take 14 years of use for the machine to pay for itself.

While the concept was developed to help the energy needs of the buildings within the Madrid region, it may be a wile before the proposed gas engine can be used in an economical manner. Perhaps more science experiments could help make it more user friendly.

Solar energy has been gaining ground as a viable green source of energy for our planet. The drawback of having solar cells all over the top of a building to be able to generate enough energy to provide electrical current for running a few simple devices may soon be overcome.

Scientists at ICFO have been working on a solar cell that offers a high degree of transparency. These new generation transparent solar cells are also far more efficient at generating energy using the sun’s power. They give hope to the concept of having a building where in the windows are able to capture the sun’s energy to power the home’s electrical needs.

True the concept is still in infant stage and a whole lot more work is yet to be done to make this a viable and economical project, but the possibilities and potential of these transparent solar cells have researchers the world over excited. Perhaps this could mean the end of the energy crisis.

They are also likely to induce clean cities as the energy is not coming from a polluting fossil fuel but something that is as natural as life itself, sunlight. This science project is a major step in the direction of integrating renewable, green energies into urban lives and landscapes.