Transparent solar cells

A group of researchers in Japan have come up with a means to create small, lightweight, and clear(!) solar cells that can be adapted for most situations - including putting them on homes or cars, while not changing the aesthetic or the ability to see through a windshield. 

"Our approach improved the power conversion efficiency over 1,000 times compared to devices using standard ITO electrodes," 

Now that's something that could revolutionize the solar industry. 

https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/transparent-solar-cells-generate-power-1000x-more-efficiently-than-traditional-panels-2/

American culture and return to office

There have been many, many, many articles about forcing workers to return to offices, chiding them for not putting in "enough" time, of companies and ceos being bullies because they can. 

They say things like "We are more productive" or "we can collaborate" when what they mean is that they can control everyone who works for them. 

And now we're seeing articles about how it's impacting these companies. More pushback. More incivility. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/workplace-incivility-spiraling-companies-rile-161658844.html

And meanwhile in Europe, they're taking a different approach. Here's one outcome in Germany that suggests treating employees well pays off. 

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/04/73-of-german-companies-tried-four-day-workweek-now-theyre-not-going-back/

But we'll never get there. Instead we will all become a kind of indentured servant to the large corporations. 

Rocket radar?

DARPA's AtmoSense program seeks to use Earth's atmosphere as a global sensor by measuring acoustic and electromagnetic waves propagating through the atmosphere, and attempting to trace them back to a specific disturbance event that took place on Earth. In doing so, DARPA hopes to be able to trace underground explosions or other national security threats using the signals detected from the atmosphere.

https://gizmodo.com/darpa-unintentionally-invents-new-rocket-radar-thanks-to-spacex-2000584008

Watch "Propellantless Propulsion Device | Charles Buhler" on YouTube

Dr Buhler thinks he has found a new force that allows for a a drive system that has no propellant. 

 

"Essentially, what we've discovered is that systems that contain an asymmetry in either electrostatic pressure or some kind of electrostatic divergent field can give a system of a center of mass a non-zero force component.

 "So, what that basically means is that there's some underlying physics that can essentially place force on an object should those two constraints be met."

Which is somewhere between an interesting theory and just using jargon to obfuscate. 

Personally, I'm learning toward this being hokum. But I am willing to keep an open mind and see if there's any merit to what he's saying. 

https://youtu.be/WhsKMWOYuYo?si=Cot8r7DYD7tHk_HO

Innovative new design in wind energy production

Spanish company, Vortex Bladeless Ltd., has designed turbines that are entirely without blades. They generate electricity by jiggling.

The structure of these bladeless turbines works by attracting whirlwinds. Depending on the speed and direction of the wind, these whirlwinds develop at certain frequencies. At the base of the bladeless turbine are two rings of repelling magnets. When the wind pulls the turbine in one direction, the magnets pull it in another, causing the tube to wiggle.

Energy reaches a peak when the frequency of the vortex or whirlwind coincides with the frequency of the turbine. This peak is established due to the aeroelastic coupling that arises at this point. It is at this moment that the energy is absorbed and converted from kinetic energy into electrical energy.

To simplify, the whirlwinds produced by the wind cause the turbine to vibrate. This kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy and used to power our homes.

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/say-goodbye-wind-power-unlimited-energy/12905/

Simple question

What is wrong with us?

An anonymous social media post tells a made up story about some college girl and it goes viral; the story even appeared on a national show. 

And then her life gets upended. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/university-mississippi-student-speaks-about-viral-rumor-rcna199330

Rice and food scarcity

Here's another example of how the food supply is being disrupted by climate change. 

This is going to become the norm. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/officials-sound-alarm-major-staple-111500167.html