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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Thermal Outerwear"
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
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THERMAL OUTERWEAR. THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. RESEARCHERS AT RENSSELAER POLYTECH ARE WORKING ON A HOT NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT'S REALLY COOL. JUST A PROTOTYPE NOW, IT'S A SYSTEM FOR COOLING AND HEATING THAT USES A THIN FILM, EMBEDDED WITH TINY SOLAR CELLS AND HEAT PUMPS. IT OPERATES SILENTLY, WITH NO MOVING PARTS--AND GETS ITS ENERGY FROM THE SUN. BASICALLY, IT COULD, ONE DAY, TURN WINDOWS, WALLS, OR OTHER SURFACES INTO AIR-CONDITIONING AND HEATING SYSTEMS. KNOWN AS THE "ACTIVE BUILDING ENVELOPE"--OR A-B-E--IT'S BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT FOR FOUR YEARS. THE NEW EMPHASIS IS ON SHRINKING THE FILM TO A SCALE OF MICROMETERS--IMPROVING ITS EFFICIENCY AND USEFULNESS. IT COULD, ONE DAY, BECOME A GLAZE THAT COULD BE APPLIED TO EXISTING BUILDINGS--TO KEEP THEM CLIMATE-CONTROLLED. IMAGINE USING IT ON COFFEE MUGS THAT WOULD ALWAYS STAY HOT--OR ON SODA CANS THAT WOULD COOL THEMSELVES. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
