Here's an assortment of interesting articles from the Scientific American, related to electricity! 1. Carlson, W. B. (March 2005). Inventor of Dreams. Scientific American. 78-85. Nikola Tesla, the father of today's AC electrical system and other key inventions, often failed to bring his visionary ideas to real-world fruition 2. Wald, M. L. (May 2004). Questions about a Hydrogen Economy. Scientific American. 67-73. Much excitement surrounds the progress in fuel cells, but the quest for a hydrogen economy is no trivial pursuit 3. Minkel, J. R. (November 2003). Healing the Grid. Scientific American. 18-19. Several near-term solutions can keep the juice flowing 4. Burns, L. D., McCormick, J. B., & Borroni-Bird, C. E. (October 2002). Vehicle of Change. Scientific American. 64-73. Hydrogen fuel-cell cars could be the catalyst for a cleaner tomorrow 5. Rosenau, L. (March 2000). Working Knowledge. Scientific American. 108. Electricity Meters 6. Dyer, C. K. (July 1999). Replacing the Battery in Portable Electronics. Scientific American. 88-93. Batteries are cumbersome and expensive. Miniature fuel cells could supplant them in cellular phones, laptop computers, camcorders and other consumer products 7. Lloyd, A. C. (July 1999). The Power Plant in Your Basement. Scientific American. 80-86. In the past, stationary fuel cells were megawatt behemoths, designed for the electric utilities. Now they are being shrunk for homes and other modest applications 8. Coutts, T. J., & Fitzgerald, M. C. (September 1998). Thermophotovoltaics. Scientific American. 90-95. Semiconductors that convert radiant heat to electricity may prove suitable for lighting remote villages or powering automobiles 9. Eisenberg, M. S. (June 1998). Defibrillation: The Spark of Life. Scientific American. 86-90. In the 50 years since doctors first used electricity to restart the human heart, we have learned much about defibrillators and little about fibrillation 10. Gibbs, W. W. (October 1997). Change in the Wind. Scientific American. 46. Utilities are starting to offer renewable energy - for a price 11. Leutwyler, K. (December 1996). Plastic Power. Scientific American. 46, 48. Polymers take a step forward as photovoltaic cells and lasers 12. Sperling, D. (November 1996). The Case for Electric Vehicles. Scientific American. 54-59. New technological developments have put practical electric cars within reach, but politics may slow the shift away from internal-combustion engines 13. Yam, P. (November 1995). Mind Meets Machine, Sort of. Scientific American. 32. Taking a modest step closer to the science-fiction staple of melding the human brain with the computer, researchers in Germany can now control a single neuron via a silicon chip connected to it. 14. Hoagland, W. (September 1995). Solar Energy. Scientific American. 170-173. Technology will allow radiation from the sun to provide nonpolluting and cheap fuels, as well as electricity 15. Yam, P. (July 1995). Plastics Get Wired/Trends in Material Science. Scientific American. 82-87. By tailoring the electrical properties of conducting polymers, researchers hope to render electronics a bit more organic
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