By John Roach

Collection of Blog Posts

Next-Generation Geothermal System Helps Power the Internet

An enhanced geothermal system is sending carbon-free electrons onto the electric power grid in northern Nevada and helping to power the internet.

AI Can Help Focus Climate Models on Local Threats, Scientists Say

Scientists are harnessing advances in computer technology and artificial intelligence to build climate models that provide useful information at the scale of homes, neighborhoods and businesses.

Iodine Could Fuel Interstellar Travel, Scientist Says

A telecommunications satellite with an iodine-based electric propulsion system has been successfully tested in space.

Iron Age Skis Emerge From Melting Snow

Some 1,300 years ago, a pair of skis were lost or abandoned high on a windswept mountain in southern Norway where patches of snow and ice persist year-round.

‘Industrial-Scale’ Brewery Found in Ancient Egypt

Around 3000 BC in the ancient Egyptian town of Abydos, beer was brewed for kings in 5,000-gallon batches.

Water for Beer on a Hopped-Up Planet

Beer is about 90 percent water. This fact weighed on Rasmus Broge as he mulled an opportunity to help launch the first microbrewery in Greenland.

Can Data-Driven Agriculture Help Feed a Hungry World?

Agribusinesses are harnessing the bits and bytes of data to boost efficiency and profits, while simultaneously lowering the environmental impact of agriculture.

Beer Lands

Beer is a staple of ski town life. It is also woven into the agricultural landscapes that surround many of our mountain playgrounds.

For Storing Electricity, Utilities Are Turning to Pumped Hydro

High-tech batteries may be garnering the headlines. But utilities from Spain to China are increasingly relying on pumped storage hydroelectricity first used in the 1890s to overcome the intermittent nature of wind and solar power.

Ancient Barley Could Help Farmers Adapt to Changing Climate

DNA has been recovered from an ancient form of barley that persisted for more than 3,000 years and the tastes of five civilizations in Egypt's upper Nile.