Producing power from the wind and sun isn't as simple as just swapping a wind turbine for a coal-fired power plant. Every source of power we use has to work with our electrical grid, an old, imperfect, complex system that wasn't put together with the needs of renewables in mind. For instance, because renewable generation is intermittent generation, using it goes hand-in-hand with ramping production from traditional generation up and down. When you don't have enough wind, you turn up the gas-fire generators. That kind of treatment can put stress on machinery and rack up costs in maintenance and repairs. But new research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggests that, at least in monetary terms, those costs are dwarfed by the cost savings you get from using more wind and solar power and, thus, not having to pay for fuel sources.
Cost savings of renewable energy might outweigh costs of adapting to renewable energy
Lemurs get high by licking toxic millipedes and rubbing them on their bodies
The toxic secretions of millipedes are a real trip for Lemurs who know not to eat them, but to lick them and rub the enslobbered arthropods around their furry flanks. The ritual has an evolutionary narrative with it—the toxins kill parasites—and getting high is part of the package. READ THE REST
Absolutely astonishing video of a single cell becoming a tadpole
Spoilers below. From Aeon Video: Native to central and southern Europe, the amphibious alpine newt breeds in shallow water, where its larvae are born, hatch and feed on plankton, before sprouting legs and moving to land. This timelapse video from the Dutch director Jan van IJken tracks the development of a single-celled zygote into the… READ THE REST
Boy, 11, earns quantum physics degree in 18 months, wants to make people immortal
Laurent Simons, 11, earned a bachelor's degree with distinction from the University of Antwerp in 18 months of study. His major was quantum physics. Now Simons, who is half Belgian and half Dutch, is planning for his doctorate that will take him to several different countries including Israel, a hub of biotechnology. He says that… READ THE REST
Get a complete picture of your cat's oral health with a $68 Basepaws test
Cats…well, they just don't care what you think. Sure, they love you in their own way. But they've got their own agenda. And what you want … is usually pretty far down their priority list, even if it's in their own best interests. That often includes items related to their own health, including dental care.… READ THE REST
Extend your vision for dark movie nights with this $8.50 LED backlight for smart TVs
You've got a big ole TV. It's 55"…or 65"…or 75". It's glorious. Absolutely glorious. But while its brilliance is obviously sublime, that could blind you to a couple of other facts to consider. Like how staring at a bright TV against an otherwise dark wall at night actually disrupts how our eyes measure light. Rather than… READ THE REST
From CSS to JavaScript, here are 10 coding bundles that can make you a master programmer
The web development world is more than a world. It's a whole universe. That's because, for every project you see on the web, there were likely 10 different ways to reach that final product. But which way is the best way? Well, that's the question only a fully trained and knowledgeable web creator can answer… READ THE REST
