Skip to Content

Rocket Power

The same technology that sent humans to the moon may soon be powering your home with cleanly produced electricity. Clean Energy Systems of Sacramento, CA, has developed a gas generator that combines rocket and steam turbine technology to generate power while emitting minimal pollutants. The system burns a mixture of hydrocarbons and oxygen in the presence of water; it releases no carbon monoxide or unburned hydrocarbons. Carbon dioxide is extracted from the water for storage instead of being released into the atmosphere. A small-scale unit was recently tested at the University of California, Davis; Clean Energy Systems is building a full-scale generator.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.

The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.

Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.

How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets

When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.

Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch

Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.