Although homes can have a mix of bulbs for indoor lighting, 90% of U.S. households reported using light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, according to the most recent results of the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). Over one-third of households (37%) used LED bulbs for all indoor lighting. In contrast, 5% of households reported using incandescent or halogen bulbs and 2% used compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs for all indoor lighting.
For over a century, scientists have chased the dream of insulin pills, but the digestive system kept destroying the drug before it could work—forcing millions of patients to rely on daily injections. Now, researchers at Kumamoto University have developed a clever workaround using a tiny peptide that helps insulin slip through the intestinal wall.
Scientists have found a clever way to supercharge ultra-thin semiconductors by reshaping the space beneath them rather than altering the material itself. By placing a single-atom-thick layer of tungsten disulfide over tiny air cavities carved into a crystal, they created miniature “light traps” that dramatically boost brightness and optical effects—up to 20 times stronger emission and 25 times stronger nonlinear signals. These hollow structures, called Mie voids, concentrate light exactly where the material sits, overcoming a major limitation of atomically thin devices.
Scientists have turned simple glass into a powerful quantum communication device that could safeguard data against future quantum attacks. The chip combines stability, speed, and versatility—handling both ultra-secure encryption and record-breaking random number generation in one compact system.
Drone footage has revealed sperm whales headbutting each other—something scientists had only speculated about until now. Surprisingly, it’s younger whales doing it, not the giant males researchers expected. The behavior echoes old seafaring tales of whales smashing ships, once thought exaggerated. Now, scientists are eager to understand whether these clashes are play, practice, or serious competition.
For the first time, scientists have reconstructed the full history of a galaxy outside the Milky Way using chemical clues. By analyzing oxygen across NGC 1365 and comparing it with simulations, they traced its growth over 12 billion years. The findings show how its core formed early while its outer regions were built through repeated mergers. This new approach could transform how astronomers study galaxy evolution.
Postmenopausal women may have a powerful new edge in the battle against weight gain. A Mayo Clinic study found that those using menopausal hormone therapy while taking the obesity drug tirzepatide lost about 35% more weight than those on the drug alone. The findings hint at a surprising synergy between hormones and cutting-edge weight-loss medications, potentially opening the door to more effective, personalized treatments for millions of women facing increased cardiometabolic risks after menopause.
A new study suggests a widely used bone hormone could help relieve chronic back pain in an unexpected way. Instead of just strengthening bone, it appears to stop pain-sensing nerves from growing into damaged spinal areas. In animal models, this led to stronger spinal tissue and reduced pain sensitivity. The findings hint at a future treatment that tackles back pain at its biological roots.
Researchers have developed a teeth-whitening powder that works with the vibrations of an electric toothbrush to safely remove stains. Unlike traditional whiteners, it not only brightens teeth but also repairs enamel and supports healthy oral bacteria. Lab tests showed dramatic whitening effects, while animal studies revealed reduced harmful microbes and inflammation. This could pave the way for a new generation of at-home dental care.
Two new species of black bass have been officially identified after decades of confusion with similar fish. Bartram’s bass and Altamaha bass stand out not just in appearance, but in their DNA, revealed through detailed genetic analysis of hundreds of specimens. Scientists say this breakthrough helps preserve a record of these species as habitat changes and hybridization threaten their future. What was once overlooked could soon be at risk of vanishing.
Foams have long baffled scientists because liquid drains from them far sooner than theory predicts. New research shows the reason: the bubbles don’t stay put—they rearrange, opening pathways for liquid to escape. The key factor is the pressure needed to shift bubbles, not just push liquid through them. This insight reshapes how we understand foams and could improve everyday products.
1. 🙃 We are at war with Iran. Or maybe it’s not a war. Or maybe the war’s over. Maybe the war’s been going on for 47 years and now Trump has ended it by starting a giant bombing campaign that looks strikingly similar to a war. Maybe the true goal of the war is to undo the primary effect of the war. In MAGA world, all these things can be true, and none of them, at once — whatever makes Dear Leader look good in the moment.
In last month’s email, I wrote about masked, armed government thugs kidnapping people off the streets of Minneapolis. This month, I’m writing about a war in Iran. What will I be writing about next month? The mind, it boggles.
Everyone is claiming to know how this is going to turn out and what it means for global energy markets and all the rest. As for me, I have no idea and I don’t think anybody else does either. We won’t know what all this means until we’re looking back on it many years later.
I will say this, though: the case for independence from fossil fuels has never been stronger.
Have you ever met an angel?
2. 🏂 So there I am, in Bend, OR, visiting a friend for one last attempt at snowboarding. (The snow situation is … dire, friends. Dire.) The house where I was staying at was in one of those suburban-style developments that are all over Bend, with their winding streets, big lot sizes, and big single-family houses. As is my wont, I got chirpy about it on social media.
Yeah. Pretty chirpy. Several Bend residents took up arms to defend the city’s honor, including, uh, the mayor:
It turns out I was in fact wrong! Many such cases.
Thanks again to the Mayor Melanie for extending me more grace than I probably deserved — and for showing up with charts and graphs! (Be still my heart.) Visit Bend if you can, it’s great.
3. ☀️ Another balcony solar update courtesy of Bright Saver’s bill tracker: Virginia’s legislature passed a plug-in solar bill and it’s now awaiting the governor’s signature. That’s a semi-big deal: Virginia is data center ground zero and, like the rest of PJM, has seen electricity rates sharply rising in recent years. Affordability politics FTW?
As the victories pile up, you won’t be shocked to hear that utilities are starting to mobilize against it. Sigh. A bunch of other states still have bills in play, whereas Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming have kicked the can to 2027.
Out front of Casa Volts, signs that Spring may spring again after all.
4. In Dec. 2023, I ran a podcast with a startup called Sublime that was making cement with no carbon emissions, by using electrochemistry in place of combustion. It is, in my 5+ years of doing this, one of the most exciting and promising technologies I’ve come across — one of the techs I most often mention to people to get them excited about the future.
If electrochemical approaches — to cement, to steel, to recycling — can be scaled up and brought down in price, the biggest and most “difficult to decarbonize” sectors will be solved. Heavy industry will be electrified. Smart policy would be plowing money into early-stage companies in this area. So this is just a huge, huge bummer:
And that was after job cuts at Boston Metal (electrochemical steel) just last month. Electrochemistry is having a rough go of it.
It’s all so excruciatingly short-sighted.
5. 🔌 Last month, I ran a podcast with RMI’s Joe Daniel about the increasingly widespread critique that US utilities are taking too much in profits. Here's a new Energy & Policy Institute report about the steadily-rising profits of utility executives, and an EPI calculator that will show you exactly how much of your bill goes to utility profit margins (instead of being invested back into the system):
6. ✅ Community comment(s) of the month: as you could hear in the “how to design a brand-new city” episode, I was rather charmed by Jan Sramek’s plan, and what do you know, he’s answering listener questions in the Volts comments section:
You’d think he was a normal dog.
Monthly Thread — How It Works
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A surprising new study reveals that blocking a supposedly protective enzyme, Caspase-2, could actually backfire—raising the risk of chronic liver damage and cancer over time. Researchers found that without this enzyme, liver cells grow abnormally large and accumulate genetic damage, leading to inflammation, scarring, and eventually tumors, especially with age. While inhibiting Caspase-2 may offer short-term benefits, such as reducing fatty liver disease, the long-term consequences appear dangerous.
A new blood test could change the outlook for one of the deadliest cancers—pancreatic cancer—by catching it much earlier than ever before. Researchers identified two previously unknown proteins in the blood that, when combined with existing markers, dramatically improved detection accuracy. The four-marker test was able to spot pancreatic cancer in over 90% of cases and performed especially well even in early stages, when treatment has the best chance of success.
Tiny plastic particles aren’t just choking oceans and cities—they’re quietly infiltrating forests too. Scientists discovered that most microplastics arrive through the air, settling onto treetops before being washed or dropped to the forest floor in rain and falling leaves. Once there, natural processes like leaf decay help bury and store these particles deep in the soil. The findings reveal forests as hidden reservoirs of airborne pollution—and potentially a new frontline in the growing microplastics crisis.
People often get the environmental impact of food wrong, according to new research. While many assume processed foods are the worst, they tend to overlook the surprisingly high impact of items like nuts and underestimate how damaging beef really is. These misunderstandings come from relying on simple categories like “animal vs. plant” rather than the full picture.
Scientists have uncovered a hidden “death switch” in the brain that may be driving Alzheimer’s disease—and even found a way to turn it off in mice. The culprit is a toxic pairing of two proteins that, when combined, triggers the destruction of brain cells and fuels memory loss. By using a new compound to break apart this deadly duo, researchers were able to slow disease progression, protect brain cells, and even reduce hallmark amyloid buildup.
Scientists have uncovered a surprising brain-based trigger for high blood pressure, tracing it to a small region in the brainstem that normally controls breathing. This area, which kicks in during forceful exhalations like coughing, laughing, or exercise, also appears to activate nerves that tighten blood vessels—raising blood pressure. When researchers switched off this region in experiments, blood pressure dropped back to normal, suggesting it plays a direct role in hypertension.
Scientists have created a new kind of time crystal using sound waves to levitate tiny beads in mid-air. These particles interact in a one-sided, unbalanced way, breaking the usual rules of motion and creating a steady, repeating rhythm. The system is surprisingly simple yet reveals complex physics with big implications. It could help advance quantum computing and deepen our understanding of biological timing systems.
A decades-old superconducting mystery just took a surprising turn. Strontium ruthenate, a material that conducts electricity with zero resistance at low temperatures, has long puzzled scientists with hints of an exotic, complex superconducting state. But by carefully twisting and distorting ultra-thin crystals, researchers found something unexpected: the material barely reacted at all. This challenges years of assumptions and suggests its behavior may be far simpler—or far stranger—than previously thought.
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