Is effective solar power around the corner?

IT Business reports that researchers from MIT have discovered a new way of storing energy from sunlight that could lead to unlimited solar power.

Sunlight has the greatest potential of any power source to solve the world's energy problems, Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at MIT and researcher on the project, said in a statement. In one hour, enough sunlight strikes the Earth to provide the entire planet's energy needs for one year.

The problem, however, is how best to harness that energy.

The research is a "giant leap" toward generating clean, carbon-free energy on a massive scale, said James Barber, a biochemistry professor at Imperial College London who was not involved in the solar project.

Nocera said he's hopeful that within 10 years people will no longer power their homes using electricity-by-wire from a central source. Instead, homeowners will be able to power their homes with solar power during daylight hours and use this new energy storage method for electricity at night.

Competition to make the longest cardboard marble ramp

Kidmade has a competition this month that was tailor made for Ben and every little boy out there. Cardboard, duct tape and marbles, what could be more perfect?

This month's challenge is to engineer the longest marble ramp you can using only cardboard and duct tape. Feel free to use chairs, tables, railings and ladders to support your ramp and decorate to your hearts content with paint,markers and fiddly-bits. Your ramp can be a straight run or zig-zag down a wall. We're looking for total ramp length.

Start digging through your recycling bin and saving boxes, cylinders and tubes. Wrapping paper tubes are great for a nice long run and I've had luck calling the fabric store and asking them to save tubes from the bolts of fabric. Anything goes as long as it's cardboard and duct tape.

Details here.

We need to start collecting cardboard tubes. I can see how the kids are going to have a blast with this project