Fuel Cells…in Space!

 Out of the Fog, April 2013

A basic fuel sell system starts with plain water (which, for those of you a bit rusty on your high school chemistry, is two hydrogen atoms bonded with an oxygen atom). Using an electrical current, such as from a solar panel, the water molecules can be broken up into oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. These two gasses are stored separately until power is needed—the larger the reserve tanks holding the gasses, the more power available later. Upping the pressure in the tanks compresses the gas down into a smaller volume, meaning more power potential in less space.

Top 5 Science Stories of 2012 (According to Reddit)

 Out of the Fog, January 2013

2012 was a big year for science. From tiny particles to worlds millions of miles away, there were a lot of science stories worth reading. Here is a compilation of the top five of the year, according to the point-score given by users of Reddit.com. For each major story I’ve made a useful infographic to give you some neat facts about that topic. Here’s to hoping 2013 is an even better year for science!

Pluto probe peril

 Out of the Fog, December 2012

As the Curiosity rover safely studies rocks on the surface of Mars, a NASA mission on route to Pluto may find itself on a treacherously rocky path. NASA announced last month that the $650 million New Horizons space probe’s planned trajectory during its July 2015 flyby could turn into a collision course with unknown moons and debris circling the dwarf planet—an unfortunate end to the mission’s three-billion-mile cosmic road trip.

The Case for GMOs

 Out of the Fog, November 2012

On Tuesday we Californians will vote on Prop 37 to decide whether or not to force companies to label their genetically modified foods. The European Union already requires the labeling of these GMOs, and some European countries ban genetically modified products outright. This labeling paints the picture that GMOs are dangerous and shouldn’t be developed let alone eaten.