Piezoelectricity - why hitting crystals makes electricity

Published 5 years ago in Science. Submitted by sux2bu

Certain crystals, like quartz will produce a voltage when hit. It's all to do with the arrangement of atoms and charge in the lattice. It's used in lots of things like piezo lighters, sensors, speakers and oscillators for timekeeping.

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Why all solar panels are secretly LEDs (and all LEDs are secretly solar panels)

Published 5 years ago in Technology. Submitted by sux2bu

LEDs and solar panels are both made of diodes. A diode is just designed to allow electricity to flow in one direction but because we make them out of semiconductors they can do all these other things.

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Turtle Known for Punk Appearance Listed as Endangered

Published 6 years ago in Animals. Submitted by sux2bu

Australian John Cann, a Sydney-based turtle enthusiast, found the Mary River Turtle in a discovery that led to the Mary River Turtle being classified as a new species.
Found in just one waterway in a remote part of Australia's east coast, the turtle - with its green-algae Mohican and ability to breathe through its genitals - is one of the world's most distinct reptiles. It is also now officially one of the most endangered.
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Massive glacier collapse sends tourists fleeing at famous lagoon in Iceland

Published 5 years ago in Nature. Submitted by sux2bu

A large wave caused by a glacier calving - the natural process where a large section of ice breaks away - has been caught on camera in Iceland.
Tourists visiting the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, who were accompanied by an expert guide, can be seen running to safety as th…
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Why the US doesn’t use metric (even though it does)

Published 5 years ago in Documentary. Submitted by sux2bu

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