Where our power comes from, how it reaches us, and what could change next. Explore batteries, electricity, clean energy, and the science behind new ideas.
35 stories & explainers · Newest first
A wind turbine lighter than a paperclip and smaller than a fingernail just earned a spot in the International Book of Records, built by a researcher in Srikakulam using copper sheets and a tiny motor.
2 min read
The greenhouse effect explains why gases like carbon dioxide from power plants trap heat in Earth's atmosphere, which is why rules on plant emissions are tied to climate change.
5 min read
A rule that once forced American power plants to trap their own carbon dioxide has just been scrapped, with regulators betting the change will save money instead of the climate.
2 min read
A prolonged cold snap could drain Germany's underground gas reserves before spring, the industry group INES has warned, raising fresh questions about the country's energy security.
2 min read
Learn how countries store natural gas underground for winter, why storage levels are tracked so closely, and what happens when reserves run low.
5 min read
Electric vehicles run on batteries and motors instead of engines and fuel, and the global shift toward them is one reason legacy carmakers are restructuring their workforces.
4 min read
Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic cells, and they keep working on overcast days because they capture diffuse light, not just direct sun.
5 min read
Grey skies over British rooftops don't have to mean grey savings: a new analysis finds even the cloudiest regions of Great Britain could cut yearly energy bills by more than £400 with rooftop solar panels.
2 min read
What if the rust-colored rocks under the Australian outback were quietly brewing fuel? Researchers studying Western Australia's iron-rich rock formations found they naturally generate hydrogen gas, and the reaction might be sped up to make far more.
2 min read
Oil tankers that rerouted to dodge danger in the Middle East are now getting hit on those safer paths too, and analysts say the risk hasn't been this bad since the Iran war started.
2 min read
An oil chokepoint is a narrow shipping route that a huge share of the world's oil must pass through, and the Strait of Hormuz near Iran is the most important one on Earth.
5 min read
Crude oil is not fuel until a refinery processes it, and understanding that process explains why pump prices can rise even when crude oil costs stay the same.
5 min read
Pump prices have jumped again as fighting in the Middle East disrupts oil routes, but the real squeeze started years before the latest conflict: the world simply has fewer refineries turning crude into fuel.
2 min read
A wiring mix-up inside a new-build UK housing estate meant one homeowner's energy use was billed to a neighbor for months, and correcting it pushed their tariff up 19%.
2 min read
Electricity meters measure how much power a home uses, and suppliers turn that reading into a bill using a tariff rate; mix-ups in new buildings can link the wrong meter to the wrong address for months.
5 min read
Solar panels make electricity during the day, but what happens when the sun goes down? Batteries store that energy — and understanding how they work explains why storing solar power is one of the biggest challenges in clean energy today.
6 min read
A thin wafer of silicon no bigger than your palm can power a home — and India is now one of the world's biggest builders of the machines that do exactly that. Here is how photovoltaic solar cells work and why India's solar ambition is changing the country's energy story.
3 min read
When fuel and fertilizer supplies get disrupted by conflict far away, everyday life in India feels it fast — from bus fares to farm costs. Prime Minister Modi's June 2026 Mann Ki Baat address urged Indians to shift to public transport and natural fertilizers as a practical response.
3 min read
Public transport moves more people using less fuel, which helps cities reduce traffic and helps countries spend less on imported oil. This explainer explains how buses, metros, and trains work together to make everyday life cheaper and cleaner.
6 min read
About 95% of the universe is invisible — and a bold new idea suggests that dark matter and dark energy, two of physics' biggest mysteries, might be two sides of the same hidden coin.
2 min read
About 95% of the universe is made of things scientists cannot see or touch directly — dark matter and dark energy. This explainer helps you understand what they are, how scientists know they exist, and why physicists are racing to unlock their secrets.
6 min read
A tool the world uses to track which countries and factories are polluting the most has been found to contain significant errors — and that could affect decisions worth billions of dollars in climate action.
2 min read
Uranium enrichment is the process of increasing the concentration of a specific atom inside uranium ore, and the level of enrichment determines whether uranium can power a city or build a bomb. Understanding this process helps make sense of international nuclear agreements and why the world watches certain countries so
6 min read
Every evening, just as millions of Indian families switch on fans and TVs after sunset, solar panels go dark — and the power grid has to scramble to keep up. This daily timing mismatch is causing widespread electricity shortages across India.
3 min read
Crude oil prices bounced nearly 2% in a single day because a key shipping route and nuclear talks between Iran and the US remain unresolved — and when oil swings, so does the price of almost everything else you buy.
3 min read
Every new road, apartment block, and office tower quietly adds to a carbon crisis: the global construction sector now produces 37% of all carbon emissions — more than cars, ships, and planes combined.
3 min read
A neural network just taught itself rules about plasma that human physicists had never written down — and then checked its own work against real laboratory data.
2 min read
An energy industry leader warned on April 16 that Europe has roughly six weeks of jet fuel left, as the conflict involving Iran disrupts oil supplies and threatens flight cancellations.
2 min read
The International Monetary Fund says a wider conflict involving Iran could cause a global recession by pushing oil prices sharply higher and slowing growth in many countries.
2 min read
Oil prices climbed back above $100 per barrel after US-Iran peace talks broke down and the US announced plans to blockade Iranian ports. Higher oil prices affect the cost of fuel, food, and goods worldwide.
2 min read
More homes in Great Britain switched to green energy sources in 2026 than ever before, driven by rising fuel prices pushing families to find cheaper alternatives.
2 min read
Farmers and truck drivers in Ireland held fuel protests this week, prompting an emergency cabinet meeting. They say high fuel taxes are pushing up their costs.
2 min read
ISRO has successfully completed its second Integrated Air Drop Test for the Gaganyaan mission, bringing India closer to sending astronauts to space.
2 min read
India's first Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakam in Tamil Nadu has achieved criticality, meaning it has produced a controlled nuclear chain reaction for the first time.
2 min read
A lightweight plane running entirely on solar energy has finished a 40,000 km trip around the world without using a single drop of fuel.
2 min read
