SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
LHC Starts Up Again—at Half Power
CERN's problem-plagued Large Hadron Collider will finally become operational later this month, but officials there said last week that it will operate at only half power for the next two years. Researchers hope the enormous machine will eventually reveal the secrets of primordial forces and perhaps even new laws of physics.
Power companies are exploring new technologies known collectively as the "smart grid," which promises to give customers remote control of their home energy use through the Internet and can even sense when a fallen tree has interrupted service and reroute power to inconvenience the fewest customers.
In other technology news, leaks of radioactive water at U.S. nuclear power plants in recent years have raised questions about the nation's aging nuclear facilities at a time when many argue that nuclear power should play a greater role in fulfilling our energy needs.
And this looks to be the year when the next generation of hybrid electric cars begin to appear in driveways across America. Although only slightly more than 10,000 will be available next fall, it will mean a major reality check with American buyers.
And, finally, New Scientist looked at the vulnerability of digital information storage and what it could mean for the long-term preservation of human knowledge.
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