Researchers at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute have succeeded in using their femtosecond laser pulse technology to double the efficiency of black silicon solar cells. Black silicon solar cells make it possible to harness the infrared spectrum in sunlight for power generation. The infrared part makes up around one third of the spectrum and cannot be harnessed by conventional types of solar cell.

Considering all the hopes and expectations people had placed in it, there is no other way of viewing the climate change conference in Copenhagen than as a complete flop. So where do we go from here? An Interview with Udo E. Simonis on the debacle of Copenhagen.

As Chinese everywhere were celebrating the first couple of days of the Year of Dragon on January 23rd and 24th, 2012. Chinese police fired indiscriminately on hundreds of Tibetans who had gathered peacefully to claim their basic rights in Drakgo, Serthar, Ngaba, Gyarong, and other neighboring Tibetan areas. Six Tibetans were reportedly killed and around sixty injured, some critically.