By now you’ve heard of wind and solar as potential sources of clean energy, but how about looking beneath the surface? Earth’s fiery core reaches temperatures of up to 9,000° F, and much of that heat could be harnessed for fuel. According to a 2007 geothermal study conducted by the Energy Department, the New York Times reports, geothermal power may “produce as much as 60,000 times the nation’s annual energy usage.” It could also prove a more environmentally friendly solution than other energy sources.
More great news for all you future engineers: chances are good that you’ll soon be bringing in the benjamins. According to a recent survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, graduates of engineering programs have higher starting salaries than those of any other discipline, Business Week reports.
Here are their stats for the top 10 best-paid majors (after the jump):
If you haven’t heard already, this week (Feb. 14th-20th) is National Engineers Week. We at eGFI couldn’t be more excited, and hope that you’ll join the festivities. Many schools and universities across the nation have special events planned. If you’re near DC, you can visit us at Discover Engineering Family Day (Sat. Feb. 20 at the National Building Museum), where engineering daredevil Nate Ball will be demonstrating his ATLAS Ascender. Swing by the eGFI table and enter to win a free iPod Touch!
If you liked the previous blowing-things-up-with-dynamite video we posted, you have to see this one. A team of detonation experts prepares the flashy destruction of a Las Vegas casino, the result of which is truly spectacular.
As anyone who’s been caught in a sudden rainstorm can attest that predicting the weather can be dodgy business. Global warming has produced more erratic weather patterns, making this task even more difficult. Recent large-scale natural disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, highlight the need for better climate-monitoring systems.
Fortunately, this past month the European Space Agency launched the Soil Moisture and Salinity (SMOS) probe, a $460 million satellite that promises to help predict floods and droughts across the globe.
