It’s so tiny, you can’t see it with the naked eye. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered an energy source that you can see only through a microscope. The researchers devised a process for generating electricity using nanotechnology. They plan to refine the process in hopes of creating a new environmentally friendly battery, among other products. It works like this: Researchers used tiny wires, known as carbon nanotubes, to create a powerful wave of energy, according to Michael Strano, and MIT associate professor of chemical engineering. He is also the senior author of a paper on this new phenomenon, published in this week’s Nature Materials journal. After coating these tiny wires with a layer of fuel, Strano said his team generated a so-called thermopower wave and stumbled across a reaction that may eventually be used to power electronics, computers and cell phones. “This could lead to batteries that are up to 10 times smaller and still have the same power output. In the portable energy and energy conservation arena, we’re trying to find power sources that have a smaller profile but hold more energy,” Strano told CNN Radio. To build a power source, such as a battery, […]