Energy harvesting that are able to operate in higher temperature gradients, and that can conduct electricity well without also conducting heat (something that was until recently thought impossible ), will result in increased efficiency. Future work in thermoelectrics could be to convert wasted heat, such as in automobile engine combustion, into electricity. This type of harvesting is based on the changing capacitance of vibration-dependent capacitors. Vibrations separate the plates of a charged variable capacitor, and mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy. Electrostatic energy harvesters need a polarization source to work and to convert mechanical energy from vibrations into electricity. The polarization
Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle is "something for everyone to learn", from professional ornithologists to non-biologists. Bostwick warned scientific readers, however, that "Feathers" uses poetic license "to adapt some of the historical accounts a little to make them flow as stories" and that "Hanson uses a few analogies to explain some of the more complex biological phenomenon that are not entirely accurate." Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle is a 2011 natural history book by American conservation biologist Thor Hanson. Published by Basic Books and written for general audiences, the book discusses the significance of feathers, their