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 news magazine "Maclean's", Brian Bethune praised Hanson's storytelling, writing, "For all the intriguing science, what really livens up Hanson's passionate discussion of his 'natural miracle' are the stories he tells." Laurence A. Marschall, a physics professor at Gettysburg College, wrote in a review published in the magazine "Natural History", "In sum, "Feathers" is an impressive blend of beauty, form, and function." Frances C. James, in a review published in "The Condor", described the book as "scholarly and enjoyable", commenting that "Hanson has worked hard to summarize the science behind our current understanding of the form and function of feathers, their