THIS SOUNDS LIKE GOOD NEWS: “Two teams of US scientists have demonstrated silicon-based ‘thermoelectric’ materials that could convert waste heat back into electricity[1,2] – potentially giving a boost to the efficiency of everything from power stations to refrigerators. Until now, efficient thermoelectric materials have used pricier metals such as bismuth or tellurium. Switching over to silicon could have a global impact, allowing large-scale thermoelectric devices to be produced more cheaply.” I hope it pans out. (Via Nanodot).