Those bright folks at Purdue University are at it again. The game-changing technology in the works this time: a new engine for vehicles that's drastically more efficient than current designs. The key innovation is creating intake and exhaust valves that aren't driven by pistons, like they are in today's engines. With the valves' timing independent of piston movement, they can finely tune the combustion. Combined with a new ignition technique, the new valve tech could make engines as efficient as diesel models while cutting pollution big time.

Good news for all, surely, but I'd rate this new tech at excitement factor 6 for now. While anything that could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions is welcome, it's going to take a long time for anything in the lab to get to cars on the road. By then, won't we all be driving hydrogen-fuel-cell cars and electric roadsters anyway? But the new engine can be used with other combustibles, like ethanol and biodiesel, so this thing's probably a good idea in any case. — Peter Pachal

Via Science Daily