PopSci Staff

Our annual year-end list of the most impressive new developments in science and technology is almost upon us. But before you read our take, we'd like to hear what gadgets, discoveries and new developments that have caught your eye, your hard-earned dollars, or your imagination this year.

Have a question you need answered? Send it to the editors at fyi@popsci.com!

Jonathan Coulton, PopSci's contributing troubadour and longtime friend, has a new DVD/CD set out titled "Best. Concert. Ever." Leave a question or comment below for a chance to win the goods. We'll announce our ten lucky winners on July 17th. Good luck!

Features

The Future of Energy

From here to 2050: The Reality-Check Energy Guide; Which technologies will finally free us from oil?

The PopSci Predictions Exchange will come to an end on May 31. It’s been an amazing two years, with 33,339 registered users betting on the future of our scientific and technological world. We extend our appreciation to all of the dedicated traders who have made this game what it is. It’s been a great run!

GeoEye-1 shot this photo on April 4, 2009 from a height of 423 miles, as the spacecraft moved from north to south along the eastern seaboard of the U.S.

PopSci is celebrating Earth Day in all kinds of green ways! Check out our gallery to see what we're doing for the planet today, and to discover the science behind our decisions.

This photo of Mount Redoubt, caught in mid-eruption, was taken from a height of 423 miles, on March 30, 2009 as the GeoEye-1 satellite moved from north to south over Alaska at a speed of 4 miles per second. Since the amount of area is so large, the ground resolution of this image is 2 meters.

Two cigarette lighters with clear plastic fuel reservoirs are new to the market. Each sells for about $5. At left is the Ritepoint Liter, made by the Ritepoint Co., St. Louis, Mo. It is available in four different colors. The fuel supply is transferred to the wick as needed by a finger-touch valve.

This morning, Charles Simonyi blasted off for his return visit to the International Space Station. He will return to Earth on April 7.

Read our interview with the avid tourist.

[Via Kontraband.com]

This ia a pretty impressive display of DIY creativity using an... unconventional set of raw materials.

From the US PopSci team

In this episode of Cocktail Party Science, host Chuck Cage sits down with features editor Nicole Dyer and Eric Hagerman, author of "Wingman" to learn more about just what kind of lunatic straps jet engines to his back and leaps out of an airplane. Learn more about how Yves Rossy's homemade jet-fueled wingsuit works, why there's nothing crazy about his mission. Plus: hey! What about a bird strike?

Download the episode here, or subscribe to the iTunes feed.

All this week PopSci will be reporting live from the Consumer Electronics Show to bring you photos of the biggest TVs, videos of the wildest robots, blog posts about tech-celebrity sightings and more.

Keep your browser pointed to popsci.com/ces2009 for up-to-the-minute coverage of the gadgets, tech trends and announcements you'll be talking about for the rest of the year.

An ambitious hybrid aircraft could be the key to flying faster, greener and more agilely than ever. In this episode of Cocktail Party Science, executive editor Mike Haney and writer Abe Streep explain to host Chuck Cage how the concept may soon be a reality.

Download the podcast episode here, or subscribe to the iTunes feed.

What does it take to get on the inside of a prank? Writer Bob Parks and PopSci Deputy Editor Jake Ward sit down with host Chuck Cage to discover the story behind the story of one of the biggest college pranks in history.

Download the podcast episode here, or subscribe to the iTunes feed.