Electric vehicles (EVs) can effectively serve as mobile batteries that provide energy to the power grid when not being driven, improving the reliability of the grid, serving as a source of backup power and potentially reducing energy and EV ownership costs. So why have so few places adopted the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) model? A new study details the barriers to V2G adoption and outlines possible paths forward for this technology.

Astronomers conducted the largest survey yet of spin measurements of giant planets and brown dwarfs, or so-called "failed stars." Young giant planets and brown dwarfs often have similar brightness, temperatures and atmospheric fingerprints, making them difficult to distinguish. New study finds giant planets spin significantly faster than brown dwarfs, suggesting spin measurements could help classify the objects. Findings also indicate that giant planets and brown dwarfs form and evolve through distinct paths.

New Stanford-led research traces a direct line from warmer, wetter weather to a mosquito-borne disease epidemic. The findings could help inform policy and interventions to blunt such outbreaks.