Two separate teams, one at Caltech and the other at
the University of California, Berkeley, reported that
they could increase silicon's ability to convert heat
into electric current by as much as 100 times. If they
can use what they've learned to improve silicon even
further, or translate their findings to other materials,
the discovery could lead to new ways to cool
computer chips, build refrigerators, or
get more power out of car engines.