Self-oscillating polymeric refrigerator with high energy efficiency. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38720078/)

These scientists found a way to make a special kind of refrigerator that doesn't need any external power to work. They used a thin film made of a special type of plastic that can change its temperature and shape when electricity is applied to it. This plastic film can cool things down without needing any extra equipment to make it work.

They tested their invention and found that it can cool things down really well, even better than regular refrigerators in some cases. This new type of refrigerator is very thin and flexible, making it easy to use for cooling electronic devices like computers or phones. It can also automatically adjust its cooling power based on the temperature around it.

Han D., Zhang Y., Huang C., Zheng S., Wu D., Li Q., Du F., Duan H., Chen W., Shi J., Chen J., Liu G., Chen X., Qian X. Self-oscillating polymeric refrigerator with high energy efficiency. Nature. 2024 May 8. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07375-3.