The 27^th International Conference on Thermoelectrics, ICT2008, drew over 340 thermoelectric specialists from about 27 countries to Corvallis, Oregon USA Aug. 3-7, 2008.  The conference was held on the beautiful Oregon State University campus in Corvallis.

Now here is something you don't see every day.  A thermoelectric device every cat should have.  I'll let the citation and abstract speak for themselves:

A few weeks ago I noted the recent discovery of some new quaternary iron-based superconductors which might be of interest for thermoelectrics.  David Bérardan tells me his group had already initiated studies and have a paper currently in the "early view" section of physica status solidi (RRL):

A new family of quaternary iron-based superconductors with superconducting transition temperatures (T_c) up to 52 K are discussed in the latest issue of Physics Today.  The family of compounds, based on LaOFeAs (so called 1:1:1:1 phase), was first synthesized by Jeitschko at Dupont in the mid-1970s and more recent work by HIdeo Hosono at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.  The current record T_c~52 K was reported by Zhongxian Zhao of the Insitute of Physics in B

A ZTnews reader and world traveler reports twice sighting thermoelectrics in the real world.  A quick Google didn't turn up any photos of the TE devices, but here is the report:

See the 20080116 f the LA Times article "Inquisition at JPL"

Prof. Kin-ichi Uemura of Yokohama, Japan (organizer of ICT93 in Yokohama, Japan and long time contributor to thermoelectrics through his previously employer, Komatsu) informs me he has retired as a Patron of ZT Services.  Prof. Uemura's ITTJ ( Institute for Thermoelectric Technologies Japan ) was a charter sponsor of ZT Services and his support these many years has been much appreciated.   At age 85 he maintains his passion and interest in Thermoelectricity and hopes to see further development of the field.

Two remarkable articles on the thermoelectric properties of silicon nanowires (and an accompanying News and Views piece by me) appear in today's issue (Jan. 10, 2008) of Nature:

1.    Hochbaum, A. I. et al., Enhanced thermoelectric performance of rough silicon nanowires. Nature 451, 163-167 (2008).
       http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7175/abs/nature06381.html
 2.   Boukai, A. I. et al., Silicon nanowires as efficient thermoelectric materials. Nature 451, 168-171 (2008).
       http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7175/abs/nature06458.html
3.    Vining, C. B., Desperately seeking silicon. Nature 451, 132-133 (2008).
       http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7175/full/451132a.html
4.   see also Editor's Summary: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7175/edsumm/e080110-07.html
     
Long believed useless for thermoelectric energy conversion groups working independently at Stanford and Caltech have measured ZT values near 1 for silicon nanowires at and below room temperature.  Both groups find dramatically lower thermal conductivity values and the Caltech group, working on somewhat smaller nanowires, finds a greatly enhanced Seebeck coefficient due to a 1-D phonon drag effect.

Perhaps we've come to expect thermal conductivity reduction in nanostructures but to see such a large effect in silicon is still new and interesting.  But to see a really large ZT value attributed to phonon-drag is a first and sure to stimulate further work along these lines.

I'm afraid you'll have to get the full articles either from Nature or through your library, but the above links will show you the first paragraph.

Prof. Anatychuk, Director of the Institute of Thermoelectricity,  has compiled a remarkable graphic to celebrate the New Year and Holidays.  It includes graphics of thermopiles, mostly from patents, going back to 1843.  With his permission and for your pleasure here it is:

MIT issued a press release Nov. 20, 2007 briefly describing some of Dr. Mildred Dresselhaus's thermoelectric work and drawing attention to her invited talk Monday Nov. 26, 2007 at the Fall MRS Meeting in Boston (Symposium U, Thermoelectric Power Generation, paper U2.4, 2:30pm).