by Randy Rieland. What a week. While scientists testifying on Capitol Hill trashed the government’s estimates on how much oil lingers in the Gulf, sound-sensitive munchers everywhere trashed the new compostable Sun Chips bag because it’s louder than a New York subway train. Really . But here’s some under-the-radar items that will provide even more snappy repartee fodder for your weekend social soirees: The wheel deal: Hybrid bikes may soon be getting a lot cooler. Using a principle from Formula 1 racing, a team from MIT’s SENSEable Cities Lab is moving forward with an invention they call the Copenhagen Wheel. It’s a device that uses a battery to capture the kinetic energy created whenever you apply the brakes. It then uses that energy to give you a needed surge, say, when you’re pedaling uphill. But the Copenhagen Wheel does more than provide a power boost. Sensors and a Bluetooth connection can tell you, through your iPhone, your speed and distance and even the pollution levels, if you really want to know. Named in honor of the bike-friendly city, the Copenhagen Wheel won the American round of the 2010 James Dyson Award given to top design engineers. The next phase of the competition is next week. David Teeghman shares the details and a video at Discovery News . Bermuda Triangle alert!: You know that “island” of tiny bits of plastic drifting in the Atlantic? The one that stretches from Virginia to Cuba? Well, for 22 years, students working with the Sea Education Association have been dragging fine mesh nets through the Atlantic and analyzing the plastic they captured. A study of that data has led to a startling conclusion — although a lot more plastic has undoubtedly wound up in the ocean during the past two decades, the island has not grown. Several theories have been floated, but no one has a good answer. Emily Sohn lays out the mystery at Discovery News . Et tu, Mr. Potato Head?: In a world where everyone talks a good green game, ClimateCounts.org lets us know who’s blowing smoke when it comes to their commitment to sustainability. ClimateCounts’ latest rankings are out, and while almost 60 percent of the 47 firms rated improved their scores from the last report, most were only marginally better. The rankings show the good guys — pharmaceutical firms, believe it or not — and the bad — toy companies continue to underachieve. Get the lowdown from ClimateBiz .

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