Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Nanowires key to future transistors, electronics
A new generation of ultrasmall transistors and more powerful computer chips using tiny structures called semiconducting nanowires are closer to reality after a key discovery by researchers at IBM, Purdue...
Roku adds more 'channels' of video and other digital content
Owners of Roku's digital video player will soon have a bunch more channels to choose from.
One pot synthesis for nylon precursor
Chinese chemists optimise process to make useful cyclohexanone from phenol in a single step
New chemical reaction offers opportunities for drug development
Researchers led by Conway Fellow, Professor Pat Guiry have solved a chemistry problem that has stumped researchers worldwide for more than a decade. The results have earned the group the...
The goal of robot hockey: to become better engineers (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- It may be a long time before we see robots shooting pucks and making saves in professional hockey, but second-year mechanical engineering students at the University of Alberta...
Chemists get custom-designed microscopic particles to self-assemble in liquid crystal
Chemists and physicists have succeeded in getting custom-shaped microparticles to interact and self-assemble in a controlled way in a liquid crystal...
'Innovation cooperation' to meet climate challenges
Climate talks must move from technology transfer to 'innovation cooperation' to develop and deploy technologies effectively, says Ambuj Sagar.
Comcast bid for NBC Universal could be sealed next week: source
Comcast's bid to buy a controlling stake in NBC Universal from General Electric could be sealed next week if GE reaches an agreement with Vivendi, a source close to the...
In praise of… mint
In Greek mythology she was a nymph about to be seduced by Hades before Queen Persephone turned her into a plant. Pliny the Elder thought it reanimated the spirit. The Romans brought...
Why Suffocating Is Scary
Breathing too much carbon dioxide triggers a chemical sensor in the brain's fear circuit [Read more]
Spin-based electronics gets boost
The field of "spintronics" - a future means of computing - is shown to work at room temperature for the first time.
Powerless in Gaza
Will a 15-year-old power plant that has survived bombings, embargoes, and blockades ever fulfill its mission to bring electricity to Palestine?
'Safety valve' protects photosynthesis from too much light
Photosynthetic organisms need to cope with a wide range of light intensities, which can change over timescales of seconds to minutes. Too much light can damage the photosynthetic machinery and...
The future of solar cells changes shape
Unique coral-shaped nanomaterials could improve the efficiency of solar cells, say Chinese scientists
Magic box for mission impossible
On September 11, firefighters, police officers and ambulance workers faced a terrifying rescue effort in the World Trade Center complex. They battled to save people from the collapsing Twin Towers,...
Design chosen for British 1,000 mph car (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A British team hoping to be the first to get a car to 1,000 mph (1,610 km/h) has made its final design selection. The six-tonne car, known as...
‘Keys’ to GOCE satellite handed over
ESA’s GOCE gravity mission has achieved another major milestone as control of the satellite is transferred to the operations teams, marking the end of its commissioning and calibration phase.
fMRI scans used in murder trial sentencing
(PhysOrg.com) -- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans have been used, possibly for the first time, in the sentencing phase of a murder trial in Chicago in the US.
Most radiation oncologists utilize advanced medical imaging techniques, study suggests
A recent study shows that 95 percent of radiation oncologists use advanced imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 4-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) for...
Explained: The Discrete Fourier Transform
In 1811, Joseph Fourier, the 43-year-old prefect of the French district of Isère, entered a competition in heat research sponsored by the French Academy of Sciences. The paper he submitted described a novel...
Early protein processes crucial to formation and layering of myelin membrane
New findings from an international team of researchers probing the nerve-insulating myelin sheath were bolstered by the work of Boston College biologists, who used x-rays to uncover how mutations affect...
'No muss, no fuss' miniaturized analysis for complex samples developed
Researchers have created a novel and simple way to analyze samples that are complex mixtures -- such as whole milk, blood serum and dirt in solution -- by adapting a...
Eye floaters and flashes of light linked to retinal tear, detachment
Suddenly seeing floaters or flashes of light may indicate a serious eye problem that – if untreated – could lead to blindness, a new study shows.
Facebook creates dual-class structure, but no IPO
(AP) -- Facebook has created a dual-class stock structure designed to give founder Mark Zuckerberg and other existing shareholders control over the company.
Big Bang machine achieves first particle collisions
ZURICH (Reuters) -- Scientists have smashed together proton beams for the first time in a 27-kilometre tunnel under the French-Swiss border in an initial step toward discovering how the universe...
Response: There are major barriers to the mass production of electric tractors
Diesel-powered farm machinery will be with us for some time to comeGeorge Monbiot is quite right to lambast the International Energy Agency for its lack of credibility over oil reserves, and I wish...
Seeking a Smarter Grid: Integrating Wind Energy by Linking Buildings to the Grid
In utility parlance, wind energy is known as a `variable load.` That`s because wind is naturally unpredictable and inconstant. What`s worse, it is more likely to blow at night, when...
Stony Brook University Students Win PrestigiousSC09 Student Cluster Competition
A team of six computer-savvy Stony Brook University undergraduates won first place honors in the SC09 Student Cluster Competition during the annual, internationally-acclaimed Supercomputing Conference held at Portland, Ore., November...