Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists find key to cheaper hybrids
Australian scientists have used modified gortex to create revolutionary fuel cells that could make hybrid vehicles more affordable and reliable.
Functional Nanoribbons Carved Using Super-heated, Nano-sized Particles Of Iron
Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated a new method by which graphene films can be etched along flawless, crystallographic axes using hot nanoparticles, a technique that results in...
Yahoo Board Unscathed After Annual Meeting
Yahoo's board emerged unscathed from the company's annual meeting, despite expectations of shareholder dissatisfaction.
Researchers put workout into a pill
LA JOLLA, Calif., July 31 (UPI) -- Scientists in California said they've found a way to offer the benefits of exercise in a pill.
The Amazing Quantum World Of Ultra Cold Matter
Scientists have been fascinated by the concept of absolute zero, the temperature at which everything comes to a complete stop. But physics tells us otherwise: absolute zero cannot be reached...
Potential Of Graphene Films As Next-generation Transistors Demonstrated
Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have characterized an aspect of graphene film behavior by measuring the way it conducts electricity on a substrate. This milestone advances the potential application...
New Insight On Superconductors
An important advance in understanding how the electrons in some materials become superconducting has been made by researchers from UC Davis, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and UC Irvine.
'Major Discovery' Primed To Unleash Solar Revolution: Scientists Mimic Essence Of Plants' Energy Storage System
Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. Researchers have now hit upon a...
Glass behaviour nearer explanation
Scientists have discovered that vibrations in glass may explain its strange mixture of behaviours as it changes between being a liquid and being a solid.
Hydrogen Power on the Cheap--Or at Least, Cheaper [News]
The fuel of the future could be hydrogen--if it can be made cheaply enough. Currently, electrolyzers (machines that split water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen) need a catalyst, namely...
Researchers Analyze Material with 'Colossal Ionic Conductivity'
A new material characterized at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could open a pathway toward more efficient fuel cells.
'Small' research at MSU leads to advances in energy, electronics
A Michigan State University researcher and his students have developed a nanomaterial that makes plastic stiffer, lighter and stronger and could result in more fuel-efficient airplanes and cars as well...
Plasmons put laser light on the straight and narrow
Tiny collimator reduces divergence of light from semiconductor lasers
New Technique To Compress Light Could Open Doors For Optical Communications
Scientists have devised a way to squeeze light into tighter spaces than ever thought possible, potentially opening doors to new technology in the fields of optical communications, miniature lasers and...
Nanostructures made easy
Wet chemistry creates self-assembling surface that holds molecules in nano-scale arrays
Cooler fuel cells
Layered electrolyte keeps solid oxide fuel cells working near room temperature
Breakthrough catalyst for splitting water
Mild electrolysis system boosts hopes for artificial photosynthesis
Scientist who made syntheric diamonds dies
PROVO, Utah, July 31 (UPI) -- U.S. physical chemist H. Tracy Hall, known for pioneering the method for creating synthetic diamonds, died at the age of 88 at...
Cow power could generate electricity for millions
Converting livestock manure into a domestic renewable fuel source could generate enough electricity to meet up to three per cent of North America's entire consumption needs and lead to a...
Nanojewels Made Easy
Researchers have developed a method that mimics nature's way of producing dazzling colors at the nanoscale level. Their work demonstrates how such a method can be used to produce new...
What is going to power our cars, aks Danny Bradbury
With oil supplies a continuing concern, focus is switching to lithium for electric vehicles. But debate rages about how much of it is available
Thin films: ready for their close-up?
New types of solar cell that can be mass-produced cheaply, and integrated into building materials, are popular with venture capitalists and market analysts. But scientists are less gung ho, reports...
Readers Ask . . .
PopSci reader aaronmrosen wonders: "when it comes to wind farms, can too many props actually slow down the wind, and cause a change in weather patterns?" What do you think? Submit your...
Pond scum eyed as biodiesel source
WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- Energy researchers say they see some great potential in lowly pond scum as a future source of biofuels for the United States.
NASA awards airspace research contracts
WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has awarded $12 million in research contracts to study how the introduction of new aircraft might affect air traffic...
Nanojewels made easy
Butterfly wings, peacock feathers, opals and pearls are some of nature's jewels that use nanostructures to dazzle us with color. It's accomplished through the way light reaches our eyes after...
Pier Oddone
The director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, talks to Eric Hand about the uncertain future of particle colliders in the United States.
Energy: Upgrading the grid
Electricity grids must cope with rising demand and complexity in a changing world. Emma Marris explores the intricacies involved in controlling the power supply.