Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
A Look Into The Nanoscale
Researchers have captured time-series snapshots of a solid as it evolves on the ultra-fast timescale. Using femtosecond X-ray free electron laser (FEL) pulses, the team is able to observe condensed...
Laser surgery probe targets specific cells
AUSTIN, Texas, June 26 (UPI) -- U.S. medical engineers say they have developed a laser "microscalpel" capable of destroying a single cancer cell and leaving nearby cells intact.
Study calls for renewable energy progress
SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 26 (UPI) -- U.S. analysts say they've found an urgent need for major progress in technology if even 25 percent renewable energy use is...
Engineering Students’ Airplane Research Is Crystal Clear
Forget delays, lines and ticket costs -- for many people, flying isn't just an aggravation, it's an outright phobia. New research may make airplane passengers a little less fearful in...
Electromagnetic Interference From Some Identification Devices May Pose Hazards To Medical Equipment
The use of radio frequency identification devices appears to have the potential to cause critical care medical equipment to malfunction, according to a new study.
New Process Brings Nanoparticles Into Focus
Scientists can study the biological impacts of engineered nanomaterials on cells within the body with greater resolution than ever because of a procedure developed by researchers at the Department of...
How a Man-Made Tornado Could Power the Future
The electricity for a small city could be generated from the wind being sucked up an artificial tornado.
Accidental Discovery Could Enable Development Of Faster Computers
Physicists have made an accidental discovery in the lab that has potential to change how information in computers can be transported or stored. Dependent on the "spin" of electrons, a...
Engineers Reveal What Makes Diamonds Slippery At The Nanoscale
Engineers have conducted the first study of diamond friction supported by spectroscopy and determined that this slippery behavior comes from passivation of atomic bonds at the diamond surface that were...
Tethered Molecules Act As Light-driven Reversible Nanoswitches
A new technique for attaching light-sensitive organic molecules to metal surfaces allows the molecules to be switched between two different configurations in response to exposure to different wavelengths of light....
Physicists Develop 'Impossible' Technique To Study And Develop Superconductors
Researchers have developed a technique that controls the number of electrons on the surface of high-temperature superconductors, a procedure considered impossible for the past two decades.
Doomsday lawsuit dissed
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: In a blizzard of court filings, the federal government calls on a judge to throw out a court challenge to the world's largest particle collider.
Lemurs handed advantage by smelly trick
Primates have distinct scents on each hand, perhaps to confuse rivals.
Researchers describe hydrogen storage
UPPSALA, Sweden, June 24 (UPI) -- A Swedish-led international research team has described for the first time how hydrogen atoms are stored and released by compounds containing magnesium.
Microchip is helping restore vision to the blind
Last year, Wentai Liu watched as surgeons implanted a microchip he had designed into the eye of a blind patient. For Liu, a professor of electrical engineering in the Baskin...
Hard X-ray Nanoprobe Provides New Capability to Study Nanoscale Materials
The Center for Nanoscale Materials' (CNM) newly operational Hard X-ray Nanoprobe at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory is one of the world's most powerful x-ray microscopes....
New photo 'geolocation' method is created
PITTSBURGH, June 24 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've created a technology that can estimate where a photograph was taken by matching it online with other GPS-tagged photos.
A whale of a turbine
A Pennsylvania professor has developed a new wind turbine that draws inspiration from a blubbery source: the flippers of a humpback whale
Observatory: M.P.G. Can Mislead When Searching for Fuel Efficiency
Two professors say m.p.g. is a flawed measure and leads to a fundamental misconception about efficiency.
New Patented Prophylactic Mesh For The Repair Of Defects In The Abdominal Wall
Scientists have designed a prosthesis made of silicon and polypropylene shaped like an "upside down T" that substantially reduces cases of incisional hernias. A hernia is produced when the content...
Micromagnets Show Promise As Colorful 'Smart Tags' For Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Customized microscopic magnets that might one day be injected into the body could add color to magnetic resonance imaging, while also potentially enhancing sensitivity and the amount of information provided...
Tiny Refrigerator Taking Shape To Cool Future Computers
Researchers are developing a miniature refrigeration system small enough to fit inside laptops and personal computers, a cooling technology that would boost performance while shrinking the size of computers.
Carbon standard 'to renew trust'
A certificate scheme that shows which firms have made genuine carbon cuts is launched by the UK's Carbon Trust.
Cosmic Log: Revving up electric cars
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: GOP presidential candidate John McCain wants to jump-start the next generation of plug-in electric vehicles — but will his $300 million plan catch fire?
Letter: Yields are only one aim of GM crops
Letter: The original GM developments were designed primarily to aid farmers to obtain more output from each unit input of labour
MIT Energy Initiative, Bosch to collaborate
As part of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), MIT and Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, are forming an energy research collaboration to explore new materials and...
Gene silencer and quantum dots reduce protein production to a whisper
Each of these jars contains the same substance. The difference is the size of the particles. Quantum dots, suspended in liquid, absorb white light and then reemit it in a...
Physicists Recognized for Research Accomplishments
In separate awards, Alexandra Gade and Georg Bollen, physicists at Michigan State University's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), have been recognized for their research programs in basic nuclear science.