Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Fungi may keep spent uranium from leaching
DUNDEE, Scotland, May 6 (UPI) -- Scottish scientists say fungi might be useful in determining depleted uranium's environmental fate by keeping it from leaching into the environment.
Powerful New Laser Could Aid Search For Extrasolar Planets
Scientists have shown off a new laser that boasts an incomparable mix of speed, short pulses and power. That's newsworthy in and of itself, but this laser, developed by researchers...
More Efficient Fuel Cells, Thanks To A New Catalyst
Methanol fuel cells are an efficient and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, but they are still not economically viable. Now, a University of the Basque Country research chemist has developed...
Nano-designed Transistors With Disordered Materials, But High Performance
The Holy Grail for transistor designers has been the requirement to be able to get high performance at reduced costs over very large substrate areas. Transistors on cheap and flexible...
Hard Drive Recovered from Columbia Shuttle Solves Physics Problem [News]
Researchers have finally published the results of data recovered from a cracked and singed hard drive that fell to Earth in the debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia, which exploded...
New technology rids microchips of defects
PRINCETON, N.J., May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. engineers say they've created a method that rids microchips of tiny defects, possibly leading the way to smaller, more powerful nanometer-scale...
Uranium claims spring up along Grand Canyon rim
A rush to extract uranium on public lands pits environmentalists, who worry about the local effect, against mining companies, which point out that nuclear power wouldn't contribute to global warming. ...
Botulism neurotoxin antidote is sought
UPTON, N.Y., May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. government scientists say they've taken the first step toward designing an effective antidote to the most potent form of Botulinum neurotoxin.
Quantum Mechanical Con Game: Winning Every Time
For the first time, physicists have come up with a scheme that would allow a quantum mechanical expert to win every time in a con game with a victim who...
Brain-training To Improve Memory Boosts Fluid Intelligence
Brain-training efforts designed to improve working memory can also boost scores in general problem-solving ability and improve fluid intelligence, according to new research. Many psychologists believe general intelligence can be...
Tiny microscope speeds diagnoses
Australian scientists have created a tiny microscope that can travel inside the human body in order to minimise diagnosis times and detect cancer earlier.
Electronic "ears" guide drills
Mining drills 300 metres below the ground could soon be directed by electronic ears that hear their location, thanks to Australian research.
Lasers And Milk: The Common Denominator
Reading about a "random laser" for the first time, you might wonder whether this term refers to the laser in your CD player which plays the song titles in the...
'Smart' power meters herald future of our electricity use
(AP) -- Determined to cut his electricity bill, Darrell Brubaker took the usual steps of raising his air conditioner's thermostat and cooking more on the grill. But the key...
Smarter electric grid could be key to saving power
(AP) -- The glowing amber dot on a light switch in the entryway of George Tsapoitis' house offers a clue about the future of electricity.
Yoga pose stretches leg, back muscles
Perform this yoga pose to help your body find a balance between effort and ease. It will strengthen your lower body and provide a deep stretch in your back muscles....
New 3-D Test Method For Biomaterials 'Flat Out' Faster
Researchers report on a novel, 3-D screening method for analyzing interactions between cells and new biomaterials could cut initial analysis times by more than half. The technique, an advance over...
Video: Diesel Nano-Fix - from The Next Step
Quantum experimentation yields better catalytic converters for cleaner air.
A New Polymer Product From Soy Oil, Not Petroleum
Hair-care products, wound-care dressings and drug encapsulation are among the potential uses of new, soy-oil-based polymers known as "hydrogels." Chemists developed the soy-oil-based hydrogels as a biodegradable alternative to the...
Chemists Point and Click on Specific Molecules
Technique could someday open new vistas in medical imaging
Tesla rolls out its long-awaited electric sports car
(AP) -- It's safe to say Jeremy Snyder gets a charge out of the two-seat Tesla Roadster whenever he pulls one off the lot - and not because it's...
Consumer Electronics: Future Looks Bright
Larry Magid reports on the outlook for the global consumer electronics market
Creating Highly Sought Magnetic Nanoparticles in One Step
Researchers from the University of Minnesota have demonstrated a one-step technique for producing a class of magnetic nanoparticles that could be used in everything from biomedical applications to data storage....
Of myths and men
Worries about an apocalypse unleashed by particle accelerators are not new, says Philip Ball. They have their source in old myths, which are hard to dispel.
Environmental fate of nanoparticles depends on properties of water carrying them
The fate of carbon-based nanoparticles spilled into groundwater - and the ability of municipal filtration systems to remove the nanoparticles from drinking water - depend on subtle differences...
'Nanomechanical Oscillators' Could Lead to New Class of Computers
More than 50 years ago, a graduate student in Japan conceived the “Parametron,” an electrical circuit that could form the basis for digital computers. The concept ultimately fell flat, but...
Renault's Ghosn says electric car draws Gulf interest
The head of French automaker Renault, Carlos Ghosn, said Thursday that a country in the Gulf region is interested in his company's environmentally friendly electronic car project.
The Light of Silence
Scientists have found a way of protecting quantum systems against noise using adaptively ‘shaped` pulses of laser light. Quantum systems are notoriously fragile as interactions with their surroundings disturb them...