Popular Science articles about Physics & Chemistry

Research reveals link between beer and bone health

A new study suggests that beer is a significant source of dietary silicon, a key ingredient for increasing bone mineral density. Researchers from the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California, Davis studied commercial beer production...

NIST's second 'quantum logic clock' based on aluminum ion is now world's most precise clock

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built an enhanced version of an experimental atomic clock based on a single aluminum atom that is now the...

Renewable oil companies

The entry of oil companies into the realm of renewable energy could present major obstacles for the development of a sustainable economy that is not based on carbon resources, according...

New material absorbs, conserves oil

An ultra-lightweight sponge made of clay and a bit of high-grade plastic draws oil out of contaminated water but leaves the water behind.

Toward safer plastics that lock in potentially harmful plasticizers

Scientists have published the first report on a new way of preventing potentially harmful plasticizers — the source of long-standing human health concerns — from migrating from one of the...

Leaves whisper their properties through ultrasound

The water content of leaves, their thickness, their density and other properties can now be determined without even having to touch them. A team of researchers from the CSIC Institute...

Nano imagining takes turn for the better

Stephan Link wants to understand how nanomaterials align, and his lab's latest work is a step in the right direction.

New on-off 'switch' triggers and reverses paralysis in animals with a beam of light

In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed...

Research at Marshall University may lead to new ways to transport and manipulate molecules

A group of Marshall University researchers and their colleagues in Japan are conducting research that may lead to new ways to move or position single molecules—a necessary step if man...

New research rejects 80-year theory of 'primordial soup' as the origin of life

For 80 years it has been accepted that early life began in a 'primordial soup' of organic molecules before evolving out of the oceans millions of years later. Today the...

Nano for the senses

A mystical glow emanates from the display case. A white light appears out of nowhere. And a light source is invisible – at least at first glance. Only upon close...

New magnetic tuning method enhances data storage

A magnetic crystal sits on the head of a dime for scale. Scientists exploit the randomness of the magnetic field in the crystal at the molecular level to control the properties of the magnet as a whole. The chip underneath the crystal is a magnetic sensor.

Princeton scientist makes a leap in quantum computing

A major hurdle in the ambitious quest to design and construct a radically new kind of quantum computer has been finding a way to manipulate the single electrons that very...

Rice physicists kill cancer with 'nanobubbles'

Using lasers and nanoparticles, scientists at Rice University have discovered a new technique for singling out individual diseased cells and destroying them with tiny explosions. The scientists used lasers to...

New ORNL system provides hybrid electric autos with power to spare

An advancement in hybrid electric vehicle technology is providing powerful benefits beyond transportation.

MIT researchers build first germanium laser

MIT researchers have demonstrated the first laser built from germanium that can emit wavelengths of light useful for optical communications. It's also the first germanium laser to operate at room...

Enlisting a drug discovery technique in the battle against global warming

Scientists in Texas are reporting that a technique used in the search for new drugs could also be used in the quest to discover new, environmentally friendly materials for fighting...

Scientists find quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis

A team of University of Toronto chemists have made a major contribution to the emerging field of quantum biology, observing quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis in marine algae.

Habit-learning device will lower energy bills under new clean energy cashback scheme

Smart control units that learn householders' energy habits and provide immediate feedback on consumption could give home energy savings of up to 20% without compromising comfort.

New neutron studies support magnetism's role in superconductors

Neutron scattering experiments performed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory give strong evidence that, if superconductivity is related to a material's magnetic properties, the same mechanisms are...

Researchers show applied electric field can significantly improve hydrogen storage properties

An international team of researchers has identified a new theoretical approach that may one day make the synthesis of hydrogen fuel storage materials less complicated and improve the thermodynamics and...

New adhesive device could let humans walk on walls

Could humans one day walk on walls, like Spider-Man? A palm-sized device invented at Cornell that uses water surface tension as an adhesive bond just might make it possible.