Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Japan's Abe 'to review Fukushima' atomic crisis
Japan's incoming pro-nuclear premier Shinzo Abe said Sunday his government will again investigate the Fukushima atomic crisis, after which the country's reactors could be restarted, reports said.
Photon devices could outperform ordinary computers
Experiments with light confirm the need for quantum machines.Nature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2012.12112
Chemical engineer working toward better batteries for transportation
As fuel prices rise, cheaper (and cleaner) forms of energy become more attractive and important to consumers. Gas-electric hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion have grown...
Researchers develop a biological concrete for constructing 'living' facades with lichens, mosses, other microorganism
The Structural Technology Group at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia has developed and patented a type of biological concrete that supports the natural, accelerated growth of pigmented organisms. The material,...
Clean air: New paints break down nitrogen oxides
Surfaces with photo-catalytic characteristics clean the air off nitrogen oxides and other health-endangering substances. Using a new test procedure, researchers can find out how the coatings behave during a long-term...
Peel-and-stick solar cells developed
PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've developed the world's first peel-and-stick, flexible thin-film solar cells that can be stuck to virtually any surface.
Paths of photons are random -- but coordinated
Researchers have demonstrated that photons (light particles) emitted from light sources embedded in a complex and disordered structure are able to mutually coordinate their paths through the medium. This is...
Engineers seek ways to convert methane into useful chemicals
With natural gas production rising, engineers and scientists are seeking ways to convert methane into useful chemicals. A new study suggests a pathway.
Scientists create nanoscale window to biological world
Researchers have invented a way to directly image biological structures at their most fundamental level and in their natural habitats.
Restructuring Bismuth Material’s Layers Boosts Efficiency Of Heat-To-Electricity Conversion
Energy Conversion: The trick is pulling apart and putting back together single layers of the thermoelectric material
Protein engineers create new biocatalysts
Protein engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have tapped into a hidden talent of one of nature's most versatile catalysts. The enzyme cytochrome P450 is nature's premier oxidation...
The Science of Hitting the High Notes
Innovative imaging technique reveals similarities between high and more common notes.
Engineers roll up their sleeves – and then do same with inductors
On the road to smaller, high-performance electronics, University of Illinois researchers have smoothed one speed bump by shrinking a key, [...]
Silver sheds light on superconductor secrets
(Phys.org)—By doping a bismuth-based layered material with silver, Chinese scientists demonstrated that superconductivity is intrinsic to the new material rather than stemming from its impurities.
Cutting edge chemistry in 2012
What discoveries caused the biggest buzz in chemistry labs in 2012? Chemistry World reviews the ground breaking research and important trends in this year’s crop of chemical science papers
Building better chemistry
Do lab buildings affect the work of the scientists inside them? James Mitchell Crow surveys some grand designs
Space History Photo: Variable Density Wind Tunnel
NACA staff conduct tests on airfoils in the Variable Density Wind Tunnel.
Researchers build SQUID device that demonstrates the Josephson effect
(Phys.org)—Italian nano-science researchers Francesco Giazotto and María José Martínez-Pérez have built a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) that confirms a theory that describes the Josephson effect, whereby the application of...
The Top 10 Science Stories of 2012
Many more than 10 events took place during 2012 that reveal how science and technology play integral roles in our lives. As a broad topic, climate change took center stage,...
CMS observes melting of Upsilon particles in heavy-ion collisions
In 2011, CMS presented early evidence that Upsilon (Υ) particles produced in lead-lead collisions "melt" as a consequence of interacting with the hot nuclear matter created in these heavy-ion interactions....
Civil engineers increasing energy created from solid waste, potential for future landfill operations
(Phys.org)—Two UT Arlington civil engineering professors are working with a new imaging system that has doubled the amount of methane gas produced by the city of Denton landfill.
New experiment helps explain extraordinary optical transmission
(Phys.org)—An international team of researchers working in the Netherlands has conducted an experiment that sheds new light on the phenomenon known as Extraordinary Optical Transmission (EOP) – where light is...
OPINION: Time to dispel the fear of nanoparticles in sunscreens
There have been concerns over the safety of nanoparticle sunscreens. But Paul Wright believes it's time to put fears to rest.
World first auto cattle muster
New technology that automates the cattle mustering process will soon be released, and could save cattle producers time and money.
China to overhaul struggling solar panel industry
(AP)—China's government says it will encourage mergers among producers of solar panels to strengthen an industry that has suffered huge losses due to excess production capacity and price-cutting wars.
A Helium Shortage Leads to Fewer Balloons in the Sky
A global helium shortage that many say is the worst in decades has affected party stores, holiday parades and even M.R.I. manufacturers.
Lizard tails detach at a biological 'dotted line'
Like sheets of paper marked with perforated lines, gecko tails have unique structural marks that help them sever their tails to make a quick getaway. Though voluntarily shedding a body...
Repellent slime has material virtues
Threads from hagfishes' defensive goo demonstrate superior strength and flexibility