Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Is toothpaste key to cheap solar energy?
Scientists in Oxford are using materials found in everyday products like blackcurrant juice and toothpaste to bring down the cost of producing solar panels.
UMD advance lights possible path to creating next-gen computer chips
University of Maryland researchers have made a breakthrough in the use of visible light for making tiny integrated circuits. Though their advance is probably at least a decade from commercial...
GDF Suez in mega megawatt deal
PARIS, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- French utility GDF Suez said it teamed with London's International Power PLC to create what it described as a global leader in power generation.
Clean streets and intact road surfaces help to keep the air clean
Road traffic is one of the main sources of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere, above all when the weather situation favors the creation of winter smog, as has been...
By Swapping Just a Few Key Particles, Researchers Atomically Engineer Magnets For Custom Purposes
In a process much like the materials science equivalent of bioengineering, researchers at the Department of Energy's Ames Lab have figured out how to replace individual atoms in a solid magnetic compund much...
Crystal-clear idea for cloaking
Scientists in Birmingham demonstrate an idea for an invisibility cloak to hide small objects using a common crystalline material.
Undersea electricity cable envisioned
ABERDEEN, Scotland, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Scottish authorities say they are examining the feasibility of stringing an undersea electrical power cable linking Scotland and Norway.
Is organic farming policy-driven or consumer-led?
A study looking at organic farming in both the UK and Denmark has found that incentives to farmers played a large part in changing production rather than consumer demand.
MEADS radar completes rotation tests, prepares to move to test range
The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program has successfully completed milestone tests as the first Multifunction Fire Control Radar (MFCR) advances toward system tests this year at Pratica di...
Innovations can help us adapt to a new era — Anthropocene
Investing more in science and technology is one way to meet the challenges of the Anthropocene, say Paul J. Crutzen and Christian Schwägerl.
Malay scientists use tropical fruits to make batteries
Malaysian engineers have found that raw materials such as coconut shells and bamboo could be used to develop high-tech products.
Green: Natural Gas: It's Not Easy Being Green
Natural gas has advantages over other fossil fuels. The question is, how great are those advantages, and under what conditions are they best obtained?
Scientists model tiny rotors, key to future nanomachines
Researchers have created a molecular midway where atoms dip, dive and soar. Through molecular dynamics simulations, they have now defined the ground rules for the rotor motion of molecules attached...
Antenna decision makes waves
Procedural transparency is at issue as a US agency transfers a high-precision radio dish to an international partner.
Temporary employment reduces productivity of technology and energy companies
Two of the most important productive sectors in the Spanish economy, the energy and high technology intensity manufacturing sectors, experience a fall in productivity if they hire they employees on...
Cables reveal height of TNK-BP spats
LONDON, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Washington was concerned for the safety of Bob Dudley as the row between Russian and British energy moguls flared up, leaked diplomatic cables reveal.
Don't fret over Egypt, IEA cautions
VIENNA, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Global oil producers are urged to be sensitive to geopolitical issues but the crisis unfolding in Egypt isn't a major issue for oil markets,...
2011 year of 'transition,' BP says
LONDON, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- British energy company BP said Tuesday it was looking for buyers for refineries in California and Texas as it reshapes its downstream businesses.
Using Muons as a Disguise, Chemists Fool Helium Into Thinking It's Hydrogen
The quantum trick helps illustrate how atomic mass can affect chemical reactions Chemists have messed with the constituent parts of a helium atom and fooled it into behaving like it was hydrogen. This...
Novel transistor combines logic and memory functions, drastically reduces power consumption
A group headed by Dr. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, a Principal Investigator at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA; Japan), succeeded in the development of a novel transistor, the "atom transistor,"...
Azerbaijan, Ukraine make energy deal
DAVOS, Switzerland, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Oil from Azerbaijan could make its way to the Odessa-Brody pipeline running across Ukrainian territory, a deputy energy minister said from Switzerland.
National Semiconductor demonstrates 28 gbps data center technology
National Semiconductor Corp. today announced it has achieved a breakthrough in high-speed signal conditioning by becoming the first company to successfully demonstrate 28 Gbps discrete quad-channel retimer technology with ultra-low...
The machines that made the industrial revolution - video
Science museum curator Ben Russell tells the story of the atmospheric beam engine built by Francis Thompson in 1791
Obama’s Bid to End Oil Subsidies Revives Debate
Opposition to federal subsidies for all kinds of energy spans the ideological spectrum.
Gas Drilling Technique Is Labeled Violation
Chemicals used in a process called fracking contaminate water sources, Congressional investigators told the E.P.A.
Big bang machine to keep running in 2012
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: The managers of the world's biggest particle collider say they'll keep the machine running in 2012 rather than shutting it down as previously planned.
Stanford scientists see the solar future, and it's all about 'nanodomes' and 'plasmonics'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Stanford engineers have succeeded in harnessing plasmonics -- an emerging branch of science and technology -- to more effectively trap light within thin solar cells. As a result, we're...
Rensselaer Researcher Working To Make Smarter Wind Turbine Blades
Aerospace engineering expert Michael "Miki" Amitay, associate professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, this week received a $250,000 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to...