Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Metamaterials approach makes better satellite antennas
Cheaper, lighter and more energy-efficient broadband devices on communications satellites may be possible using metamaterials to modify horn antennas, according to engineers.
CERN Decides To Keep LHC Running Through 2012, Hoping to Find Elusive Higgs Particle
The hunt for the holy grail of physics will continue through the end of 2012, as officials announced today they won't stop the Large Hadron Collider this year like originally planned. The...
Russian energy companies leave Egypt
CAIRO, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- With unrest in Egypt entering its second week, Russian energy companies operating in the country are withdrawing staff members, a source said.
New transistors: An alternative to silicon and better than graphene
Smaller and more energy-efficient electronic chips could be made using molybdenite. In an article appearing online January 30 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, EPFL's Laboratory of Nanoscale...
In Future, Cars Might Decide If Driver Is Drunk
Automatic Sensors - Less Intrusive than Current Interlock Devices - Could Gauge Driver's Condition Before Starting Car
Science Weekly podcast: The next generation of supercomputer; the science of Ikea; plus, rethinking human history
We look at what the next generation of supercomputers could be built with. From new materials to changing the fundamentals of how they process information. We have a packed studio of experts: Robert...
Electrons charge down DNA molecular wire
DNA can be used as a molecular wire to effectively conduct electricity over long distances without being damaged
Good Form: Counteract the drive time
Here's a good stretch to perform after long hours in front of a computer screen or behind the wheel.After long hours of sitting in front of your computer or behind...
Flying cars lift off - feature
It's easy to fly, it takes normal petrol and it actually exists. Tom Lamont on the car many of us have only dreamed ofThose of us waiting patiently for the era of...
'Air laser' may sniff bombs, pollutants from a distance
Princeton University engineers have developed a new laser sensing technology that may allow soldiers to detect hidden bombs from a distance and scientists to better measure airborne environmental pollutants and...
A dash of disorder yields a very efficient photocatalyst
A little disorder goes a long way, especially when it comes to harnessing the sun's energy. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) jumbled...
When A times B isn't B times A
Paul Dirac: The Matrix has you.Common sense and experimenting with counters both say that A times B equals B times A. Two lots of three pence is six pence, and so is...
Holomata
"Call it entropy [..] nobody knows what entropy really is, so in a debate you will always have the advantage.” -- Von Neumann to Shannon. Have a look at below picture....
New Invisibility Cloak Closer to Working "Magic"
Unlike earlier systems, the new cloak works in visible light and can hide objects big enough to see with the naked eye, scientists say.
Bugs might convert biodiesel waste into new fuel
A strain of bacteria found in soil is being studied for its ability to convert waste from a promising alternative fuel into several useful materials, including another alternative fuel.
Tiny water hammers bash blades
Researchers investigate how water droplets bring inefficiency to turbines
Plasma stability made to measure
Researchers are working to develop a power plant that, like the sun, derives energy from fusion of atomic nuclei, but first they must overcome several obstacles. The compensation of edge...
Single molecule controlled at room temperature: Tiny magnetic switch discovered
Chemists have succeeded for the first time in directly controlling the magnetic state of a single molecule at room temperature. The switchable molecule could be used both in the construction...
Plankton inspires creation of stealth armour for slow release microscopic drug vehicles
(PhysOrg.com) -- The ability of some forms of plankton and bacteria to build an extra natural layer of nanoparticle-like armour has inspired chemists at the University of Warwick to devise...
Undergraduates design clean, green heating machine
Calls to curb the worlds dependence on fossil fuels have grown louder in recent years, and scientists worldwide continue to push for breakthroughs in the green technology industry. Last year,...
Cheap solar energy set to displace n-power
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- New research has established that sophisticated new solar energy production methods make it far away the cheapest and least hazardous energy, certainly cheaper and...
Firefighters need more protection from chemical fumes
Firefighters are exposing themselves to almost ten times the acceptable level of 75 volatile organic compounds while putting out vehicle fires
Tesla plans to roll out electric SUV in 2014
Electric components will make it roomier than comparably sized conventional vehicles, Tesla says.Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, has begun planning for a small sport utility vehicle that will be called...
Scientists link protein to the insulation of the nervous system's wiring
Researchers have pinpointed a crucial function for a key player in the development of the nervous system. They found that this player -- a protein called Erk -- is necessary...
Cosmic Log: Chemistry gets its own show
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Scientific concepts take center stage in a video series that relates chemistry to spearmint gum, cheeseburgers and other everyday goodies.
Volkswagen's XL1: A Tech Breakthrough in Auto Design
Gallery: Volkswagen's 261 Miles-Per-Gallon XL1 Concept Car is Headed for Showrooms in a Couple of Years
Someday 'talking cars' may save lives
Could "talking cars" save lives? Auto companies are developing safety systems using advanced WiFi signals and GPS systems that could allow vehicles to communicate with each other on the road....
The Moore’s the merrier
It won’t be Julianne Moore’s year at the Oscars. Instead, 2011 brought the acclaimed actress another storied, if slightly more dubious, honor: the Pudding Pot. Moore may have been snubbed by the academy...