Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry

Electron Beams Whip Up A Quantum Tornado

13 years ago from

A group of researchers have developed what are known as vortex beams - rotating electron beams - which make it possible to investigate the magnetic properties of materials and in...

Radiometric dating still reliable (again), research shows

13 years ago from Science Daily

Recent puzzling observations of tiny variations in nuclear decay rates have led some to question the science behind carbon-14 dating and similar techniques. However scientists tested the hypothesis that solar...

Research team assesses environmental impact of organic solar cells

13 years ago from

Solar energy could be a central alternative to petroleum-based energy production. However, current solar-cell technology often does not produce the same energy yield and is more expensive to mass-produce. In...

Putting a spin on light and atoms

13 years ago from

Magnetometers come in many shapes and sizes - an ordinary hand-held compass is the simplest - but alkali-vapour magnetometers are extrasensitive devices that measure magnetic fields using light and atoms....

Home's electrical wiring acts as antenna to receive low-power sensor data

13 years ago from Science Daily

Using a home's electrical wiring as a giant copper antenna allows for wireless sensors that can communicate over a whole house and run for decades on a single watch battery....

New Wave: Spin Soliton Could Be a Hit in Cell Phone Communication

13 years ago from Newswise - Scinews

Researchers at NIST have found theoretical evidence of a new way to generate the high-frequency waves used in modern communication devices such as cell phones using exotic 'soliton' waves in...

From liquid argon to M theory? | Jon Butterworth

13 years ago from The Guardian - Science

Claiming to understand the universe from first principles is all very well, but the foundations have to be built on experiment and observation. And it is slow, hard work. Even in PisaYou...

3 ultra-efficient cars win $10M innovation award

13 years ago from Physorg

(AP) -- An ultralight, gas-powered car that can get 102 miles per gallon is among the winners of the $10 million Automotive X Prize, a contest to develop highly...

Low carbon hemp house put to the test

13 years ago from

A consortium, led by the BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials based at the University, has constructed a small building on the Claverton campus out of hemp-lime to test its...

Neutrons helping ORNL researchers unlock secrets to cheaper ethanol

13 years ago from

New insight into the structure of switchgrass and poplars is fuelling discussions that could result in more efficient methods to turn biomass into biofuel...

Carbon nanotubes twice as strong as once thought

13 years ago from Science Daily

Carbon nanotubes -- those tiny particles poised to revolutionize electronics, medicine, and other areas -- are much bigger in the strength department than anyone ever thought, scientists are reporting. New...

Hope for Stemming Wind Energy’s Toll on Bats

13 years ago from National Geographic

Wind energy projects pose a threat to migratory bats, but simple steps show promise for protecting them. ...

Undergrads to Design a Room That's Literally Out of This World

13 years ago from Newswise - Scinews

A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison undergraduate students is among three teams selected to design, build and test an inflatable habitat that will integrate with an existing NASA operational hard-shell...

Successful integration of biofuels and combustion engines vital for biofuel success, says report

13 years ago from Physorg

Transportation experts are proposing that the research and development of next-generation biofuels must be done in conjunction with the development of advanced combustion engines if those biofuels are to become...

Tiny MAVs may someday explore and detect environmental hazards

13 years ago from Science Daily

Researchers are developing what could become the next phase of high-performance micro air vehicles for the Air Force. The research is on track to evolve into robotic, insect-scale devices for...

Don't Stop The Presses: Energy Conservation Law Questioned

13 years ago from

Today, back to pure physics. Does my space-plunger sound profound? It isn’t. That space absorbs energy is confusing talk. read more

Electron switch between molecules points way to new high-powered organic batteries

13 years ago from

The development of new organic batteries - lightweight energy storage devices that work without the need for toxic heavy metals - has a brighter future now that chemists have discovered...

This Molecule Doesn't Horse Around

13 years ago from Live Science

Molecules, propelled by heat, prefer pacing (moving atoms on one side, then the other) to trotting (diagonal motion) because it uses much less energy and doesn't stress and distort the...

Salvos Fly as Ethanol Ruling Nears

13 years ago from NY Times Science

An engineering firm reports that over all, the risks of switching to 15 percent ethanol content in gasoline are low and manageable for the nation's light vehicle fleet.

Commercial-scale test of new technology to recover coal from sludge successful

13 years ago from Science Blog

A new technology for removing water from ultrafine coal slurry has been successfully tested at the commercial scale at an operating coal cleaning plant. The technology offers the possibility of...

FSU Signs Licensing Agreement With Technology Company Bing Energy

13 years ago from Newswise - Scinews

A Florida State University engineering professor's innovative research with nanomaterials could one day lead to a new generation of hydrogen fuel cells that are less expensive, smaller, lighter and more...

Wearable sensor technology to measure physical activity

13 years ago from Physorg

Researchers from Michigan State University's departments of Electrical Engineering and Kinesiology are teaming up to create a new wearable sensor network to assess a person's physical activity and overall well-being.

Surprisingly complicated molecule found in outer space

13 years ago from Science Daily

In interstellar clouds of extremely small density scientists have managed to find a molecule that has an unexpectedly complicated structure. The discovery will force a change in the way of...

Synthetic fuels research aims to reduce oil dependence

13 years ago from Science Daily

Researchers have developed a facility aimed at learning precisely how coal and biomass are broken down in reactors called gasifiers as part of a project to strengthen the scientific foundations...

Saxena Awarded Wohler Medal; Dean of the University of Arkansas College of Engineering Only Third U.S. Researcher to Receive Award

13 years ago from Newswise - Scinews

Ashok Saxena, Distinguished Professor and dean of the College of Engineering, was recently awarded the Wohler Medal by the European Society for Structural Integrity. Saxena was recognized for his research...

'Molecular Rollar Coaster' can distinguish between molecules

13 years ago from Physorg

Research that made it to the cover of the authoritative scientific journal Analytical Chemistry this week has shown that the detection method developed by Dutch researchers at the University of...

L.A. port is hatching a revitalization

13 years ago from LA Times - Science

PortTechLA, a business incubator run by a group that includes the port and city, will nurture start-ups that make products that reduce pollution and shippers' dependence on fossil fuels. Alex...

Implant blood test: Shape memory alloys are biocompatible, new research shows

13 years ago from Science Daily

A European team has demonstrated that modern technological materials used in a wide range of medical devices and implants are entirely biocompatible and should not health problems as has previously...