Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Wind farms don't pose danger to some birds
NEWCASTLE, England, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- British researchers say they've determined wind farms pose less of a danger to farmland birds than was previously feared.
International Cooperation Needed To Lower Proliferation Risks As Nuclear Energy Grows
As more nations pursue nuclear power, the United States and Russia, along with other countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency, should redouble efforts to ensure a reliable supply of...
Compact Fluorescent Lighting: Are We Trading Energy Conservation For Toxic Mercury Emissions?
New research shows certain countries and some US states stand to benefit from the use of compact fluorescent lighting more than others, and some places may even produce more mercury...
MESSENGER Returns to Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft is returning to Mercury. On Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, the probe will conduct the second of three planned flybys and photograph most of Mercury's remaining unseen...
Liquid Lenses Promise Picture-Perfect Phone Cam Photos
TROY, N.Y.--Despite their ubiquity, cell phones are not known for their ability to take picture-perfect photos. But budding "liquid lens" technology promises to change that by providing phone photogs with...
Twice as Nice: Combining a Wind Farm and Solar Energy in Italy
Companies that specialize in harvesting renewable energy tend to focus in one area, whether it's solar, waves or wind power. Moncada Energy Group, s.r.l., an Italian maker of wind farm...
Zooming way in, technique offers close-ups of electrons, nuclei
Providing a glimpse into the infinitesimal, physicists have found a novel way of spying on some of the universe's tiniest building blocks.Their "camera," described this week in the journal Nature,...
Alternative energy source found — for the brain
When the human body kicks into high gear, the brain can run on recycled, alternative energy to make the whole system more efficient, scientists have discovered.
In baseball, head-first slides are faster
A player's slide to beat the throw at home plate is one of baseball's big thrills. But of the two sliding styles — head-first and feet-first — which is faster?
An a-maize-ing path out of poverty
Jodie Wu, an MIT senior in mechanical engineering, spent the summer traveling around Tanzania to introduce a new system for processing corn: A simple attachment for a bicycle that makes...
Sound technique to unplug oil
Using pressure pulses to locate pipe blockages could save oil companies millions
Tree power could save forests from fires
Tree power might sound like a hippie battle cry, but scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have literally tapped into the tiny electrical current carried in trees and created...
Nanoscale carbon materials research wins the 2008 Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics
Dr. Phaedon Avouris of IBM and Professor Tony Heinz of Columbia University were presented with the 2008 Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics on 27 September 2008 during a day-long...
Advisory boards create better companies
Advisory boards that provide strategic planning play a signiciant role in creating high growth firms in New Zealand, a new report has found.
First Model For Retina Receptors Created
Discovery moves scientists a significant step closer to preventing blindness. Scientists have created the first genetic research model for a microscopic part of the eye that when missing causes blindness....
When Is Carbon an Electrical Conductor?
And the $64,000 question is ... does graphite conduct electricity? It certainly does! The video demonstration displays this quite convincingly. Graphite is an interesting material, an allotrope of carbon (as...
Study of Antioxidants Sends Cautionary Signal for Consumers
Buck Institute study shows mixed results for life extending properties of antioxidants. Consumers should use caution when taking supplements.
Researchers develop world's fastest bar code reader
(PhysOrg.com) -- Building on a series of recent breakthroughs in ultrafast analog-to-digital conversion, UCLA engineers have designed a bar code reader that is nearly a thousand times faster than any...
Novel Process Promises To Kick-start Quantum Technology Sector
The brave new world of quantum technology may be a big step closer to reality thanks to researchers that have come up with a unique new way of testing quantum...
When particles are so small that they seep right through skin
Scientists are finding that particles that are barely there - tiny objects known as nanoparticles that have found a home in electronics, food containers, sunscreens, and a variety of...
Moncton landfill plans to convert methane gas into power
It may be the zenith of recycling: turning methane gas produced by decomposing garbage into electrical power.
The Power Of Pond Scum
A bioreactor of clear plastic tubes in the Netherlands is producing algae in pressure-cooker fashion that its manufacturer hopes will one day power jet aircraft.
Nissan uses bumblebee power in new car technology
Japan's Nissan Motor Co. has tapped into an unlikely source of inspiration for technology to prevent car crashes -- bumblebees.
I've Heard That The Earth's Rotation Is Slowing. How Long Until Days Last 25 Hours?
We could all use an extra hour in the day, but clocks won't need to be extended anytime soon. The time the Earth takes to make a complete rotation on...
Earth's Air Divided by Chemical Equator
Scientists find chemical equator in atmosphere separate from meteorological equator.
Crested pterodactyl inspires aircraft design
The latest in futuristic aircraft design borrows from the past: A 225-million-year-old pterodactyl may soon be reborn as a flying robot.
Bells Ring for First U.S. Carbon Auction
Plan puts price tag on pollution from power industry
Light throws a curve ball
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of St Andrews have made a surprise discovery using light beams that can travel around corners.