Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Phoenix tries shake and sprinkle
The Phoenix lander tries different ways of making clumpy Martian soil samples enter its onboard lab ovens.
Huge Space Lab Gets Even Bigger
Astronauts attached an attic to the space station's Japanese lab for extra storage.
Monkeys Control a Robot Arm With Their Thoughts
The report in the journal Nature is the most striking demonstration of brain-machine interface technology.
Researchers Aim To Mitigate Impact Of Unintended Hydrogen Leaks By Examining 'Embrittlement' Issues
Materials researchers across the globe have fervently been working to find the ideal hydrogen storage material, one that will safely and efficiently provide the needed range and running time for...
New films can reveal traces of explosives
SAN DIEGO, May 27 (UPI) -- U.S. chemists say new spray-on polymer films they've developed might become the basis of portable devices that can spot nitrogen-based explosives.
Scientists create new nanotube structures
Thanks to the rising trend toward miniaturization, carbon nanotubes - which are about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair and possess several unique and very useful properties ...
'Avalanche Effect' In Solar Cells Demonstrated
Researchers have found irrefutable proof that the so-called avalanche effect by electrons occurs in specific, very small semiconducting crystals. This physical effect could pave the way for cheap, high-output solar...
Ottawa firm's shiny solar technology wins Wal-Mart contract
A little company in Stittsville, Ont., has a contract with the biggest retailer in the world to test and demonstrate its powers of concentration - of the sun's energy.
Bright Sparks Make Gains Towards Plastic Lasers Of The Future
Researchers have come one step closer to finding the 'holy grail' in the field of plastic semiconductors by demonstrating a class of material that could make electrically-driven plastic laser diodes...
Wireless spectrum: FAQs
The government's auction of wireless airwaves begins on May 27 and several new cellphone providers are expected as a result.
New System Which Eliminates Carbon Dioxide Emissions Through Microalgae Under Development
Scientists are carrying out a research project on the development of new systems to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions through the use of microalgae photosynthetic activity. The mechanism developed is simple...
Scalable wind turbine might fit on your roof
When you think of wind power, you probably picture gigantic wind turbines spinning gracefully in the middle of large open areas.
Light-driven 'Molecular Brakes' Provide Stopping Power For Nanomachines
Researchers in Taiwan report development of a new type of "molecular brake" that could provide on-demand stopping power for futuristic nanomachines. The brake, thousands of times smaller than the width...
Next-generation Explosives: More Power And Safety Without The Pollution
Scientists in Germany are reporting development of a new generation of explosives that is more powerful than TNT and other existing explosives, less apt to detonate accidentally, and produce fewer...
Rice In Your Gas Tank: Boosting Biofuel Production From Rice Straw
Researchers in China are reporting a discovery that could turn rice straw into an inexpensive new renewable source of biofuel. Their new study describes a way to boost production of...
Feature: Flick the switch to renewable energy
Australia's solar energy industry might have received a big setback in the recent federal budget, but calls are mounting for the adoption of laws that will encourage more people to...
Scientists image a single HIV particle being born
A mapmaker and a mathematician may seem like an unlikely duo, but together they worked out a way to measure longitude – and kept millions of sailors from getting lost...
Wind Farm May be on the Way for Sandia, Kirtland Air Force Base
Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base may soon share a wind farm that will provide as much as one-third of the electricity used by the two entities.
Swiss supercollider puts U.S. on sidelines
DALLAS, May 25 (UPI) -- As the Swiss prepare to unveil a powerful particle accelerator, the United States finds itself in the "minor leagues" of particle physics, scientists...
Letters: Lack of action on climate change is criminal
Letters: How much simpler a transition to a zero-carbon economy would be if we planned for it with foresight and determination
Uranium Producer Warns of Lake Ontario Pollution
Cameco, the world’s largest uranium producer, has told the Canadian nuclear regulator that its refinery might have leaked uranium, arsenic and fluorides into Lake Ontario.
No curbs on lawyers, Cameron inquiry tells N.L.
The judge running Newfoundland and Labrador's breast cancer inquiry has dismissed a government application on what inquiry lawyers can ask.
Artist’s X-ray images seek beauty underneath
X-rays – they’re not just for doctors’ offices and airport security anymore. At least, not for British artist Nick Veasey. From tulips to tennis playing skeletons, laptops to a Boeing...
Letter: Nanotube study and cross-border science
Letters: Your article is a good example of the payback from international collaboration in the areas of emerging technology
New grants to create fabrics that render toxic chemicals harmless
Cornell fiber scientist Juan Hinestroza is working with the U.S. government to create fabrics made of functional nanofibers that would decompose toxic industrial chemicals into harmless byproducts.
"Telectroscope" Connects London, NYC
New Yorkers could see their English cousins across the pond without benefit of cable TV or video conferencing, courtesy of an unusual live optical hookup created by a conceptual artist...
Researchers Aim to Mitigate Impact of Unintended Hydrogen Leaks by Examining 'Embrittlement' Issues
Materials researchers across the globe have fervently been working to find the ideal hydrogen storage material, one that will safely and efficiently provide the needed range and running time for...
Bright sparks make gains towards plastic lasers of the future
Imperial researchers have come one step closer to finding the 'holy grail' in the field of plastic semiconductors by demonstrating a class of material that could make electrically-driven plastic laser...