Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Mapping crystal shapes could fast-track 2-D materials
Materials scientists at Rice University and the University of Pennsylvania are calling for a collective, global effort to fast-track the mass production of 2-D materials like graphene and molybdenum disulfide.
A 'corny' solution to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus
Inside the Mizzou Asphalt Pavement and Innovation Lab at the University of Missouri College of Engineering, Bill Buttlar normally leads a research team developing innovative ways to build better roads...
UH and iconic watercress farm collaborate on sustainability research
University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa researchers and Sumida Farm farmers published a study this week detailing their collaboration to study the past, present and future of the multigenerational farm...
Mapping crystal shapes could fast-track 2D materials
Materials scientists are calling for a collective, global effort to fast-track the mass production of 2D materials like graphene and molybdenum disulfide.
Origami metamaterials show reversible auxeticity combined with deformation recoverability
New research expands the understanding of origami structures, opening possibilities for mechanical metamaterials to be used in soft robotics and medical devices.
Shining a light on the quantum world
In the universe, there is the world we can see with the naked eye: trees, planes in the sky, dishes in the sink. But there are other worlds that reveal themselves with...
Water molecules are gold for nanocatalysis
Nanocatalysts made of gold nanoparticles dispersed on metal oxides are very promising for the industrial, selective oxidation of compounds, including alcohols, into valuable chemicals. They show high catalytic activity, particularly...
Laser inversion enables multi-materials 3D printing
Selective laser sintering is one of the most widely used processes in additive manufacturing, but it is limited to printing with a single material at a time. Robotics engineers have...
Trapping tiny particles: A versatile tool for nano-manipulation
Researchers have developed a novel device for single nanoparticle trapping, which has potential applications for drug discovery, disease monitoring, biomedical imaging, and more.
Heat smarter, not harder: How microwaves make catalytic reactions more efficient
Scientists demonstrate a synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy-based method by which the local temperatures of metal nanoparticles can be measured under microwaves. This approach provides insight into the role that their temperature...
Iran tows simulated U.S. aircraft carrier into Strait of Hormuz
Iran towed its replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier into the strategic Strait of Hormuz, satellite photographs indicate.
Offshore wind power now so cheap it could pay money back to consumers
The latest round of offshore wind farms to be built in the UK could reduce household energy bills by producing electricity very cheaply.
Soft robot actuators heal themselves
Repeated activity wears on soft robotic actuators, but these machine's moving parts need to be reliable and easily fixed. Now a team of researchers has a biosynthetic polymer, patterned after...
Controlling streams of liquid metal at room temperature
Researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated a technique that allows them to produce streams of liquid metal at room temperature. By applying a low voltage to the liquid...
Atomic stopwatch measures tunneling time
New experiment tries to answer oft-debated quantum question, but some physicists still wonder if the answer is meaningful
Vacancy dynamics on CO-covered Pt(111) electrodes
Platinum arguably is the most important electrocatalyst material, not only because it is the best single element catalyst in a variety of important electrocatalytic reactions but also due to its...
A photonic amorphous topological insulator
The current understanding of topological insulators and their classical wave analogs, such as photonic topological insulators, is mainly based on topological band theory. Contrary to this, Scientists in China and...
Size matters in air pollution – but it’s not enough
by Rex Merrifield Current regulations on air pollution mainly focus on the mass of particles of a particular size range in a sample, and this has been used as a marker...
'Nomadland' from Chloe Zhao set for Venice, Toronto film festivals
"Nomadland," from filmmaker Chloe Zhao and starring Frances McDormand, will premiere simultaneously at both the Venice and Toronto film festivals on Sept. 11.
Trapping tiny particles: A versatile tool for nanomanipulation
At just 1/1000th of a millimeter, nanoparticles are impossible to see with the naked eye. But, despite being small, they're extremely important in many ways. If scientists want to take...
Water molecules are gold for nanocatalysis
Nanocatalysts made of gold nanoparticles dispersed on metal oxides are very promising for the industrial, selective oxidation of compounds, including alcohols, into valuable chemicals. They show high catalytic activity, particularly...
Soft robot actuators heal themselves
Repeated activity wears on soft robotic actuators, but these machine's moving parts need to be reliable and easily fixed. Now a team of researchers has a biosynthetic polymer, patterned after...
Researchers create 'decoy' coatings that trick infrared cameras
Light can sometimes play tricks on our eyes. If you look at a shiny surface, what you see will largely depend on the surrounding environment and lighting conditions.
Heat smarter, not harder: How microwaves make catalytic reactions more efficient
Many reactions that we use to produce chemical compounds in food, medical, and industrial fields would not be feasible without the use of catalysts. A catalyst is a substance that,...
The insides of pro bowling balls will make your head spin
Storm Bowling engineers its balls to hit different expert needs. (Travis Rathbone/)No matter how hard you try to spin the house balls at your local bowling joint, they rarely curve. That’s because they...
Poem: Biology is not Physics
You think the rule of physics must be strict, yet only in the aggregate do maths apply to living things. Their single paths take twists and turns that...
Testing Chernobyl fungi as a radiation shield for astronauts
A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Stanford University has tested the viability of using a type of fungus found growing in some of...
Novel gas-capture approach advances nuclear fuel management
Nuclear energy provides about 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply, and over half of its carbon-free generating capacity.