Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Toward home-brewed electricity with 'personalised solar energy'
New scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of 'personalised solar energy,' in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their...
African climate hubs could drive clean energy research
Africa should set up 'climate innovation centres' to help it adapt clean energy sources to its varied needs, say energy advisors.
Cosmic Log: When will plug-ins pay off?
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Automakers are promising that affordable plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will be available in the next couple of years, but a new report contends it will...
Physicists predict cooler computers
TORONTO, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Canadian physicists say they have discovered new behaviors of light occurring within photonic crystals.
Tracking new cancer-killing particles with MRI
Researchers have created a single nanoparticle that can be tracked in real time with MRI as it homes in on cancer cells, tags them with a fluorescent dye and kills...
Does scent enhance consumer product memories?
It may seem odd to add scent to products like sewing thread, automobile tires, and tennis balls, as some companies have done. But a new study says scent helps consumers...
A new kind of micro-mobility
A new microscopic system devised by researchers in MIT's department of materials science and engineering could provide a novel method for moving tiny objects inside a microchip, and could also...
Ethanol-powered vehicles generate more ozone than gas-powered ones
Ethanol, often promoted as a clean-burning, renewable fuel that could help wean the nation from oil, would likely worsen health problems caused by ozone, compared with gasoline, especially in winter,...
Surgeons get real-time tissue profiling
Nuclear magnetic resonance technology could reduce time spent under the knife.
Bullet radiation not so harmful
The radiation dose from depleted uranium munitions may be much smaller than previously thought, according to a recent study.
'Rock-breathing' bacteria could generate electricity and clean up oil spills
A new discovery could contribute to the development of systems that use domestic or agricultural waste to generate clean electricity.
Chinese "Sun Dial" is the World's Largest Solar-Powered Office Building
China, constantly straddling the line between super-polluter and clean tech pioneer, has unveiled what for the time being is the world’s largest solar-powered office building . The fan-like roof of the 800,000 square-foot...
New structure could produce efficient semiconductor laser sources
(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have achieved a nanoscale laser structure they anticipate will produce semiconductor lasers in the next two years that are more than twice as efficient...
A Cheap Way to Chop up Nitrogen
New chemical reaction allows conversion of the ubiquitous gas into a common fertilizer [Read more]
Crowd Forcing: Random Movement of Bacteria Drives Gears
The collective random motion of tiny bacteria can be harnessed to turn much larger mechanical gears in a preestablished direction, a new study demonstrates. The research, set to be published...
New International Energy Program
Technology Transfer: Some $350 million set aside to encourage renewable energy deployment in developing world.
AOptix Technologies and NuCrypt demonstrate physical-layer quantum encryption
AOptix Technologies, a leading edge developer of ultra-high bandwidth laser communication solutions, and NuCrypt, a provider of technology for ultra-high security over optical communication networks, disclosed today the recent completion...
Wind power to gain from Copenhagen deal
NEW DELHI, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A breakthrough deal in climate-change talks in Copenhagen would lead to a sales boost for the wind power industry, says the chief of...
Chemists Create Class Of Carbenes Used To Make Catalysts
Researchers have successfully created in the laboratory a class of carbenes used to make catalysts. Until now, chemists believed these carbenes, called "abnormal N-heterocyclic carbenes" or aNHCs, were impossible to...
Scientists improve results of chemo drug
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've found adding a small molecule to the chemotherapy drug Temozolomide hikes its effectiveness at a much smaller dosage.
Virtual testing gives lightweight planes lift-off
Monash University aeronautical engineers are working with the world's leading aerospace company to fast-track the design and construction of a new generation of super lightweight and efficient passenger airplanes.
How Bats Stick to Surfaces
A sucker-footed bat uses its adhesive pads on the wrists and ankles to walk up a smooth surface. When its pads are dragged along the surface, they hold tight in...
New curriculum mixes nanotechnology and skiing (w/ Video)
Nanotechnology seems a daunting subject, but for mechanical engineering students at the University of Nevada, Reno, it has taken on a real world approach - in Ski Building 101.
Bombs shut Russian gas pipeline to Armenia
MOSCOW, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Natural gas supplies to Armenian consumers will come from storage facilities while Russian teams work to deactivate bombs on regional pipelines, officials said.
Kiev confident about gas supplies
NEW YORK, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- European gas supplies from Russia through Ukraine are secured so long as Kiev renews deals with international leaders, the Ukrainian foreign minister said.
Sept-Îles residents protest uranium exploration
Sept-Îles residents continue to pressure Quebec to slap a moratorium on uranium exploration in the province, despite the government's promise to open a debate on health and safety concerns surrounding...
Biorefiners Win Government Funds
Green Goal: Grants will advance fuels and chemicals from renewable raw materials.
‘Smart’ Electric Utility Meters, Intended to Create Savings, Instead Prompt Revolt
Customers in California are in open revolt, and officials in Connecticut and Texas are questioning whether the rush to install meters benefits the public.