Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
How molecules self-assemble into superstructures
Most technical functional units are built bit by bit according to a well-designed construction plan. The components are sequentially put in place by humans or machines. Life, however, starts bottom-up...
Compact beam steering studies to revolutionize autonomous navigation, AR, neuroscience
In three recent papers, engineers report the first demonstration of optical phased array technology on-chip at both near infrared and blue wavelength with applications in a broad range of research...
Conan O'Brien to film new shows using iPhone
Conan O'Brien said new episodes of "Conan," shot with an iPhone and Skype, will begin airing March 30 on TBS.
Chemistry departments deal with coronavirus closures
Amid university shutdowns worldwide, professors and students adjust what social distancing means for lab scientists
Unraveling optical parameters: New method to optimize plasmon enhanced spectroscopy
Plasmon enhanced spectroscopy allows scientists to reach single molecule sensitivity and a lateral resolution even down to sub-molecular resolution. A major challenge for it to become a user-friendly analytical tool...
How molecules self-assemble into superstructures
Most technical functional units are built bit by bit according to a well-designed construction plan. The components are sequentially put in place by humans or machines. Life, however, is based...
Opening plastic bags and bottles may generate microplastics
Opening plastic packaging, such as plastic bags and bottles may contribute to the generation of small amounts of microplastics—small plastic particles less than 5 mm long—during daily tasks, according to...
Chandra data tests 'theory of everything'
One of the biggest ideas in physics is the possibility that all known forces, particles, and interactions can be connected in one framework. String theory is arguably the best-known proposal...
Study reveals secret of 18th century portrait
Russian researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of RAS, and Russia's famed Tretyakov Gallery have conducted a comprehensive preconservation study...
Hunting for dark matter — inside the Earth
Detectors scattered around the world have been operating for decades, trying to catch the faint trace of a passing dark matter particle, but to no avail. A new paper offers...
Scientists transform ultra-tough pollen into flexible material
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have found a way to turn pollen, one of the hardest materials in the plant kingdom, into a soft and flexible material,...
Radial synthesis breaks new ground for chemical research and production
In the future, bottlenecks in the supply of medicines could be more easily eliminated. An automated machine for radial synthesis developed by chemists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids...
Can strain strengthen neighborhood bonds during the coronavirus crisis?
It was billed as '"Solid practical advice from Stanford' for handling the coronavirus" when it showed up in my inbox last week: Take a deep breath every morning and hold...
Artificial solid fog material creates pleasant laser light
With a porosity of 99.99 %, it consists practically only of air, making it one of the lightest materials in the world: Aerobornitride is the name of the material developed...
Three national laboratories achieve record magnetic field for accelerator focusing magnet
In a multiyear effort involving three national laboratories from across the United States, researchers have successfully built and tested a powerful new magnet based on an advanced superconducting material. The...
Seeing how grain boundaries transform in a metal
Grain boundaries are one of the most prominent defects in engineering materials separating different crystallites, which determine their strength, corrosion resistance and failure. Typically, these interfaces are regarded as quasi...
Researchers demonstrate first terahertz quantum sensing
Quantum physicists rely on quantum sensing as a highly attractive method to access spectral regions and detect photons (tiny packets of light) that are generally technically challenging. They can gather sample information in...
Self-assembly required: Neutrons probe novel polymer behavior for biomedical materials
A versatile class of flexible, protein-like polymers could significantly advance future drug delivery methods. But first, scientists have to develop a reliable process for tailoring these polymers into shapes that...
Carbon Conundrum: Experiment Aims to Re-create Synthesis of Key Element
An Ohio particle accelerator will test an alternative idea of how the universe’s carbon came to be -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Legos may take hundreds of years to break down in the ocean
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of stepping on a Lego, you know the plastic building blocks have absolutely no give. Now, scientists have discovered another unpleasant consequence of the toys’ indestructibility: A...
Mathematicians develop new theory to explain real-world randomness
Brownian motion describes the random movement of particles in fluids, however, this revolutionary model only works when a fluid is static, or at equilibrium. In real-life environments, fluids often contain...
Radiation damage spreads among close neighbors
A single x-ray can unravel an enormous molecule, physicists report in the March 17 issue of Physical Review Letters. Their findings could lead to safer medical imaging and a more nuanced...
Podcast: Is it high time for high-throughput experimentation?
Although the concept of HTE, has been around for a while, chemists are increasingly using its microplates and robots to rapidly run myriad experiments simultaneously. Stereo Chemistry explores what's behind...
An advance in molecular moviemaking shows how molecules respond to two photons of light
Over the past few years, scientists have developed amazing tools—"cameras" that use X-rays or electrons instead of ordinary light ¬- to take rapid-fire snapshots of molecules in motion and string...
How the Lakers and other NBA teams get tested for coronavirus so quickly
A handful of NBA teams like the Lakers have offered coronavirus testing for their players, providing them a service not available to the public. Here's how.
Fish scales could make wearable electronics more sustainable
Flexible temporary electronic displays may one day make it possible to sport a glowing tattoo or check a reading, like that of a stopwatch, directly on the skin. In its...
New sensor could help prevent food waste
Chemists have created a tiny sensor that can detect ethylene gas, a plant hormone, in concentrations as low as 15 parts per billion. The sensor could be used to monitor...
Mathematicians develop new theory to explain real-world randomness
Brownian motion describes the random movement of particles in fluids, however, this revolutionary model only works when a fluid is static, or at equilibrium. In real-life, fluids often contain particles...