Cold Fusion Is Hot Again

Presented in 1989 as a revolutionary new source of energy, cold fusion was quickly dismissed as junk science. But as Scott Pelley reports, the buzz now among scientists is that...

Oracle, Sun Now Face Integration Challenge

Through one important piece of corporate computing jargon - "integration" - Oracle has found a justification for its $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Now it will have to convince...

Atmospheric engineering scheme to combat global warming could diminish solar power

A widely discussed "atmospheric engineering" scheme intended to combat global warming could have unanticipated consequences in reducing the effectiveness of certain kinds of solar power around the Earth, a new...

Bridging the gap in nanoantennas

In a recent publication in Nature Photonics, a joint team of researchers at CIC nanoGUNE, Donostia International Physics Center DIPC, Centro de Física de Materiales of CSIC/UPV-EHU in San Sebastian...

The most hazardous place in Europe

Easier Route To 'Spintronic' Circuits? New Spin Put On Electrons

In the first demonstration of its kind, researchers have controlled the spin of electrons using a ballistic technique -- bouncing electrons through a microscopic channel of precisely constructed, two-dimensional layer...

Measuring The Immeasurable: Bond Strength Of Materials Linked To Heat Transfer

The speed at which heat moves between two materials touching each other is a potent indicator of how strongly they are bonded to each other, according to a new study....

ONR demonstrates new counter-mine technology for ships

In a time of increasing irregular warfare threats, the Navy has devised and successfully demonstrated a revolutionary technology to help reduce the risk of naval mine strikes to U.S. Navy...

Smoothing out fluctuations in wind power with "wind"

In reading the current issue of New Scientist, I found a pointer to a blog entry called "Bug eats electricity, farts biogas." Needless to say, I had to learn more.

Team invents first technique for producing promising anti-leukaemia agent

Kapakahines, marine-derived natural products isolated from a South Pacific sponge in trace quantities, have shown anti-leukaemia potential, but studies have been all but stalled by kapakahines' lack of availability...

Important Breakthrough Towards Silicon-based All-optical Integrated Circuits

The first experimental proof of all-optical ultra-fast communication signal processing with silicon-based devices for transmission speeds above 100Gbit/s has been published.

Biocompatible Materials For Rapid Prototyping

The implantation of integrated biomedical devices to the human body provides challenges to engineering materials science and biology. The demand for metallic and polymeric biomaterials is greatly increasing because of...

Slide Show: Exoskeletons Give New Life to Legs

NEW YORK--In advance of their debut at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit April 20, Honda gave ScientificAmerican.com a preview of two devices designed to assist the...

Nanoclusters seem to skirt physics law

In simulations, tiny loophole allows colliding nanoclusters to increase speed after impact

Pinpointing catalytic reactions on carbon nanotubes

(PhysOrg.com) -- Among their many other interesting properties, carbon nanotubes have been found to act as catalysts for some important chemical reactions, including some that could be used to make...

Diesel fights for traction with U.S. buyers

Just like gasoline, diesel fuel has plummeted in price since last summer after reaching almost $5 a gallon. So now that diesel goes for about $2.25, sales of diesel-powered vehicles,...

Chiral metals shape up for catalysis

Palladium catalyst free of organic material gains chiral features through morphological memory

New Laser Technique Advances Nanofabrication Process

Chemists have developed a new laser technique called RAPID (Resolution Augmentation through Photo-Induced Deactivation) lithography that creates ever smaller computer chip features without the use of expensive ultraviolet light.

Boosting innovation with space technology

ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme holds its second annual ‘SpaceTransfer’ event at this year’s Hanover Fair from 20 to 24 April. SpaceTransfer09 presents a number of impressive spin-offs, illustrating the potential...

Let’s Get Non-verbal, Electronically

Researchers have developed a suite of tools to add non-verbal cues to email, phone calls, chats and other channels of electronic communication. It is fascinating work, and the real-world applications...

New Chemical Reaction For DNA Production In Bacteria And Viruses Discovered

Scientists have discovered a new chemical reaction for producing one of the four nucleotides, or building blocks, needed to build DNA. The reaction includes an unusual first step, or mechanism,...

Carbon Nanotube Polymer Nanocomposites For Field Emission Cathodes

Scientists have discovered that you can produce a composite of carbon nanotubes embedded in a polymer that gives outstanding performance as an electron emitter material. Under high voltage these electrons...

Coke Bottle Quantum Physics

(PhysOrg.com) -- Don't be fooled by the collection of empty soda bottles in James Cryan's office at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Cryan isn't a caffeine fiend -the cola bottles are...

Slide Show: 10 Things You Should Know About Toyota's New Prius Hybrid

I say "hybrid car"; you say "Prius." Toyota's fuel-sipping sedan has become iconic for gasoline–electric hybrid technology, so much so that the model seems to cast a green aura over...

How Early Was Oxygen's Rise?

New lab experiments challenge ideas about when oxygen arrived in Earth's atmosphere

Students show your cell phone how to rescue your stolen car

A text-message to your stolen car, ordering it to shut down, is being heralded as a new way to thwart auto thefts.

Team to Establish a Renewable Hydrogen Fueling Station

NASA's Glenn Research Center is leading a team of industry and university partners in demonstrating a prototype of a commercial hydrogen fueling station that uses wind and solar power to...

Who Wants Yellowcake?

It turns out that when Lehman Brothers went belly-up last fall, it was left with a lot more than just irate investors and billions of dollars in debt. One of...