Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Main climate threat from CO2 sources yet to be built
Scientists have warned that avoiding dangerous climate change this century will require steep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions. New energy-efficient or carbon-free technologies can help, but what about the power...
Random numbers game with quantum dice
Behind every coincidence lies a plan - in the world of classical physics, at least. In principle, every event, including the fall of dice or the outcome of a game...
If Fine-Structure Constant Varies, Then The Laws Of Physics Throughout The Universe Do Too
What happens to the laws of physics if a fundamental constant turns out to be not a constant after all. The 'magic number' known as the fine-structure constant, called...
New method helps computer vision systems decipher outdoor scenes
Computer vision systems can struggle to make sense of a single image, but a new method enables computers to gain a deeper understanding of an image by reasoning about the...
Oil dispersants' effects still largely a mystery
In the wake of the BP oil spill, gaping questions remain about a key tool used during cleanup: the nearly 2 million gallons of chemical dispersants sprayed over the water...
NFL's behind-the-scenes Super Bowl: Tech-savvy crowd vs. old guard
While Major League Baseball clings to century-old conventions and FIFA puts on soccer matches recognizable to a Victorian audience, the National Football League has made incorporating new technology a key...
Physicists Fashion the Ultimate Pea-Shooter Out of Laser Light
"Light pipe" delivers tiny objects across room with hair's breadth accuracy
ARM unveils Cortex-A15 MPcore processor
ARM today introduced the Cortex-A15 MPCore processor that delivers a 5x performance improvement over today`s advanced smartphone processors, within a comparable energy footprint. In advanced infrastructure applications the Cortex-A15 processor...
Size matters: Bird uses illusion to wow a mate
To woo females, bowerbird males create optical illusions that make themselves look larger than they are, much like the ones used in the "Lord of the Rings" films to make...
Electric shock resets nanotube sensor
Sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) could be ‘reset’ at the simple flick of a switch
Feature: Understanding the dance of electrons
Guy Micklethwait writes about the application of quantum mechanics to chemistry to solve quasiexact models and to understand the system.
New CCTV technology helps prevent terror attacks
Numerous CCTV systems are in use in public places which have the capacity to gather large amounts of image material. For the time being, however, there are no effective ways...
A closer look at ring opening: Electron diffraction studies of photoswitchable molecules
(PhysOrg.com) -- We use a switch to turn lights off and on; however, light can also act as a switch itself, for example when molecules change their structure upon irradiation....
Epson develops new XV-9000 series of gyro-sensors for vehicle attitude sensing
Epson Toyocom Corporation, the leader in crystal devices, today announced the development of a new series of compact, reliable gyro-sensors (angular rate sensors) capable of withstanding temperatures as high as...
Beam trap full of holes: Researchers develop new surfaces for radar absorption
Swiss researchers from ETH Zurich's Institute for Field Theory and High Frequency Electronics have developed new surfaces for radar absorption. Thanks to this multifaceted application, window panes could even double...
AG School Develops Cool, Sustainable Way to Keep Veggies Fresher
Students have built two 10X10-foot air-conditioned walk-in packing sheds on the university farm that will keep produce fresh for market.
Emission reductions slowed down by heavier and more powerful cars
The potential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from cars is not being fully realized. The average Swedish car buyer still purchases a heavier and thirstier car than the average European,...
Lasers keep mini helicopter hovering for hours
(PhysOrg.com) -- Seattle research and development company LaserMotive has succeeded in keeping a model helicopter hovering for six hours, powered only by the energy of a laser.
NIST researchers hear puzzling new physics from graphene quartet's quantum harmonies
Using a one-of-a-kind instrument designed and built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an international team of researchers have 'unveiled' a quartet of graphene's electron states and...
Forcing mismatched elements together could yield better solar cells
In what could be a step toward higher efficiency solar cells, an international team including University of Michigan professors has invalidated the most commonly used model to explain the behaviour...
Laser backpack measures interiors
BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A portable laser backpack than can produce fast, automatic and realistic 3-D mapping of difficult interior environments has been developed, officials say. ...
U.S. Air Force Working to Save Ailing Military Satellite
The U.S. Air Force is gaining ground in its attempt to save an advanced new military communications satellite after a crippling malfunction left it without a working main engine.
Aluminum 'nanometal' is strong as steel
RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've learned how make an aluminum alloy -- a mixture of aluminum and other elements -- that's as strong as...
Next Generation 'Intelligent' Batteries Get Some Optimization
Current battery design and implementation is not optimal, but it's cheap. A new effort seeks to make conventional battery systems more standardized and increase interoperability of battery and charger parts,...
Evolution Strikes Back
It might be an understatement to say I'm not really a fan of horror films. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I can't stand watching them. Even I will admit,...
Bay of Fundy may get world's largest turbine
The company that recently installed the world's largest tidal turbine off the coast of Scotland wants to test the same machine in the Bay of Fundy off Nova Scotia.
Rogue wave prediction spares ships, sailors
Giant rogue waves like the kind popularized in the George Clooney movie The Perfect Storm could be predictable thanks to new research on light in fiber optic cables. ...
A Regenerative Feat for Solar Cells
A discovery could help extend the life of experimental high-efficiency solar cells, which often suffer from short lifespans when tested outside the laboratory, researchers say.