Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
A Closer Look: FDA is reviewing the use of antibacterial products containing triclosan
The antibacterial chemical found in liquid hand soaps, deodorant bar soaps, toothpastes and more may harm humans and the wildlife. Industry groups say they have provided volumes of information on...
Knowing when poultry goes foul
Mom's trusty nose may be good, but now researchers have gone her one better by designing an instrument that quickly and precisely sniffs trace amounts of chemical compounds that indicate...
New detector counts photons with 99 percent efficiency
Scientists have developed the world's most efficient single photon detector, which is able to count individual particles of light traveling through fiber optic cables with roughly 99 percent efficiency. The...
Roman ingots to shield particle detector
Lead from ancient shipwreck will line Italian neutrino experiment.
Video: Cooling Your Jets
There is a lot of Twitter news today. Also, why you should avoid 3DTV if you're drunk or pregnant and how to cool off your backside with your unused USB...
Pinning down a proton
Scientists have developed a new method for describing the binding of protons and neutrons within nuclei. This method may improve scientists' ability to predict and understand astrophysical reactions within stars.
Warm Water Flowed Through Supercomputers to Cool Down Their Heat
Today's supercomputers run hot, thanks to power-hungry microprocessors that enable sophisticated scientific research and complex financial transactions to be performed in the blink of an eye. As these microprocessors have...
Using neutrons to peer inside a battery designed for hybrid locomotives
Rechargeable batteries may soon provide greater energy efficiency not only for road traffic, but also for rail transport. Scientists at the research neutron source FRM II of the Technische Universitaet...
Safer swiping while voting and globetrotting
Since 2007, every new U.S. passport has been outfitted with a computer chip. Embedded in the back cover of the passport, the "e-passport" contains biometric data, electronic fingerprints and pictures...
Quantum Effects Exploited to Generate Random Numbers
A team of researchers has devised perhaps the world's most intricate coin toss, a device utilizing vacuum chambers, magnetic fields, lasers and microwave pulses to produce a random string of...
Energy conservation in south could save billions, create jobs, study finds
Energy-efficiency measures in the southern US could save consumers $41 billion on their energy bills, open 380,000 new jobs, and save 8.6 billion gallons of water by 2020, according to...
Nigeria's leader takes control of oil
ABUJA, Nigeria, April 15 (UPI) -- Acting president Goodluck Jonathan, eyeing next year's presidential race that will likely hinge on energy issues, has taken over the electricity ministry himself...
Dark Energy Puzzle: Solved ?
I read with interest and excitement a very lightweight preprint on the Cornell preprint arxiv this afternoon. Although I usually skip reading papers on subjects I know little about (Cosmology),...
Danish eco-hotel in 'meals for wheels' pedalpower offer
A Danish hotel offers a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike attached to a generator.
Is Reprocessing the Answer to Eliminating Fissile Materials from Bombs and Nuclear Waste?
President Obama promised to eliminate 34 tons of plutonium from the U.S. nuclear weapons program as part of this week's nuclear security summit. But how does one actually get rid...
Turkey losing money on BTC pipeline
ANKARA, Turkey, April 15 (UPI) -- Corporate disputes and capacity issues with the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline cost Turkey more than $200 million since 2007, energy officials said.
Cutting costs in silicon production
A producer of solar-grade silicon, has combined basic and applied research to develop production methods that cut costs and consume less energy than conventional silicon production.
Cleaning up oil with peat moss
Researchers have developed a peat moss product that turns out to be a highly effective absorbent for cleaning up oil spills.
New Device Extends Cell Phone Reception While On-the-Go
A company is offering the first portable device designed for cell phone users who have spotty reception.
Clever eyes help archerfish
Researchers have figured out how the archerfish can see above and below water at the same time – their eyes are adapted perfectly.
Network expands to 256 times its original size to bridge the micro and macro worlds
(PhysOrg.com) -- Now that scientists have developed a diverse assortment of nano- and micro-sized devices and materials, one of the biggest challenges is finding a practical way to incorporate them...
New method for recovering pricey nanoparticles
Scientists are reporting first use of a new method that may make it easier for manufacturers to recover, recycle, and reuse nanoparticles, some of which ounce for ounce can be...
Solar energy production has enormous potential in southeastern Ontario
Solar power in southeastern Ontario has the potential to produce almost the same amount of power as all the nuclear reactors in the United States, according to two studies conducted...
Environmentally friendly way to produce propylene oxide using silver nanoclusters
Scientists have identified a new class of silver-based catalysts for the production of the industrially useful chemical propylene oxide that is both environmentally friendly and less expensive.
The Postdocs
Some physicists spend their lives obsessed with questions about the possibility of parallel universes, or of travel at the speed of light. Amy Rowat is obsessed with the mechanical properties of the tiny...
Engineering Students Showcase Nextgen Robots During Research Expo
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the UCSD Coordinated Robotics Lab, mechanical engineering professor Tom Bewley and his students, have just released the latest generation of their Switchblade family of agile treaded vehicles.
ZAP licenses PNNL's Smart Charger Controller Technology
(PhysOrg.com) -- California car maker ZAP plans to use the Smart Charger Controller technology developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in its charging stations internationally. The...
Samsung Intros AMOLED Beam, Its Latest Beam Projector Mobile Phone
Samsung Electronics today introduced the AMOLED Beam (SPH-W9600) to the Korean market. The successor to the Samsung Haptic Beam (SPH-W7900), the world`s first full-touch beam projector phone, the AMOLED Beam...