Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Big City: St. Vincent’s Closing Reduces Childbirth Options
Mothers-to-be will lose a midwife-friendly alternative after a decision by the board of St. Vincent’s Medical Centers to close its flagship hospital in Greenwich Village.
How dangerous are air pollutants really?
Through this system, it will be possible for the first time ever to channel substances from the air, under precisely controlled conditions, through the lung cells or skin cells, and...
Near-Death Experiences Explained?
Bright lights and angels seen at the brink of death are the products of too much carbon dioxide in the blood, a new study suggests.
How dangerous are air pollutants really?
How severely do smog, diesel exhaust and secondhand smoke damage the lungs? What do pollen or nanoparticles trigger when they infiltrate the human body through inhaling? At this year's BIO...
Statoil makes new oil and gas find
STAVANGER, Norway, April 8 (UPI) -- Norwegian energy company Statoil announced it uncovered new oil and gas deposits located in the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea.
Pitt-led study identifies human enzyme that breaks down potentially toxic nanomaterials
An international study based at the University of Pittsburgh provides the first identification of a human enzyme that can biodegrade carbon nanotubes - the superstrong materials found in products from...
Brown University scientists discover new principle in material science
Materials scientists have known that a metal's strength (or weakness) is governed by dislocation interactions, a messy exchange of intersecting fault lines that move or ripple within metallic crystals. But...
NC State research may revolutionise ceramics manufacturing
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new way to shape ceramics using a modest electric field, making the process significantly more energy efficient. The process should result...
Evidence that nanoparticles in sunscreens could be toxic if accidentally eaten
Scientists are reporting that particle size affects the toxicity of zinc oxide, a material widely used in sunscreens. Particles smaller than 100 nanometres are slightly more toxic to colon cells...
Slideshow: Solar power, shaped up
Flat solar photovoltaic panels are becoming more widespread, but the power they produce varies over the course of the day as the sun’s position changes — unless the panels are mounted on...
New electrolyte for dye-based solar cells
A new iodide-free electrolyte could bring low cost dye-based solar cells closer to the market
New form for an old fuel
Colloidal coal-water suspensions may rise to the challenges of clean coal technology with the help of a new production method
Lab-on-a-chip can carry out complex analyses on the spot
Many illnesses can be reliably diagnosed through laboratory tests, but these in vitro analyses often use up valuable time. A new system, which can carry out complex analyses on the...
Are Smaller Fonts Go-Green Money Savers?
Switching to Narrower Type Can Save You 30% on Printer Cartridges, but it Can Also Mean Using More Paper
H.P. Says New Device Could Revolutionize Computer Chips
So-called memristors could replace today’s transistors, company scientists report.
Physicists Begin Quest for 'Higgs' Particle at European Collider
(PhysOrg.com) -- More than two dozen UC San Diego physicists and technicians began their long-awaited quest last week in a research facility below the Swiss-French border to find a hypothetical...
Wake Forest earns patent for efficient, inexpensive fiber-based solar cells
Wake Forest University has received the first patent for a new solar cell technology that can double the energy production of today's flat cells at a fraction of the cost.
South Africa Energy Needs Collide With U.S. Policy
The U.S. faces a quandary over a loan for a coal-fired power plant, which will help in an energy shortage but will add to greenhouse gases.
10 million mini-big bangs created in one week
Physicists at the CERN research centre said on Wednesday they had created 10 million mini-Big Bangs in the first week of mega-power operations of their marathon probe into the secrets...
GDF Suez building biomass plant in Poland
PARIS, April 7 (UPI) -- French energy giant GDF Suez announced plans to build a 190-megawatt power plant in Poland that runs entirely on wood and other biomass fuels.
Total on defensive on oil-for-food probe
PARIS, April 7 (UPI) -- French oil giant Total said there is nothing new to a probe into its activity under the abandoned oil-for-food program for Iraqi oil.
Nord Stream construction imminent
MOSCOW, April 7 (UPI) -- Russian leaders are preparing for a Friday ceremony to commemorate the start of construction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, executives said.
National Briefing | West: California: If It’s Monday, It’s Veggies
San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors passed a nonbinding resolution declaring every Monday as “meat-free.”
Keeping cattle cool and stress-free
Scientists are identifying the causes of heat stress in cattle and finding ways to manage it which is helping producers deal with this significant production problem.
Light switches for nerve cells
(PhysOrg.com) -- It sounds like a neurobiologist`s dream: a light-switch that allows nerve cells to be switched on and off at will. Three scientists have found just such a light...
Building blocks of the future
(PhysOrg.com) -- Professor Varinder Aggarwal is no ordinary builder. He and his team in the School of Chemistry have just discovered a new technique that could hasten the development of...
To Surf, or to Dance? Electrons' Extracurricular Activities Affect Superconductivity
(PhysOrg.com) -- Superconductors, the wonder materials that transport electricity without any resistance or energy loss, appear to be more complex than previously thought, according to research published online this week...
Our Universe at Home within a Larger Universe? So Suggests Physicist's Wormhole Research
IU theoretical physicist Nikodem Poplawski in research published in "Physics Letters B" uses Euclidean-based mathematical modeling to suggest that all black holes may have wormholes inside which exist universes created...