Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Space Fleets Stay In Formation Magnetically
Spacecraft flying in formation could use magnets to align themselves.
Hydrogen For Fuel Cells Extracted From Formic Acid At Room Temperature
Matthias Beller and his team at the Leibniz Institute of Catalysis in Rostock have succeeded in the controlled extraction of hydrogen from formic acid without the need for a high-temperature...
New maths improves sleep monitoring
A researcher has invented a new way of monitoring breathing during sleep using a formula based on chaos theory, making the process cheaper and simpler.
Chemists measure chilli sauce hotness with nanotubes
Oxford chemists have found a way of using carbon nanotubes to judge the heat of chilli sauces. The technology might soon be available commercially as a cheap, disposable sensor for...
Harnessing sunlight on the cheap
For a project that could be on the very cutting edge of renewable energy, this one is actually decidedly low tech--and that's the point.
Engineers 'bone' up on biological materials
In a recent feature article published in Materials Research Society's Bulletin, Dr Michelle Oyen explores the potential uses of synthetic bone-like material. Michelle suggests that these materials will be too...
Feature: The power of plants
Every minute of every day, plants around the globe convert 50,000 tonnes of sugar they’ve produced by photosynthesis into high-energy molecules to drive their growth. Marcia Van Zeller investigates the...
Nanotube Production Leaps From Sooty Mess In Test Tube To Ready Formed Chemical Microsensors
Carbon nanotubes' potential as a super material is blighted by the fact that when first made they often take the form of an unprepossessing pile of sooty black mess in...
System uses sound to find whales, avoid ship strikes
(AP) -- A spotter bangs three times on the boat's cabin roof, signaling the captain to cut the throttle - now. In the foggy gray of Cape Cod Bay,...
Clearwire, Sprint Nextel to form $14.55B wireless company
(AP) -- Clearwire and Sprint Nextel will combine their wireless broadband units to create a $14.55 billion communications company.
Powering Cars of the Future Fuels Students' Success
Mississippi State University engineering students lead an international competition to bring more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles into the marketplace. General Motor's Challenge X competition completes its final stretch with a national...
New Cell-based Sensors Sniff Out Danger Like Bloodhounds
Engineers are developing advanced "cell-based sensors-on-a-chip" technology. These tiny sensors, only a few millimeters in size, could speed up and improve the detection of everything from explosive materials to biological...
Lab In A Drop: Pocket-sized PCR Rapid Test Including Sample Preparation
Jürgen Pipper and his team at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore have developed a rapid test for genetic diagnosis that combines the preparation of biological samples with...
Contact Through Silver Particles in Ink
Modern cars are full of sensors. The optimum quantity of air in the intake tract of a combustion engine is regulated by thermoelectric flow sensors, for instance. They measure which...
MIT examines reality of slashing gasoline use
It is possible to slash fuel use by all vehicles on U.S. roads to pre-2000 levels within a few decades, but doing so would require immediate action on several challenging...
Super-sizing great for your wallet but not your waist
From mega mugs of soda that don't even fit into the average car cup holder to jumbo orders of fries that could feed an elephant, many fast-food restaurants are offering...
Really?: The Claim: Running Outdoors Burns More Calories
Most avid runners have a strong preference for either pavement or treadmills, but how do the two differ in producing results?
New cell-based sensors sniff out danger like bloodhounds
A small, unmanned vehicle makes its way down the road ahead of a military convoy. Suddenly it stops and relays a warning to the convoy commander. The presence of a...
'Crispy noodle' chemistry could reduce carbon emissions
A new material developed in Manchester, which has a structure that resembles crispy noodles, could help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being pumped out and drive the next generation...
Berkeley Lab researchers propose a new breed of supercomputers
Three researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy`s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have proposed an innovative way to improve global climate change predictions by using a supercomputer with...
Intel, Samsung, TSMC Reach Agreement for 450mm Wafer Manufacturing Transition
Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics and TSMC today announced they have reached agreement on the need for industry-wide collaboration to target a transition to larger, 450mm-sized wafers starting in 2012. The...
Smart Miniature Pump Could Deliver Medicine
An innovative micro-pump makes it possible for tiny quantities of liquid -- such as medicines -- to be dosed accurately and flexibly. Active composites and an electronic control mechanism ensure...
Shpyrko receives APS organization's Young Investigator Award
The Advanced Photon Source (APS) Users Organization has named Oleg G. Shpyrko as the recipient of the 2008 Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award. The award recognizes an important technical or...
Electric fields could repel sharks
Sharks have an innate ability to detect electric fields, useful for sensing the bioelectric activity of their prey.
Ultrasound Can Drain The Color From Toxic Dyes
Brightly colored dyes such as the shimmering Congo Red commonly used in silk clothing manufacture are notoriously difficult to dispose of in an environmentally benign way.
Tiny Electronics: Contact Through Silver Particles In Ink
Conductor paths in sensor systems have to be correctly "wired." Now, instead of using obtrusive connecting wires, researchers print the conductor paths. The connections thus produced are thinner, and the...
Is quantum Internet search on the way?
In classical computing, random access memory (RAM) is needed to make things “work.” But it is subject to a certain level of energy loss. But what if you could create...
A Dump Truck for the 21st Century [News]
Slideshow: View the "super tipper" [More]