Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Optical illusions explained in a fly’s eyes
Why people perceive motion in some static images has mystified not only those who view these optical illusions but neuroscientists who have tried to explain the phenomenon. Now Yale neuroscientists...
Engineers bring surgical robots down to microscale size
In a collaboration between Harvard and Sony, engineers have brought surgical robotics down to the microscale by creating a new, origami-inspired miniature manipulator to improve precision and control. The robotic systems that currently...
Physicists discover new two-dimensional material
University of Arkansas scientists are part of an international team that has discovered a two-dimensional ferroelectric material just two atoms thick.
New insights into lithium-ion battery failure mechanism
Researchers have identified a potential new degradation mechanism for electric vehicle batteries—a key step to designing effective methods to improve battery lifespan.
A new generation of synchrotron
Inside the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility's 844-meter-diameter storage ring, electrons traveling at almost the speed of light produce some of the brightest X-ray beams in the world. These X-rays can...
New method to track ultrafast change of magnetic state
An international team of physicists from Bielefeld University, Uppsala University, the University of Strasbourg, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, ETH Zurich, and...
Physicists pin down the pay off between speed and entropy
"You have to work harder to get the job done faster," explains Gianmaria Falasco, a researcher at the University of Luxembourg as he sums up the results of his latest...
Storing information in antiferromagnetic materials
Researchers at Mainz University have shown that information can be stored in antiferromagnetic materials and to measure the efficiency of the writing operation
Scientists get atomistic picture of platinum catalyst degradation
Degradation of platinum, used as a key electrode material in the hydrogen economy, severely shortens the lifetime of electrochemical energy conversion devices, such as fuel cells. For the first time,...
A colorful detector
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have developed a new kind of color-shifting crystalline material that can be used to indicate the presence of water. The change in hue is...
New imaging technique helps resolve nanodomains, chemical composition in cell membranes
For those not involved in chemistry or biology, picturing a cell likely brings to mind several discrete, blob-shaped objects; maybe the nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes and the like.
Parachutist makes world's 1st solar skydive
A parachutist completed the world's first jump from a solar-powered aircraft on Tuesday after the plane soared to a height of 1,520 metres (nearly 5,000 ft) over western Switzerland, Swiss...
Advanced biofuels show real promise for replacing some fossil fuels
A new study predicted significant climate benefits stemming from the use of advanced biofuel technologies.
Optical illusions explained in a fly's eyes
Why people perceive motion in some static images has mystified not only those who view these optical illusions but neuroscientists who have tried to explain the phenomenon. Now neuroscientists have...
Google’s Pixel 4a is a lot of smartphone for $349
The screen doesn't have a high refresh rate, but it's bright and sharp. (Stan Horaczek /)Pick up Google’s new Pixel 4a phone and it’s obvious that it’s not a flagship. The 5.8-inch...
Scientists get atomistic picture of platinum catalyst degradation
Degradation of platinum, used as a key electrode material in the hydrogen economy, severely shortens the lifetime of electrochemical energy conversion devices, such as fuel cells. For the first time,...
New approach to soft material flow may yield way to new materials, disaster prediction
How does toothpaste stay in its tube and not ooze out when we remove the cap? What causes seemingly solid ground to suddenly break free into a landslide? Defining exactly...
Novel 3D-printed device demonstrates enhanced capture of carbon dioxide emissions
Researchers have designed and additively manufactured a first-of-its-kind aluminum device that enhances the capture of carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuel plants and other industrial processes.
New insights for sun-gathering technologies
Researchers are taking a page from Nature's lesson book. Inspired by the way plants and other photosynthetic organisms collect and use the sun's radiant energy, they hope to develop technologies...
Advanced biofuels show real promise for replacing some fossil fuels
Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net greenhouse gas mitigation benefit of...
Velcro method for more precise binding of drug particles
In order to deliver drug particles to the right place in the body—a field known as nanomedicine—selectivity plays an important role. After all, the drug only has to attach itself...
Fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles are becoming longer lasting
An international research team has succeeded in developing an electrocatalyst for hydrogen fuel cells which, in contrast to the catalysts commonly used today, does not require a carbon carrier and...
Wireless device makes clean fuel from sunlight, CO2 and water
Researchers have developed a standalone device that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into a carbon-neutral fuel, without requiring any additional components or electricity.
Researchers develop flat lens a thousand times thinner than a human hair
A lens that is a thousand times thinner than a human hair has been developed in Brazil by researchers at the University of São Paulo's São Carlos School of Engineering...
Study offers new insights for sun-gathering technologies
Every hour, the sun saturates the earth with more energy than humans use in a year. Harnessing some of this energy to meet global demand has become a grand challenge,...
Fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles are becoming longer lasting
Roughly 1 billion cars and trucks zoom about the world's roadways. Only a few run on hydrogen. This could change after a breakthrough achieved by researchers at the University of...
Predicting computational power of early quantum computers
Quantum physicists have developed an algorithm which helps early quantum computers to perform calculations most efficiently.
Researchers to investigate wind power effects on bats in the Baltic Sea region
Despite the increasing numbers of wind turbines, their impacts on the environment are poorly known. A new study focuses on wind turbines in the Baltic Sea region and their impact...