Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Nobel Prize In Chemistry
Awards: Structural biologists who revealed ribosome's structure and function get the nod.
Bacterium Transforms Toxic Gold Compounds To Their Metallic Form
Australian scientists have found that the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans catalyzes the biomineralization of gold by transforming toxic gold compounds to their metallic form using active cellular mechanism.
For Future Superconductors, A Little Bit Of Lithium May Do Hydrogen A Lot Of Good
Scientists have a long and unsuccessful history of attempting to convert hydrogen to a metal by squeezing it under incredibly high and steady pressures. A new tudy suggests strategies for...
Electrosurgical devices, lasers cited as most common igniters of operating room fires
While operating room fires can occur in a variety of clinical settings, it is the use of lasers and electrosurgical devices that are most likely to cause them. Those are...
Filming Photons, One Million Times A Second
Researchers have created a CMOS (semiconductor) camera capable of filming individual photons one million times a second.
Renewable hydrogen production becomes reality at winery
The first demonstration of a renewable method for hydrogen production from wastewater using a microbial electrolysis system is underway at the Napa Wine Company in Oakville. The refrigerator-sized hydrogen generator...
Silver nanoparticles give polymer solar cells a boost
Small bits of metal may play a new role in solar power. Researchers at Ohio State University are experimenting with polymer semiconductors that absorb the sun's energy and generate electricity....
Colour sensors for better vision
The car of the future will have lots of smart assistants onboard - helping to park the car, recognise traffic signs and to warn the driver of blind spot hazards....
Physicists seek to keep next-gen colliders in 1 piece
Controlling huge electromagnetic forces that have the potential to destroy the next generation of particle accelerators is the subject of a new paper by a University of Manchester physicist...
Tracing ultra-fine dust
Fine particle emissions have been the subject of heated debate for years. People who live near industrial plants see the smoke being discharged into the atmosphere and wonder how harmful...
Paper pesticide sensor
Researchers have developed a paper-based sensor to quickly detect pesticide residues in food and drink samples
"Spider-Man" Robot Shoots "Webs"
Inspired by the comic superhero, a spiderbot that can shoot cables with magnetic ends and walk on metal surfaces is under development at Israel's Ben Gurion University.Video
U.S. ITER awards contracts worth $33 million for materials for ITER's largest magnets
(PhysOrg.com) -- The U.S. ITER Project Office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has awarded two contracts totaling $33.6 million for 8,270 km of niobium tin strand and 4,795 km of...
Toshiba Unveils the CELL REGZA 55X1, First LCD TV Integrating the Cell Broadband Engine
Toshiba Corporation today unveiled the future of home entertainment, the CELL REGZA 55X1.
Qubits - 0, 1 Or Both
The power of quantum mechanics for data transmission is intriguing because of potential for secure, high speed communications but current storage and transmission of quantum information is far too fragile...
EnergyStar ratings systems may be in need of major updates
In a sea of energy-guzzling consumer products, the government's EnergyStar sticker is a beacon of light for many energy-conscious consumers. But that little blue square with a star on it...
Solar Cell Researcher Explores Nanotech Ideas
(PhysOrg.com) -- A UT Dallas researcher envisions a time soon when plastic sheets of solar cells are inexpensively stamped out in factories and then affixed to cell phones, laptops and...
Toxic metals removed, faster
Scientists have developed a new electrical method that sucks toxic heavy metals out of soil far more quickly and efficiently.
Energy-from-waste powers US army
Technology that converts mixed waste into spare energy is being deployed by the US military to far-flung bases.
Devices locate kids, parents find peace of mind
(AP) -- With a computer or cell phone and an electronic tracking device, you can locate a missing pet, follow the path of a stolen car, find a skier...
Robot that think like fish could prevent car crashes
Robots that mimic shoals of fish could be used to develop systems to prevent car crashes, say Japanese engineers.
The Red Sox' swing doctor
On Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox reached Major League Baseball's postseason playoffs for the sixth time in seven years. But whether or not they go on to win another World Series, when...
New Multi-use Device Can Shed Light On Oxygen Intake
A fiber-optic sensor that is capable of measuring oxygen intake rates could have broad applications ranging from plant root development to assessing the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs.
Graphite Mimics Iron's Magnetism
Researchers show for the first time why ordinary graphite is a permanent magnet at room temperature. The results are promising for new applications in nanotechnology, such as sensors and detectors....
Scientists turn waste into gold
Australian researchers are developing ways of turning unwanted waste into viable and marketable products.
'Trash Can' Nuclear Reactors Could Power Human Outpost On Moon Or Mars
NASA has made a series of critical strides toward the development of new nuclear reactors the size of a trash can that could power a human outpost on the moon...
Researchers Determine Composition Of Centromeric Chromatin
Researchers have provided new evidence to clarify the structure of nucleosomes containing Cse4, a centromere-specific histone protein required for proper kinetochore function, which plays a critical role in the process...
In The Beginning - A Rough Guide To A Physicalist View Of Everything
Following on from a debate I had some time ago, in relation to alternative medicine (see my "Life Energy" rant) I tried to summarise the materialist view of the universe,...