Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Hawaiian Scientists Take Their Test Tubes Surfing
Chemists have traded their white coats for swim shorts at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu -- they've shunned the lab so they can swim out to the breakers with a...
Purifying Nanorods: Big Success With Tiny Cleanup
Chemists have discovered a novel method to produce ultra-pure gold nanorods -- tiny, wand-like nanoparticles that are being studied in dozens of labs worldwide for applications as broad as diagnosing...
"Big Bang" collider to restart in spring 2009
GENEVA (Reuters) - The huge particle collider built to simulate the conditions of the "Big Bang" will not restart until spring 2009 after a weekend technical glitch, the European Organization...
Controlling Light With Sound: New Liquid Camera Lens As Simple As Water And Vibration
New miniature image-capturing technology powered by water, sound and surface tension could lead to smarter and lighter cameras in everything from cell phones and automobiles to autonomous robots and miniature...
Einstein fridge design can help global cooling
Scientists relaunch a 1930 invention that uses no electricity and would reduce greenhouse gases
Marcus Pearce: Art and illusion at BA 2008
The last day of the British Association Festival of Science in Liverpool was dedicated to art and optical illusions
Simulations Help Explain Fast Water Transport In Nanotubes
By discovering the physical mechanism behind the rapid transport of water in carbon nanotubes, scientists have moved a step closer to ultra-efficient, next-generation nanofluidic devices for drug delivery, water purification...
Steam Heat: Researchers Gear Up For Full-scale Hydrogen Plant
Hydrogen has many industrial uses and may one day replace fossil fuels such as gasoline to power vehicles without emitting carbon dioxide. But finding an environmentally friendly way to produce...
Unlocking The Secret Of The Kondo Effect
Scientists have forged a breakthrough in understanding an intriguing phenomenon in fundamental physics: the Kondo effect.
Opinion: Woomf! Plunggg! Protons collide with doomsday fanaticism
The Large Hadron Collider has provided another trigger for humanity's innate proclivity for millenarianism, writes Brian Matthews.
New Tool For 'Right First Time' Drug Manufacture
A technology which provides high quality images of the crystallization process marks the next step towards a "right first time" approach to drug manufacture, according to engineers.
Deactivating Radioactive Waste In Hundreds, Not Millions, Of Years
It may be possible to dramatically reduce the radioactive waste isolation time -- from several million years to as little as 300 - 500 years. In order to decrease the...
Toward a fast, life-saving test for identifying the purity of heroin
Scientists in Spain are reporting an advance toward a new method for determining the purity of heroin that could save lives by allowing investigators to quickly identify impure and more...
Nanoscale Structures: A Snapshot Of Transformations
Researchers have achieved a milestone in materials science and electron microscopy by taking a high-resolution snapshot of the transformation of nanoscale structures.
Fuel-saving Designs Improve Efficiency Of Hydraulic Systems
Researchers have shown how to reduce fuel consumption and dramatically improve the efficiency of hydraulic pumps and motors in heavy construction equipment.
Self-steering Vehicle Designed To Mimic Movements Of Ants
A team of engineers in the Canary Islands has designed the “Verdino”, a self-steering vehicle that can sense the road surface using a technique called Ant Colony Optimisation. This method...
Skateboards catch an innovation wave
Surf or go snowboarding on the street with the Big Stick, Carveboard, Flowboard and Wave. ...
Gas Mileage Rises In 2008 Vehicles
The EPA reports average fuel efficiency of new cars and trucks rose only slightly in 2008, but the increased sales of smaller vehicles due to high gas prices could push...
LHC team confronts first major hitch since 'switch on'
New teams are organized to investigate problem that may require the replacement of several magnets
New Ways to Use Biomass
(PhysOrg.com) -- Alternatives to fossil fuels and natural gas as carbon sources and fuel are in demand. Biomass could play a more significant part in the future. Researchers in the...
Imaging Molecular Escapes
Method lets researchers watch hydrocarbon chains pass through pores in a nanotube
Debating Science
Chemistry council, toxicologist clash at House panel hearing on scientific peer reviews
Small accidents mean big trouble for supercollider
(AP) -- Scientists expect startup glitches in the massive, complex machines they use to smash atoms. But the unique qualities of the world's largest particle collider mean that the...
Feature: Clearly infrared
An insight into how the high infrared transparency of chalcogenide glass promises technological innovation.
Seven Years Later: Electrons Unlocked Post-9/11 Anthrax Mail Mystery
When materials scientist Joseph Michael and his team at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., trained their high-powered electron microscope on anthrax spore samples the FBI had sent them in...
Lab Micro-Sizes Genetics Testing
Using new "lab on a chip" technology, James Landers, a University of Virginia chemistry professor, hopes to create a hand-held device that may eventually allow physicians, crime scene investigators,...
Video: On Dancing Air - The Story of Wind Power
How wind turbines work; and the 5000 year history of wind technology. Credit: IMAGINOVA
Chicago Unveils Multifaceted Plan to Curb Emissions of Heat-Trapping Gases
The blueprint would change the city’s building codes to promote energy efficiency, and it calls for installing huge solar panels at municipal properties and building alternative fueling stations.