Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Particle Collider Will Operate, but at Half Power
The Large Hadron Collider, which has been plagued by thousands of suspect electrical splices, will begin doing physics this winter at half power.
New clues about a hydrogen fuel catalyst
To use hydrogen as a clean energy source, some engineers want to pack hydrogen into a larger molecule, rather than compressing the gas into a tank. A gas flows easily...
Hybrid Vehicle Rebates Produce Scant Environmental Benefits, High Cost
Despite major costs to taxpayers in the US and Canada, government programs that offer rebates to hybrid vehicle buyers are failing to produce environmental benefits, a new study says. The...
Plastics that convert light to electricity could have a big impact
Researchers the world over are striving to develop organic solar cells that can be produced easily and inexpensively as thin films that could be widely used to generate electricity...
Chemists Explain The Switchboards In Our Cells
Our cells are controlled by billions of molecular "switches" and chemists have developed a theory that explains how these molecules work. Their findings may significantly help efforts to build biologically...
Germans (Who Else?) Develop Un-Skunkable Beer
Designing a way to extend shelf life of beverages by removing riboflavin If you like beer, then perk up those ears, for we have news of an innovation – brought to you...
TruFocals Use Liquid Lens for Adjustable-Focus Eyeglasses
In 1764, a cartoon showed Benjamin Franklin wearing the first pair of bifocals, and not a lot has changes since then. About 100 years after that, the first pair of adjustable focus...
India embarks on solar drive
Multibillion-dollar plans aim to provide 20 GW of solar power capacity by 2020.
Researchers trial 'three-in-one' oven
A multipurpose oven that could meet a variety of energy needs in the developing world is being field trialled in Nepal.
Powerful Ideas: Shrimp Cocktail Helps Make Biodiesel
Scientists are turning to shrimp shells to help save the environment.
Space technology helps find space, reduce pollution, and save money
Today, freight transport by lorries and containers is a highly automated and optimised business. However, even with the best planning possible, useful space is often left empty. Two German inventors...
Self-healing surfaces
Human skin is a phenomenon - small scratches and cuts heal quickly, leaving no trace of a scar after just a few days. It's a different matter with materials, such...
New microchip technology performs 1000 chemical reactions at once
Flasks, beakers and hot plates may soon be a thing of the past in chemistry labs. Instead of handling a few experiments on a bench top, scientists may simply pop...
University of Minnesota researchers discover breakthrough method for chemical separations
A team of researchers, led by chemical engineering and materials science professor Michael Tsapatsis in the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology, have developed a more energy-efficient method of chemical...
Gasoline-diesel 'cocktail': A potent recipe for cleaner, more efficient engines
Diesel and gasoline fuel sources both bring unique assets and liabilities to powering internal combustion engines. But what if an engine could be programmed to harvest the best properties of...
Tiny Device To 'Sniff Out' Disease, Heart Attacks, Poison And Environmental Pollution Developed
Scientists have coupled biological materials with an electrode-based device to create a customizable sensor that can detect pathogens and biomarkers.
Metal Oxide Sensors Can Sniff Out When Fruit, Pork Are Ready to Eat
Researchers at the ever-prolific Fraunhofer Institute have developed a system based around metal oxide sensors to detect whether a fruit is ripe, green, or rotten. The system is meant to...
Vital Signs: The Claim: Cold Temperatures Improve Sleep
Does sleeping in a colder room help you sleep?
A Kinoform's Best Friend: Diamond Refractive Lenses for Nanofocusing
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Brookhaven and Argonne National Laboratory researchers has demonstrated a reliable path for sculpting an intricate x-ray focusing lens out of diamond. Their technique, which was...
In a Chemical Library, Yale Researchers Finds Keys to Cell Movement
(PhysOrg.com) -- Rummaging through a biotechnology company`s chemical closet, Yale University researchers found two molecules that will allow scientists to better study how cells move.
Higher gas prices help reduce emissions
(PhysOrg.com) -- Less driving and greater vehicle fuel economy aren't the only byproducts of higher gas prices -lower carbon dioxide emissions is another benefit, say University of Michigan researchers.
Dot Earth: Discouraging Energy Research
More than 98 percent of proposals seeking federal money for transformational energy research are “discouraged.”
Magnetic Measurements Question Assumptions About High-Tc Superconductors
(PhysOrg.com) -- Conquering one of the biggest challenges in the study of high-temperature (high-Tc) superconductors, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Brookhaven National Laboratory have grown crystals of one...
Report: Oil reserves less than estimated
PARIS, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- World oil supplies will pass their peak production sooner than expected, creating conditions for a global energy catastrophe, a French energy economist says.
Story Tips from DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory - August 2009
1) One of ORNL's international partners, Switzerland's Paul Scherrer Institute, is delivering a massive 16-Tesla magnet at the DOE's SNS; 2) A first-ever systematic study of the effectiveness of reverse...
Rapid heating prepares energy-saving zeolite for greater role in industrial separations
Thin-film zeolite membranes with tiny, molecule-sized pores are one step closer to replacing the energy-intensive processes now used in industrial separations, a group of academic researchers is reporting.
Secrets of the cell
Adam Rutherford tells Alok Jha about his forthcoming BBC Four documentary Cell which traces the story of cells, from their discovery by a Dutch textile merchant in the 17th century...
Magnetic Curie Valve Developed That Does Not Require Power
Scientists have invented a three-way valve that controls the flow through a magnetic material which is attracted by an external magnet when the liquid reaches a certain temperature.