Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Optimizing Performance Of Nanowire Electronic And Optoelectronic Devices
Researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, that the activation energy of impurities in semiconductor nanowires is affected by the surrounding dielectric and can be modified by the choice of...
Study suggests biomass converted into electricity could be more efficient than ethanol
Concerns over petroleum gas prices and long-term effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment have prompted scientists to look for alternative renewable energy sources for transportation use. One of...
Can Star Trek's non-violent utopia happen?
Tricorders and transporters are cool, but the most radical invention on "Star Trek" may have been its vision of a peaceful humanity.
Spintronics: Nano-sandwich Triggers Novel Electron Behavior
A lattice of vanadium dioxide molecules just six atoms thick in which electrons appear to be guided by conflicting laws of physics depending on their direction of travel has been...
A guide to the invisible: Doubling the fluorescence microscopy resolution (w/Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A crucial tool in the evolution of scientific capability in bioscience, the fluorescence microscope has allowed a generation of scientists to study the properties of proteins inside cells....
Battery-powered vehicles to be revolutionised by Universite de Montreal technology
Thousands of small electric scooters, bicycles and wheelchairs throughout Europe and Asia are powered by LifePO4 - a material used in advanced lithium-ion batteries developed by Universite de Montreal researchers...
Nanoneedle Is Small In Size, But Huge In Applications
Researchers have developed a membrane-penetrating nanoneedle for the targeted delivery of one or more molecules into the cytoplasm or the nucleus of living cells. In addition to ferrying tiny amounts...
Spinning at the nanoscale: Electrospun fibers could be used for protective clothing, wearable power, more
(PhysOrg.com) -- In his office, MIT Professor of Chemical Engineering Gregory Rutledge keeps a small piece of fabric that at first glance resembles a Kleenex. This tissue-like material, softer than...
Lessons from Schon -- the worst physics fraudster?
How did a 31-year-old physicist working at Bell Labs in New Jersey, US, get away with possibly the worst case of physics research fraud known? From claims to have...
MIT: Targeting tumours using tiny gold particles
It has long been known that heat is an effective weapon against tumour cells. However, it's difficult to heat patients' tumours without damaging nearby tissues...
Scientists discover rigid structure in centre of turbulence
Pioneering mathematical engineers have discovered for the first time a rigid structure which exists within the centre of turbulence, leading to hope that its chaotic movement could be controlled in...
'Most extreme' material: Graphene could be successor to silicon for next generation microchips; 200 times stronger than
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a blown-up image from a scanning tunneling microscope, it looks just like an endless sheet of chicken wire: a simple flat sheet made up of a lattice...
U.Va. to Lead New $11 Million Center to Make Methane Economically Feasible Fuel
A new center to develop technologies for converting methane gas and other hydrocarbon and fossil resources into readily transportable and higher-value liquid fuels is being established at the University of...
Study finds particles, molecules prefer not to mix
In the world of small things, shape, order and orientation are surprisingly important, according to findings from a new study by chemists at Washington University in St. Louis...
Study plunges standard theory of cosmology into crisis
As modern cosmologists rely more and more on the ominous 'dark matter' to explain otherwise inexplicable observations, much effort has gone into the detection of this mysterious substance in the...
Keeping MOF pores open wide
Chemists have found a way to prevent metal-organic frameworks from ‘clogging up’ during synthesis
Research Helps Better Understand a Misunderstood Molecule
The "characteristic curvature" is not a new fashion trend or some fantastic new superhero. But in the world of soap and detergent research, it can help tell you how...
NYPD Goes Green
(PhysOrg.com) -- New York City has a goal to reduce its overall carbon footprint. For Manhattan, the goal is to reduce greenhouse gases 30% by 2017. As part of this...
Carbon nanotubes and the environment
Carbon nanotubes have made a meteoric career in the past 15 years, even if their applications are still limited. Recent research results show that - apart from their favorable mechanical...
Toward Giving Artificial Cells The Ability For Sustained Movement
Scientists in Japan are reporting an advance toward giving artificial cells another hallmark of life — the ability to tap an energy source and use it to undergo sustained movement....
New Energy Source? Structure Of Highly Efficient Light-harvesting Molecules In Green Bacteria Determined
Scientists have determined the structure of chlorophyll molecules in green bacteria, which are super-efficient at harvesting light energy. Because the interactions that lead to the assembly of the chlorophyll molecules...
Findings: Ear Plugs to Lasers: The Science of Concentration
For the focused life, forget multitasking and try meditating.
Texas Tech Receives Patent for Decontamination Wipe Creation Process
Texas Tech' process to create nonwoven toxic chemical decontamination wipes recently receives a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A material for all seasons
MIT researchers are actively trying to better understand graphene, a form of the element carbon that is just a single atom thick, and a vari
Seeing invisible resin
(PhysOrg.com) -- When manufacturing chipboards, it is important to correctly distribute the resin on the wood shavings. Researchers are now developing a measuring technique that makes it possible to monitor...
Faster Than The Speed Of Sound: New Control System Has What It Takes To Guide Experimental Aircraft
When a jet is flying faster than the speed of sound, one small mistake can tear it apart. And when the jet is so experimental that it must fly unmanned,...
Scotland told to hold off on new coal power until ready for carbon capture and storage
Scotland, which has just issued a report extolling its potential for carbon capture and storage, should hold off on constructing any new coal-fired power stations until carbon storage becomes a...
Carbon Nanotube Device That Can Detect Colors Of The Rainbow Constructed
Researchers have created the first carbon nanotube device that can detect the entire visible spectrum of light, a feat that could soon allow scientists to probe single molecule transformations, study...