Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Shifting Sound To Light May Lead To Better Computer Chips
By reversing a process that converts electrical signals into sounds heard out of a cell phone, researchers may have a new tool to enhance the way computer chips, LEDs and...
Graphene could lead to faster chips
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research findings at MIT could lead to microchips that operate at much higher speeds than is possible with today's standard silicon chips, leading to cell phones and...
Vigilant windows
It is 6 PM and the museum is closing down for the night. The building's alarm system is switched on and the security guard does his rounds. A novel motion...
No Small Measure: Origins of Nanorod Diameter Discovered
A new study answers a key question at the very heart of nanotechnology: Why are nanorods so small? Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered the origins of nanorod diameter,...
Atomic fountain clocks are becoming still more stable
Caesium fountains are more accurate than 'normal' atomic caesium clocks, because in fountains the caesium atoms are cooled down with the aid of laser beams and come ever slower -...
Engineer finds ways to improve gas mileage
ST. LOUIS, March 18 (UPI) -- A U.S. engineer says he is trying to develop methods of reducing vehicle drag so as to improve the gas mileage of...
Silicone Ear Looks Just Like The Real Thing
To look at Matthew Houdek, you could never tell he was born with virtually no ear. A surgeon implanted three small metal screws in the side of Houdek's skull. Each...
Biomedical engineers look to mussels for surgical glue
A medical adhesive based on a protein that marine mussels use to stick to rocks could offer faster healing, less scarring and more precision compared with traditional sutures.
Manufacturing inefficiency: Study sees 'alarming' use of energy, materials in newer manufacturing processes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Modern manufacturing methods are spectacularly inefficient in their use of energy and materials, according to a detailed MIT analysis of the energy use of 20 major manufacturing processes.
Engineer devises ways to improve gas mileage
Last summer, it was very expensive to fill up a gas tank when the gasoline price hit close to four dollars a gallon. Transportation by road or air consumes fuel,...
The Energy Footprint of Bottled Water
Study breaks down energy needed to produce and transport bottled water.
Heat finds fingerprints quickly
Researchers have developed a method of taking fingerprints from paper using just heat – faster and cheaper than chemical methods.
Study on free-space optical communication shows experimental evidence of a unique atmospheric effect
Three members of the faculty at Stevens Institute of Technology recently collaborated on a paper focusing on free-space optical communication, which appears in the latest issue of Optics Express.
Ottawa scientist honoured with $1M prize
Groundbreaking work with lasers has earned an Ottawa physicist Canada's top science and engineering prize, worth $1 million.
Smart Heating And Cooling With Nanofluids
Nanofluids can act as smart materials that can be switched on and off to dissipate heat efficiently or poorly.
Maths mistake sidelined FutureGen project
A mathematical mix up at the US Department of Energy caused the clean coal project to be shelved last year
Electronic ‘nose’ could shed light on sense of smell
Korean researchers have created a ‘bio-electronic’ nose that could help explain how our sense of smell works
Breakthrough In Chemical Separation Captures Fluorocarbons Dynamically
Scientists have made a breakthrough in chemical separation. The new chemical separations using porous solids mostly rely on size selection, meaning that compounds too large to squeeze through the pores...
Controllable Rubber Trailing Edge Flap To Reduce Loads On Wind Turbine Blades
The trailing edge of wind turbine blades can be manufactured in an elastic material that makes it possible to control the shape of the trailing edge. This will reduce the...
The Chemistry of Life: Where Oil Comes From
Despite our addiction to oil, we are not completely clear on how it gets cooked up under the ground.
Quantum friction: does it exist after all?
New calculations suggest no lateral force between moving plates in a vacuum
Big interest in heavy drugs
The drug industry is seeking profits by modifying hydrogen in existing medications.
Cattle respond to magnetic fields from power lines
(AP) -- High-voltage power lines mess with animal magnetism. Researchers, who reported last year that most cows and deer tend to orient themselves in a north-south alignment, have now...
Through the Wire: A New Nanocatalyst Synthesis Technique
(PhysOrg.com) -- Materials containing bimetallic nanoparticles are attractive in vast technological fields because of their unique catalytic, electronic, and magnetic properties. One of the most promising of the bunch is...
Hippo sweat: The next big thing in sunscreen?
Hippos can stand in the hot sun all day without getting a sunburn, and now researchers know why: a red-colored glandular secretion known as "hippo sweat" contains microscopic structures that...
Speedier flexible electronics possible with new fabrication process
(PhysOrg.com) -- A clever but simple new way of making transistors out of high-performance organic microwires presents a potential path for products such as smart merchandise tags, light and cheap...
New combustion strategy accelerates hydrogen-engine development
(PhysOrg.com) -- Car manufacturers aspire to create hydrogen-powered vehicles that could one day allow energy-efficient, cost-effective travel that emits no greenhouse gases or other pollutants. To further that effort, scientists...
Engineer helps poor in developing nations purify drinking water
The device looks deceptively simple - a porous clay pot placed in a five-gallon plastic bucket with a spigot - but Vinka Craver believes it can save millions of lives...