New Method For Detecting Explosives

Scientists have discovered a way to sensitively detect explosives based on the physical properties of their vapors. Their technology is currently being developed into prototype devices for field testing.

Argonne scientists discover new platinum catalysts for the dehydrogenation of propane

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 13, 2009) -- The process to turn propane into industrially necessary propylene has been expensive and environmentally unfriendly. That was until scientists at U.S. Department of Energy's...

First High-resolution Images Of Bone, Tooth And Shell Formation

Researchers have for the first time made high-resolution images of the earliest stages of bone formation. They used the world's most advanced electron microscope to make three-dimensional images of the...

Metal Discovered To Become Transparent Under High Pressure

Scientists have discovered a transparent form of the element sodium (Na). They were able to demonstrate that sodium defies normal physical expectations by going transparent under pressure.

Flying Cars Made Easy

Bacteria generate cleaner power and water

Microbial fuel cells can store away carbon dioxide as well as produce electricity, according to an international team of scientists

Chemicals body urges help for ailing sector

Sharp drop in output prompts Cefic to appeal to the EU

Another Dimension in Technology Awaits

New 3-D Lab at University of Southern California explores application of 3-D technology in the home.

The Agony of the Heat

We’ve all been there: you bite into a hot pepper and then instantly regret it, clawing in vain at your tongue in the restaurant men’s room. (Wait, that was just...

Facemasks help prevent adverse cardiovascular effects caused by pollution

Diesel exhaust causes arteries to lose their flexibility. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology found that exposure to engine pollution resulted in arterial stiffness...

Hot Electrons In Carbon: Graphite Behaves Like Semiconductor

Scientists have found that graphite behaves like a semiconductor in ultrafast time scales. The results are of fundamental importance for future electronic devices based on carbon, in which high electrical...

Mitsubishi 3D Touch Panel Demonstrated

(PhysOrg.com) -- A prototyped capacitive touch panel was demonstrated by Mitsubishi Electric Corp at the Interaction 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. The 3D touch panel can detect not only x- and...

Engineers crack ceramics production obstacle

(PhysOrg.com) -- Engineers at the University of Leicester have invented a new technique in the manufacture of ceramics that has the potential to save the industry time and costs while...

Coating makes scratches on cars disappear

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scientists have developed a polyurethane coating that heals its own scratches when exposed to sunlight, offering the promise of scratch-free cars and other products, researchers said on...

TMS Honors Scientists, Researchers, Students, and Educators from Across the Globe

Materials scientists, researchers, students, and educators from across the globe were honored with some of the most prestigious awards that The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) presents annually.

Physicists offer new theory for iron compounds

HOUSTON -- (March 12, 2009) -- An international team of physicists from the United States and China this week offered a new theory to both explain and predict the complex...

'Self-correcting' gates advance quantum computing

(PhysOrg.com) -- Two Dartmouth researchers have found a way to develop more robust `quantum gates,` which are the elementary building blocks of quantum circuits. Quantum circuits, someday, will be used...

Argonne scientists reveal interaction between supersonic fuel spray and its shock wave

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 12, 2009) -- Shock waves are a well tested phenomenon on a large scale, but scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and...

Major Step Toward Less Energy Loss In New Electromagnetic Materials

Researchers have managed for the first time to measure magnetic properties in new materials quantitatively with the help of electron microscopy -- with unparalleled precision. The secret behind the breakthrough...

New Aerosol Observing Technique Turns Gray Skies To Blue

Tiny, ubiquitous particles in the atmosphere may play a profound role in regulating global climate. But the scientists who study these particles -- called aerosols -- have long struggled to...

Nanoscale Measurement Challenges for Energy Applications Global Workshop

Most processes governing the generation, conversion, and transport of energy occur at the nanoscale. Exploring the new measurement and materials' characterization techniques needed to apply nanotechnology effectively to global energy...

Random network connectivity can be delayed, but with explosive results, new study finds

In the life of many successful networks, the connections between elements increase over time. As connections are added, there comes a critical moment when the network's overall connectivity rises rapidly...

M.I.T. Energy: From Algae to Wind Turbines [Slide Show]

If the goal is to transform the entire energy economy of the world, a series of posters and presentations in the back banquet room of a Boston hotel might not...

New Reference Material Supports Improved Quality Control for Polymers Industry

In a tour de force of measurement science, NIST researchers have developed and issued for sale a new test material for calibrating quality control equipment used extensively by the polymer...

Revealing new applications for carbon nanomaterials in hydrogen storage

An international research team, involving Professor Rajeev Ahuja at Uppsala University and researchers in the USA, set out to understand the mechanism behind the catalytic effects of carbon nanomaterials. Experimental...

Studying the female form

Researchers in Japan have turned to mathematics to build a computerized 3D model of the female trunk that could help lingerie and other clothes designers make more sensuous, comfortable, and...

Device turns pink before you do

Scientists develop a thin film device that changes colour to give advance warning of sunburn.

Chandrakasan honored for semiconductor work

Anantha Chandrakasan, director of MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories, today received the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) University Researcher Award.