Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Natural solar collectors on butterfly wings inspire more powerful solar cells
The discovery that butterfly wings have scales that act as tiny solar collectors has led scientists in China and Japan to design a more efficient solar cell that could be...
Dragonfly vision could aid robot flight
A recent study has discovered why dragonflies are such unusually good fliers – and could help to improve the development of similarly sized unmanned vehicles.
New Catalyst Paves The Path For Ethanol-powered Fuel Cells
Scientists have developed a new catalyst that could make ethanol-powered fuel cells feasible. The highly efficient catalyst performs two crucial, and previously unreachable steps needed to oxidize ethanol and produce...
Researchers define challenging carbon-emissions targets for U.S. auto industry
(PhysOrg.com) -- U.S. automakers must achieve an eightfold reduction in automobile-related carbon emissions to help stabilize the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere by 2050, according to...
Helium Rains Inside Saturn, Jupiter And Other Jovian Planets, Research Suggests
Models of how Saturn and Jupiter formed may soon take on a different look. By determining the properties of hydrogen-helium mixtures at the millions of atmospheres of pressure present in...
The pseudogap persists as material superconducts
For nearly a century, scientists have been trying to unravel the many mysteries of superconductivity, where materials conduct electricity with zero resistance...
FBI Sting Nabs Janitor Selling Nuke Parts
A former janitor caught in an FBI sting operation trying to sell hardware from a shuttered atomic weapons uranium enrichment plant agreed to a plea deal Monday that carries a...
Researchers create new gelled rocket fuels
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they are developing an improved type of gelled rocket fuel that is the consistency of orange marmalade.
Sulfur in Heating Oil to Be Reduced
Suppliers of home heating oil from Maine to Maryland have agreed to gradually reduce sulfur levels in their oil in an effort to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide.
Detroit Calls Emissions Proposals Too Strict
Automakers said that stricter emissions standards could force them to cut production of more profitable vehicles.
Dust-Size "Crabs" Can Grab Living Cells
Tiny new wireless machines called microgrippers can manipulate microscopic objects—a breakthrough that could lead to devices that can perform surgery, a new study says. With video.
Obama Memos Aim to Improve Fuel Efficiency
Obama directed the DOT to establish higher fuel efficiency standards for the 2011 model year.
Finer Wine
Robot Sommelier Is your $30,000 bottle of Chateau Petrus Bordeaux truly a rare vintage, or is it just $30 merlot? Counterfeits plague rare-wine auctions, but researchers in Spain have built a...
Twistable, stretchable electronics created
MIAMI, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have created stretchable electronics that allow extreme bending and straining without a reduction in performance.
Predicting a boom in solar power
Although you may not see ubiquitous solar panels while driving through Wilton, the officials of Alteris Renewables, Inc. say the idea is becoming more accepted.
Football players are not the only ones who get hurt on Super Bowl Sunday
You're cheering on your favourite team in the Big Game, but the next minute you are choking on a chicken wing. It turns out injuries are not limited to the...
Scientific output drops in the heat, say economists
A study suggests that rising temperatures decrease scientific publication rates in poor countries.
Boat propels itself using water's energy
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've designed a "mini boat" that propels itself by harnessing energy contained in the water's surface.
Do Huge NFL Players Help Teams Win?
When the Cardinals meet the Steelers in the Super Bowl, each offensive lineman will weigh 300 pounds or more.
Gold Can Get Harder, Not Softer, When Heated To High Temperatures
Common sense tells us that when you heat something up it gets softer, but scientists have now demonstrated the exact opposite. The gold was heated at rates too fast for...
Precious Coatings For Plastic Parts
Bearings are universal components. Few devices can do without them. A diamond-like coating reduces friction in ball and slide bearings: The carbon layer can be applied to the plastic cage...
Hybrid Foams And Lightweight Constructions
A special process will make it possible to improve the mechanical, thermal and acoustic properties of foams in the future. This will be of particular benefit to lightweight construction.
Leeds-China collaboration to tackle energy issues
The University of Leeds has announced a strategic research alliance with one of China's leading universities, Zhejiang University, to focus on some of today's key energy challenges. This brings together...
Shortlist for Severn energy plans
The UK Government is to unveil a shortlist of schemes to harness renewable energy from the tides of the Severn estuary.
Teva USA Scholars
Generics giant Teva will fund ACS grants for newly tenured faculty
Analysis of evolution of the Spanish electricity sector
The current Spanish electricity model is unsustainable. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are hard to control, demand shows no sign of weakening, and the country is overly dependent on imported fuel....
Michael Brooks: Real-world science is messy and inconclusive
Many scientists seem to suffer from an inferiority complex. They often feel they are objects of suspicion, or under-appreciated.
MRI boost gives view into lungs
British scientists have boosted the power of an MRI scanner 1,000,000%, giving doctors a window into living, breathing lungs for the first time.