Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Nano 'Tractor Beam' Traps DNA
Using a beam of light shunted through a tiny silicon channel, researchers have created a nanoscale trap that can stop free floating DNA molecules and nanoparticles in their tracks. By...
Researchers use nanoparticles to make 3-D DNA nanotubes
Arizona State University researchers Hao Yan and Yan Liu imagine and assemble intricate structures on a scale almost unfathomably small. Their medium is the double-helical DNA molecule, a versatile building...
New visualisation techniques yield star formation insights
New computer visualisation technology developed by the Harvard Initiative in Innovative Computing has helped astrophysicists understand that gravity plays a larger role than previously thought in deep space's vast, star-forming...
Insomnia costs Quebec billions annually, study says
Insomnia costs Quebec about $6.5 billion a year, mostly through lost productivity among those who can't sleep, according to a new study.
Grape-seed extract kills laboratory leukaemia cells, proving value of natural compounds
An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukaemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of...
Gold nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery
Using tiny gold particles and infrared light, MIT researchers have developed a drug-delivery system that allows multiple drugs to be released in a controlled fashion...
Can aircraft trails affect climate?
Grounding planes after the 11 September attacks may not have caused unusual temperature effects.
Manufacturers Embace the Environmental Mandate
From basic measures like composting cafeteria waste to large-scale technology programs such as recovering metal from used computers, manufacturers around the world are incorporating environmental sustainability in day-to-day operations, says...
Coffee next in line as biofuel source
Coffee grounds can provide a cheap and abundant source of biodiesel, particularly in coffee-producing nations, say researchers.
MRI Scans Can Predict Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis Flare-ups On Optic Nerve
One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis -- its sheer unpredictability -- may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques.
Researchers Print Dense Lattice Of Transparent Nanotube Transistors On Flexible Base
It's a clear, colorless disk about 5 inches in diameter that bends and twists like a playing card, with a lattice of more than 20,000 nanotube transistors capable of high-performance...
Cracking A Tough Nut For Semiconductor Industry
Researchers have developed a method to measure the toughness of the thin insulating films that play a critical role in high-performance integrated circuits, a technique that can help improve the...
Airline Flies a 747 on Fuel From a Plant
Air New Zealand did a test flight with a fuel made in part with oil from the jatropha plant in a search for an alternative to crude oil.
US National Academies suspends visits to Iran
Interrogation of scientist prompts demands for Iranian government to guarantee visitors' safety.
Review: Ditching car OK with Net transit planners
(AP) -- As a New Yorker, I don't own a car, and I really hate driving. So I challenged myself to avoid the driver's seat as much as possible...
Atomic time advocates eye 2008's extra second
Scientists who prefer the Atomic Clock of Greenich Mean Time argue that leap seconds are onerous because they're unpredictable.
Progress Toward a Biological Fuel Cell?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Biological fuel cells use enzymes or whole microorganisms as biocatalysts for the direct conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy. One type of microbial fuel cell uses anodes...
Insulation top choice for energy program
More than 1,200 P.E.I. households have taken advantage of government-subsidized home energy audits this year.
Air New Zealand hails biofuel trial as 'significant milestone'
Air New Zealand on Tuesday successfully flew a test flight powered by second-generation biofuel, and hailed it as a "significant milestone" in the development of sustainable fuels for aircraft.
China's Foton says clean energy car factory opened in Beijing
China's Beiqi Foton Motor Co has launched a five-billion-yuan (730-million-dollar) design and production base for clean energy vehicles in Beijing, the company said Tuesday.
How Small Can Computers Get? Computing In A Molecule
Over the last 60 years, ever-smaller generations of transistors have driven exponential growth in computing power. Could molecules, each turned into miniscule computer components, trigger even greater growth in computing...
Soviets Stole Bomb Idea From U.S., Book Says
A new book says Moscow acquired the secret of the hydrogen bomb not from its own scientists but from an atomic spy at the Los Alamos weapons lab in New...
Quake experiment tests shake-proof metal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 10-second experiment using an "elastic" alloy made of nickel and titanium may point to a way help save bridges in earthquakes.
New 'Nanowelding' Technique for Building Electronic Nanostructures
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have discovered a way to link nanowires and other nanoobjects into complex nanostructures and circuits by fusing them together with tiny amounts of solder. The researchers, from...
Chemist receives NIH funding to unravel tricks of neuronal wiring
Joshua Maurer, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences, has received a four-year, $1,216,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for research titled "Unraveling Development: New...
Physicists at Mainz University generate ultracold neutrons at the TRIGA Reactor
For the first time ever, scientists at the TRIGA research reactor of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have determined the velocity distribution of ultracold neutrons (UCN) emitted by a deuterium...
Defatted Soy Flour Eyed As Filler Substitute For Rubber Tires
In 1941, Henry Ford unveiled a plastic-bodied car whose panels included soybean meal as component. The feat made headlines--and history--but the idea never took off commercially. However, researchers continue to...
Space Technology To Soothe Roadster Ride
Space missions are highly complex operations, not only because the satellites or space probes are unique pieces of top-notch intricate high-tech, but also because it is so challenging to get...