Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Ion Channels Caught In Their Opening Act
Each thought or action sends a million electrical signals pulsing through your body. At the heart of the process of generating these electrical impulses is the ion channel. A new...
Keeping Hands Where You Can See Them Alters Perception, Study Finds
Psychologists have shown that to see objects better, you should take the matter into your own hands. The new study demonstrates that humans more thoroughly inspect objects when their hands...
Japanese build DNA sewing machine
Japanese scientists have made a micro-sized sewing machine to sew long threads of DNA into shape. The work published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Lab on a Chip...
Pressured Proteins: A Little Pressure In Proteomics Squeezes 4-hour Step Into A Minute
Many coaches inspire better performance by pressuring their teams. Now, proteomics researchers are using pressure to improve the performance of their analyses. In a simple solution to a time-consuming problem,...
Study: As Gas Prices Go Up, Auto Deaths Decline
Today's high gas prices could reduce auto deaths by nearly a third as driving decreases.
Q&A: Open archives — the alternative to open access
Indian scientist and journal editor Padmanabhan Balaram discusses open archives — an alternative to open access for science publishing.
Most Effective Dental Braces Are Least Attractive
When it comes to the attractiveness of orthodontic braces, less metal is better, according to a recent survey. The study of the public's attitude about the attractiveness of various styles...
Comparing apples and pears: Scientists see health-determining air paths in fruit
Pears and apples contain air pathways to "breathe". The pathways are microscopically small structures for oxygen supply and are key elements in determining the fruit's health.
Toothpick: New molecular tag IDs bone and tooth minerals
Enlisting an army of plant viruses to their cause, materials researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have identified a small biomolecule that binds specifically to one of...
Concentrating sunlight cuts solar power costs
Combination of organic dyes can concentrate sunlight and feed ‘better’ wavelengths to photovoltaic cells
Multitasking Nanotechnology: Tiny Electronically Active Chemicals Can Form Ordered Layers
Tiny electronically active chemicals can be made to form ordered layers on a surface. These nanostructured layers may one day be used to build the components of electronics devices, such...
US Airways cuts films from domestic flights to save on fuel
US Airways is removing movie screens from its domestic flights in a bid to save on fuel and other expenses.
3D Graphics Can Geometrically Guide Your Attention
When you gaze at a painting, the first thing that catches your eye is usually not an accident. Since the beginning of art, painters have used strategic techniques to guide...
Multitasking nanotechnology
Confocal microscope image of a self-assembled monolayer of a polychlorotriphenyl methyl radical patterned on a quartz surface. This multifunctional molecule behaves as an electroactive switch with optical and magnetic response.
Sellafield 'dirty for a century'
It will take over 100 years and could cost £73bn before the toxic nuclear site at Sellafield is safe.
Flow chemistry for the masses
Two new build-your-own microfluidic systems promise to simplify the technology so the whole research community can use it
Multifunctional polymers click together
Side chains of copolymers can now be clicked into place thanks to a new method developed by Dutch researchers
College Students Design Future Aircraft In NASA Competition
Sixty-one students from 14 colleges and universities around the globe have imagined what the next generation of airliners and cargo planes may look like.
Coffee Grounds Perk Up Compost Pile With Nitrogen
Coffee grounds can be an excellent addition to a compost pile. The grounds are relatively rich in nitrogen, providing bacteria the energy they need to turn organic matter into compost....
Hyundai to Start Retail Sales of First Hybrid in July 2009
Hyundai Motor Company plans to start retail sales of its first LPG -electric hybrid vehicle in July 2009. To be sold initially in the Korean domestic market under the Avante...
Controlling The Size Of Nanoclusters: First Step In Making New Catalysts To Control Polllution
Researchers have developed a new instrument that allows them to control the size of nanoclusters -- groups of 10 to 100 atoms -- with atomic precision. They created a model...
Helium Balloon in Paris Displays Air Pollution Levels
People in Paris won't have to look far to see the city's air pollution levels. A giant tethered helium balloon will display real-time reports of atmospheric pollution using an innovative...
Researchers Create Enhanced Light Sources For Lithography
A breakthrough discovery at UC San Diego may help aid the semiconductor industry`s quest to squeeze more information on chips to accelerate the performance of electronic devices. So far, the...
Improving Quantum Dot Synthesis
Materials researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a simplified, low-cost process for producing high-quality, water-soluble quantum dots for biomedical applications. By using a laboratory microwave...
Room temperature superconductivity
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have for the first time identified a key component to unravelling the mystery of room temperature superconductivity, according to a paper published in today's...
Nanotechnology Researcher Wins Prize for Early Excellence in Physical Organic Chemistry
Gino DiLabio of Canada's National Institute for Nanotechnology has been awarded the 2008 Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry Award for Early Excellence in the Field of Physical Organic Chemistry.
Cruise Ships: How They Sail Skyscrapers Around the World [Scientific American Magazine]
Large cruise ships typically host 1,800 passengers or more, plus 800 staff. Remarkably, many of these massive structures--three football fields long and 14 stories high--can deftly turn on a dime,...
Architect Professor Advocates Best-building Practices For High Wind Regions
More than ever before, building design and construction can be significantly improved to reduce wind pressures on building surfaces and to help better resist high winds and hurricanes in residential...