Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
New films can reveal traces of explosives
SAN DIEGO, May 27 (UPI) -- U.S. chemists say new spray-on polymer films they've developed might become the basis of portable devices that can spot nitrogen-based explosives.
Interesting Effects Of Light On Small Molecules On Earth And In Space
A Dutch researcher has investigated the influence of light on the behavior of small molecules, and has calculated the effect of light for several types of molecules. His theoretical research...
Artist’s X-ray images seek beauty underneath
X-rays – they’re not just for doctors’ offices and airport security anymore. At least, not for British artist Nick Veasey. From tulips to tennis playing skeletons, laptops to a Boeing...
Letter: Nanotube study and cross-border science
Letters: Your article is a good example of the payback from international collaboration in the areas of emerging technology
New grants to create fabrics that render toxic chemicals harmless
Cornell fiber scientist Juan Hinestroza is working with the U.S. government to create fabrics made of functional nanofibers that would decompose toxic industrial chemicals into harmless byproducts.
"Telectroscope" Connects London, NYC
New Yorkers could see their English cousins across the pond without benefit of cable TV or video conferencing, courtesy of an unusual live optical hookup created by a conceptual artist...
Researchers Aim to Mitigate Impact of Unintended Hydrogen Leaks by Examining 'Embrittlement' Issues
Materials researchers across the globe have fervently been working to find the ideal hydrogen storage material, one that will safely and efficiently provide the needed range and running time for...
Bright sparks make gains towards plastic lasers of the future
Imperial researchers have come one step closer to finding the 'holy grail' in the field of plastic semiconductors by demonstrating a class of material that could make electrically-driven plastic laser...
Fluorescent Nano-barcodes Could Revolutionize Diagnostics
A new technology with research and clinical application including the early detection of disease has just been invented. The new fluorescent "barcodes" called nanostrings, offers greater sensitivity and accuracy than...
Chaotic Lasers Tamed
"Classical" laser light has become part of everyday life. There is a laser in every CD player, lecturers point to their slides with laser pointers and surgeons carry out medical...
Electron Traps That Compute
Physicists have used a semiconductor material to create superimposed quantum dots that "trap" single electrons. Not only can these dots be studied with lasers, their energy can be influenced as...
Technology entrepreneurs head for 'startup camp'
Backpack-toting dreamers from more than 600 startup firms spent a recent morning at an Internet-age version of summer camp brainstorming about new online waves and how to ride them to...
Italy to reverse policy and build nuclear power stations: minister
The Italian government said Thursday it would begin building nuclear power stations, reversing a 20-year ban in an initiative likely to spark strong resistance and take a long time to...
The Very Model Of A Modern Transistor
New models of how two types of power transistors perform will result in more efficient smart electrical circuits, making such technologies as cars and home appliances more reliable and environmentally...
StatoilHydro to test first deepwater floating wind turbine
Norwegian oil company StatoilHydro will build the world's first deepwater floating wind turbine next year off Norway's coast, it said on Thursday.
Logan to get Lincoln Lab-developed safety system
Next year, Boston's Logan International Airport will become one of the first U.S. airports to deploy Runway Status Lights, a new technology originally developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory as part...
MIT student ingenuity sparks all-electric Porsche
With a click and a hum, the sleek Porsche 914 pulled away from the curb while onlookers watched anxiously. Why the drama? The 1976 Porsche was operating on 18 high-tech...
Chemical Engineer Reveals The Secret Ingredient Of The Perfect Sandwich
A leading chemical engineer has revealed the unlikely ingredient needed to make the perfect sandwich ... bubbles. Bubbles in bread are as important for making a good sandwich as its...
'Indiana Jones' and the computer-generated jungle
(AP) -- In these hallowed halls, Indiana Jones almost seems out of place. A banner with a two-dimensional cutout of the swashbuckling archaeologist swings through the lobby of Industrial Light...
Fastest Way Up Hills: Zigzag
Straight lines may do the trick on level ground, but zigzags work best on a slope.
Halting Methane Squanderlust: Catalyst Converts Methane To More Useful Compounds
The pipes that rise from oil fields, topped with burning flames of natural gas, waste fossil fuels and dump carbon dioxide into the air. Scientists have identified the structure of...
Scientists Develop Way To Predict Properties Of Light Nuclei
Scientists have spent 70 years trying to predict the properties of nuclei, but have had to settle for approximate models because computational techniques were not equal to the task. Scientists...
UW scientists join hunt for 'God' particle to complete 'theory of everything'
When the world's most powerful subatomic particle collider begins gathering data this summer, it will be a major milestone for a number of University of Washington scientists.
First lamp with OLEDs is art object
(AP) -- Picture it as a tilted signpost with each sign a softly glowing panel or as a metal tree with phosphorescent leaves lighting up your desk.
A Mental, Not a Physical, Face-Off: Students Selected to 2008 US Physics Team
Twenty-four students from across the U.S. have been chosen to train for the mentally grueling exams and lab tests they'll face at the International Physics Olympiad, held this year July...
Mass-Producing Tunable Magnetic Nanoparticles
Taking a cue from the semiconductor industry, a team of investigators at Stanford University has developed a method of producing unlimited quantities of highly magnetic nanoparticles suitable for use as...
Mechanical locomotion principles from jumping insects applied to microrobots
Researchers from the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at EPFL are unveiling a novel, grasshopper-inspired jumping robot at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation May 21 in Pasadena, California.
Toy-Like Microboat Could Carry Tiny Cargoes
As a child, Cheng Luo, an engineer from the University of Texas at Arlington, recalls playing with wooden toy boats that were propelled forward when a drop of oil was...