| News
Magic tape
Physicists discover an unexpected source of X-rays.
October 22, 2008
Clean coal for cars has a dirty side
Getting liquid fuels from coal would likely increase carbon emissions, and certainly not reduce them.
October 20, 2008
Numbers don’t add up for U.S. girls
Culture may turn potentially high achievers away from math, a new study suggests.
November 8, 2008
An attractive source for spintronics
Discovery may lead to battery that generates magnetic currents
October 8, 2008
No naked black holes
In a simulated merger, astrophysicists tried to push the boundaries of two black holes into shedding their event horizons. But the resulting black hole was still shrouded by its event horizon, through which even light can’t escape.
October 3, 2008
Diamonds engage at the nano scale
Manipulating the quantum properties of diamond impurities makes diamond into a kind of microscope that could, for example, reveal the inner working of cells.
October 25, 2008
Galaxies on the move
Scientists discover “dark flow” — the unexplained streaming of galactic clusters across the universe.
October 25, 2008
Photons caught in the act
Physicists manipulated a microwave pulse and could essentially watch it transition from a quantum state into the realm of classical physics.
September 24, 2008
A better fate for plastic bottles
Using microbes to convert PET into a high-value plastic could encourage more recycling.
September 19, 2008
Fastest spores in the West (or anywhere)
Researchers film a fungus catapulting its spores with an acceleration greater than what astronauts feel on lift-off.
SEE THE VIDEO!
September 16, 2008
This bite won’t hurt a bit
A team dissects the physics of a mosquito bite, working to find a way to design gentler needles.
October 11, 2008
The proton’s strange new cousin
Physicists have discovered a new particle made of three quarks, including two strange quarks. Its existence further validates the standard model of particle physics.
September 27, 2008
Electrons as math whizzes
A new paper suggests the possibility that the behavior of electrons in quantum systems could verify Riemann’s famous conjecture about prime numbers.
September 27, 2008
A difficult breakup
By identifying a new way to wrestle fluorine from carbon compounds, chemists may now be able to break down certain types of greenhouse gases before they reach the atmosphere.
August 28, 2008
Turning CO2 into chalk and sand
Removing carbon dioxide from smokestacks and storing it permanently is one of the possible solutions to global warming, but remains expensive to do. A new technique could make carbon sequestration economical on a large scale, while producing useful materials on the side.
(From Philadelphia, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.)
August 22, 2008
Ear infections make fatty food sound good
A history of middle ear infections could give people an affinity for fatty foods and leave them twice as likely to become obese.
(From Philadelphia, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.)
August 20, 2008
Carcinogens from car exhaust can linger
Free radicals similar to those in cigarette smoke may form when car exhaust cools off, and may persist indefinitely in the air.
(From Philadelphia, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.)
September 13, 2008
Invisible hand, and a quick one at that
God doesn’t play dice, Einstein said in his critique of quantum theory. But any alternative theory to quantum mechanics would require certain quantum events to influence each other 10,000 times faster than the speed of light, physicists have shown.
August 13, 2008
Invisibility within sight
Two new studies take steps toward practical materials that can bend light backward, which could lead to invisibility cloaks.
August 30, 2008
Fingerprints go high-tech
A new chemical technique shows promise in identifying traces of explosives, illicit drugs and perhaps even signs of disease.
August 30, 2008
Carbon tubes, but not nano
Trying to grow better, longer nanotubes, researchers accidentally discover a new type of carbon filament, colossal carbon tubes, which are tens of thousands of times thicker.
August 30, 2008
Chem 101
The phrase “core chemistry” is taking on a meaning that’s definitely not mentioned in the standard curriculum, and which in fact goes against chemistry dogma.
August 1, 2008
Small steps toward big energy gains
New studies with different fuel cell catalysts show promising results.
July 31, 2008
Quantum physics makes water different
The length of bonds connecting water molecules could demonstrate quantum effects and help explain some of water’s weirdness.
August 16, 2008
Hydrogen economy sustainable in 15 years
Hydrogen fuel cells can eventually replace the combustion engine, but meanwhile a wider range of technologies will be needed to reduce carbon emissions.
July 17, 2008
Seeing the smallest atom
Electron microscopes can now image single atoms of hydrogen.
August 16, 2008
Solar panels to dye for
Scientists show that cheap chemical dyes may one day help with the efficient capture of the sun’s energy
July 11, 2008
Fossils, now available in color
Fossilized feathers of an early bird or dinosaur may retain evidence of pigment, offering a chance to animal colors of the Cretaceous.
August 2, 2008
Strategy to stop a pandemic
A limited supply of vaccine shots, if targeted well, could stop the spread of disease.
July 4, 2008
Optimizing leafy networks
Scientists reveal a mathematical principle underlying the arrangement of leaf veins in plant species.
June 30, 2008
Too much information in the Odyssey
A controversial interpretation of passages from the Odyssey suggests that Homer knew much more about planetary motions than historians thought possible.
June 26, 2008
Resonating with the ocean
An experiment may explain the origin of underwater waves that shape the sediment of continental slopes.
June 24, 2008
Left in the cold
An optical trap lets atoms in but not out, and it can be used to study matter at ultracold temperatures.
July 19, 2008
Life’s code in soap
The mathematics of soapy water yields some clues to the origin of the genetic code.
June 11, 2008
Suction hunters
Scientists reveal new details on how extendable jaws help fish capture prey.
SEE VIDEO 1 and especially VIDEO 2!
June 10, 2008
Tight deadline
Photons: Decide what to do — and do it yesterday
May 23, 2008
Slippery when dry
Surfaces that mimic the back of an African beetle can collect water from fog.
May 21, 2008
Phlegmatic molecules
Time-lapse snapshots of molecules show that they change shapes less often than theory predicted.
June 7, 2008
Neutron tie-dye
Neutrons can produce 3-D scans of a magnetic field, even inside a solid.
May 13, 2008
Testing nanoparticles
Testing the toxicity of dozens of nanoparticles en masse may offer a faster track to medical applications.
May 12, 2008
The undeciders
More decision-makers bring less efficiency. A country’s development seems tied to the size of its executive cabinet, and a mathematical model helps explain why.
May 9, 2008
Less is more
Researchers have shown that a grip that’s too tight can be counterproductive, especially on a microscopic object — but the findings could apply to fields ranging from ecology to sociology.
May 7, 2008
Gödel, Escher, Chopin
Musical theorists see inuitive links between musical chords and geometries.
May 24, 2008
Down with the transistor
A new type of electronic component could shrink computer chips and make them more powerful.
May 24, 2008
Bass Booster
Tight coiling in the human inner ear pumps up the bass.
April 24, 2008
Einstein’s invisible hand: Is relativity making metal act like a noble gas?
Element 114 should be chemically similar to lead, but controversial experimental data shows it behaves more like a noble gas, potentially subverting the periodic table’s structure.
April 12, 2008
Squid beaks are hardly soft
Water softens squid beaks toward their base, so they don’t cut into the squid’s own soft tissue.
April 5, 2008
Live Another Day: African insect survives drought in glassy state
When dehydrated, the larvae of an African fly replace the water in their cells with a sugar, which solidifies and helps keep cellular structures intact.
March 29, 2008
Love Code: A twist of light only mantis shrimp can see
Alone in the animal kingdom, these crustaceans signal their presence to potential mates with circularly polarized light.
March 22, 2008
Holding up
New software pinpoints the weak spots in Michelangelo’s David.
March 22, 2008
Black Hole of Light: Laser pulses create model of event horizon
Physicists have created the optical analog of a black hole’s surface of no return, a setup that could help test whether actual black holes glow.
March 8, 2008
True Blue: Electron jumps make protein shine like an LED
A protein thought to be fluorescent instead emits light the way an LED does, suggesting that some living things might do the same.
March 1, 2008
Wish List: FY ‘09 budget proposal ups physical sciences
President Bush’s proposed 2009 federal budget would boost R&D in the physical sciences while reining in biomedical research.
(With other Science News staff)
February 9, 2008
Scanner Darkly: Tiny venetian blinds enhance radiography
Microscopic gratings that select scattered X rays might improve luggage screening and cancer detection.
January 26, 2008
Dusty Fireball: Can lab-made blob explain ball lightning?
Artificial cousins of ball lightning contain microscopic particles, just like a model says they should.
January 19, 2008
Bathtub Optics: Bending light also shifts it sideways
When light bends at an interface, it also shifts depending on its polarization. With animation.
January 12, 2008
Light Swell: Optical rogue waves resemble oceanic ones
Signals in optical fibers can combine into rare, short-lived spikes that resemble oceanic rogue waves.
December 15, 2007
15 = 3 x 5: Photons do their first quantum math
Physicists have performed the first calculation involving manipulation of the quantum states of photons, another step on the road to optical quantum computers.
December 8, 2007
Base Load: Currents Add Detail to DNA Structure
The first precise measurements of DNA’s sideways conductivity confirm its similarities with semiconductors.
December 1, 2007
Einstein Unfruffled: Relativity Passes Stringent New Test
The moon’s orbit and the dilated time of speeding atoms give new meaning to ‘Einstein was right.’
November 24, 2007
Rock, Paper, Toxins
A computer model simulates a kind of rock-paper-scissors competition among three species of virtual bacteria
November 3, 2007
Let There Be Aluminum-42: Experiment Creates Surprise Isotope
In experiments that created the heaviest isotope yet of magnesium, an unexpected isotope of aluminum also showed up
October 27, 2007
Axion Gone: New tests find no sign of anomalous particle
New experiments contradict earlier claims of the discovery of the axion, a possible constituent of cosmic dark matter
October 20, 2007
Mice, Magnetism, and Reactions on Solids
The 2007 Nobel prizes in the sciences recognized research in genetics, materials science, and surface chemistry.
(With Nathan Seppa and Sarah Williams)
October 13, 2007
Nanotube Press: Printing Technique Makes Nanotransistors
A new technique for printing networks of carbon nanotubes on a wide range of surfaces is a step toward mass production of nanotubes devices
September 22, 2007
Alliance of Opposites: Electrons and Positrons Make New Molecule
Positronium, consisting of electrons and their antimatter counterparts, has been made into a molecular form
September 15, 2007
Crueltyfree: Counting Photons without Killing Them
A delicate quantum measurement counts photons without destroying them
August 25, 2007
A Moment in the Life of a Cell: Microscopic Scan Images without Intruding
A laser technique similar to a CAT scan produces 3-D images of living cells without the need for chemical staining
August 18, 2007
Newton’s Dusty Mirror: Old Experiment Inspires Ultrafast Imaging
An experiment devised by Isaac Newton inspires a modern successor, in which X rays capture the image of a microscopic explosion
August 11, 2007
Crinkle Wrinkle
Wrinkles reveal a thin film’s thickness and elasticity
August 4, 2007
Slick Serpent
Oil poured into a pan of the same liquid drags along a surrounding air layer, which can make it skip in and out of the surface before it mixes in
July 28, 2007
Pulling Strings: Stretching Proteins Can Reveal How They Fold
Unfolding a single protein by pulling on its ends reveals the molecular forces that make it fold up
July 14, 2007
Dropping the Ball: Air Pressure Helps Objects Sink into Sand
A ball plunges deeper into sand under atmospheric pressure than under a vacuum, because the presence of air allows sand to flow like a liquid
July 7, 2007
Biowarfare: Engineered virus can invade bacterial film
A genetically engineered virus not only kills bacteria but makes an enzyme that breaks up the biofilm in which the bacteria live
June 30, 2007
Beyond Ethanol: Synthetic fuel offers promising alternative
A faster, simpler manufacturing technique could make a synthetic biofuel into an even stronger competitor to ethanol
June 23, 2007
Improbability Drive: Focus on rare actions speeds chemical simulations
A new algorithm speeds simulations of chemical reactions by focusing on rare but crucial molecular motions
June 16, 2007
Nanotech Bubbles
Creating large-scale, regular arrays of nanoscale components is now almost as easy as blowing bubbles
June 9, 2007
Magnetic Logic: Electron Spins Could Do Cool Calculations
Novel circuits use electrons as tiny bar magnets to process information
June 2, 2007
Dark Power: Pigment Seems to Put Radiation to Good Use
The pigment melanin may enable certain fungi to convert dangerous radiation into usable energy
May 26, 2007
Cleaning Treasures: Safer Solvents for Restoring Frescoes
Solvents in nanoscale droplets can be used to clean centuries-old frescoes, saving them from the unintended consequences of previous restorations
May 19, 2007
Degrees of Quantumness: Shades of Gray in Particle-Wave Duality
Light can be made to act as if it’s composed of particles, waves, or something in between
May 12, 2007
Quantum Loophole: Some Quirks of Physics Can Be Good for Science
Physicists have found a way to almost double measurement precision when using photons to gauge distances
May 5, 2007
Northern Exposure: The Inhospitable Side of the Galaxy?
Our solar system’s periodic motion from one side of the galaxy to the other could expose life on Earth to massive amounts of cosmic rays and cause recurring, catastrophic mass extinctions
April 21, 2007
Quantum Capture: Photosynthesis Tries Many Paths at Once
The wavelike behavior of energy in chlorophyll might explain how plants are so efficient at using solar energy
April 14, 2007
Formula for Panic: Crowd-Motion Findings May Prevent Stampedes
The physics of pedestrian flows could help prevent stampedes such as the one that killed hundreds during a pilgrimage to Mecca in 2006
April 7, 2007
Is Your Phone Out of Juice? Biological Fuel Cells Turns Drinks Into Power
A new type of fuel cell uses natural enzymes to produce small amounts of electricity from sugar
March 31, 2007
Closer to Vanishing: Bending Light as a Step toward Invisibility Cloaks
Invisibility cloaks may be a long shot, but new optical tricks could help in the design of future computers
March 24, 2007
Warming Up to Criticality: Quantum Change, One Bubble at a Time
Physicists can now observe matter as it gradually turns into a Bose-Einstein condensate–the exotic state of matter that displays quantum behavior at macroscopic scales
March 17, 2007 |
