A quantum simulator for magnetic materials
Physicists understand perfectly well why a fridge magnet sticks to certain metallic surfaces. But there are more exotic forms of magnetism whose properties remain unclear, despite decades of intense...
View ArticleAccurate distance measurement resolves major astronomical mystery
(Phys.org) —Sometimes astronomy is like real estate—what's important is location, location, and location. Astronomers have resolved a major problem in their understanding of a class of stars that...
View ArticleBittersweet: Bait-averse cockroaches shudder at sugar
Sugar isn't always sweet to German cockroaches, especially to the ones that avoid roach baits. In a study published May 24 in the journal Science, North Carolina State University entomologists show the...
View ArticleNew filtration material could make petroleum refining cheaper, more efficient
A newly synthesized material might provide a dramatically improved method for separating the highest-octane components of gasoline. Measurements at the National Institute of Standards and Technology...
View ArticleProfessor argues Earth's mantle affects long-term sea-level rise estimates
From Virginia to Florida, there is a prehistoric shoreline that, in some parts, rests more than 280 feet above modern sea level. The shoreline was carved by waves more than 3 million years ago—possible...
View ArticleUniversity of Illinois biophysicists measure mechanism that determines fate...
(Phys.org) —New tension gauge tether (TGT) laboratory method developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has broad applications for research into stem cells, cancer, infectious disease,...
View ArticleCradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor
(Phys.org) —Researchers and physicians in the field could soon run on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, medical diagnostics, food safety and more with their smartphones.
View ArticleReforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber
More than 13,000 ships per year, carrying more than 284 million tons of cargo, transit the Panama Canal each year, generating roughly $1.8 billion dollars in toll fees for the Panama Canal Authority....
View ArticleScientists develop cheaper, more efficient fuel cells
(Phys.org) —Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron, researchers have discovered a way to create cheaper fuel cells by dividing normally expensive platinum metal into nanoparticles (or even...
View ArticleScientists offer first definitive proof of bacteria-feeding behavior in green...
A team of researchers has captured images of green alga consuming bacteria, offering a glimpse at how early organisms dating back more than 1 billion years may have acquired free-living photosynthetic...
View ArticleSolar Kettle allows for boiling water off the grid
(Phys.org) —A company called Contemporary Energy has unveiled a new device it calls the Solar Kettle. It looks very much like a normal coffee thermos, but has flaps on one side that open to allow for...
View ArticleNASA head views progress on asteroid lasso mission
Surrounded by engineers, NASA chief Charles Bolden inspected a prototype spacecraft engine that could power an audacious mission to lasso an asteroid and tow it closer to Earth for astronauts to explore.
View ArticleHubble reveals the ring nebula's true shape
(Phys.org) —The Ring Nebula's distinctive shape makes it a popular illustration for astronomy books. But new observations by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope of the glowing gas shroud around an old,...
View ArticleResearcher admits mistakes in stem cell study
A blockbuster study in which US researchers reported that they had turned human skin cells into embryonic stem cells contained errors, its lead author has acknowledged.
View ArticleGoogle Drive sports new view and scan enhancements
(Phys.org) —Google Drive has a new look and functions. The makeover in Google Drive features scanning and interface enhancements that put the user into "card" mode. The enhancements make it easy for...
View ArticleKing Richard III found in 'untidy lozenge-shaped grave'
An academic paper on the archaeology of the Search for Richard III reveals for the first time specific details of the grave dug for King Richard III and discovered under a car park in Leicester.
View ArticleUS panel rejects Motorola bid to block Xbox imports
The US International Trade Commission sided with Microsoft in a patent dispute with Google-owned Motorola Mobility that could have led to Xbox 360 videogame consoles being banned from import.
View ArticleScientists determine activation barrier in ammonia-sulfuric acid clusters...
(Phys.org) —Ammonia must overcome an energy barrier to join sulfuric acid and water to create clusters that can lead to cloud formation, according to scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory...
View ArticleNew family of tiny crystals glow bright in LED lights
(Phys.org) —Minuscule crystals that glow different colors may be the missing ingredient for white LED lighting that illuminates homes and offices as effectively as natural sunlight.
View ArticleResearch aims to fix long-held, inaccurate insect model
(Phys.org) —In humans, a polymer called melanin determines skin, eye and hair color—the darker the skin, the more melanin in a person's body. For insects, melanin is a major aspect of their immune...
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