Dye-sensitized solar cells rival conventional cell efficiency
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have many advantages over their silicon-based counterparts. They offer transparency, low cost, and high power conversion efficiencies under cloudy and artificial...
View ArticleNew phenomenon could lead to novel types of lasers and sensors
There are several ways to "trap" a beam of light—usually with mirrors, other reflective surfaces, or high-tech materials such as photonic crystals. But now researchers at MIT have discovered a new...
View ArticleTrees using water more efficiently as atmospheric carbon dioxide rises
A study by scientists with the U.S. Forest Service, Harvard University and partners suggests that trees are responding to higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by becoming more efficient at using...
View ArticleJagged graphene edges can slice into cell membranes
(Phys.org) —A collaboration of biologists, engineers, and material scientists at Brown University has found that jagged edges of graphene can easily pierce cell membranes, allowing graphene to enter...
View ArticleIBEX spacecraft images the heliotail, revealing an unexpected structure
(Phys.org) —NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft recently provided the first complete pictures of the solar system's downwind region, revealing a unique and unexpected structure.
View ArticleResearchers perform DNA computation in living cells
(Phys.org) —Chemists from North Carolina State University have performed a DNA-based logic-gate operation within a human cell. The research may pave the way to more complicated computations in live...
View ArticleDistant quakes trigger tremors at US waste-injection sites, says study
Large earthquakes from distant parts of the globe are setting off tremors around waste-fluid injection wells in the central United States, says a new study. Furthermore, such triggering of minor quakes...
View ArticleGeothermal power facility induces earthquakes, study finds
An analysis of earthquakes in the area around the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in southern California has found a strong correlation between seismic activity and operations for production of geothermal...
View ArticleScientists cast doubt on theory of what triggered Antarctic glaciation
A team of U.S. and U.K. scientists has found geologic evidence that casts doubt on one of the conventional explanations for how Antarctica's ice sheet began forming. Ian Dalziel, research professor at...
View ArticleHUBO ready for DARPA's Robotics Challenge trials (w/ Video)
The Humanoid Robot Research Center (HUBO Lab) at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Rainbow Co., a spin-off venture company of the university, unveiled a new model of...
View ArticleInsect discovery sheds light on climate change
(Phys.org) —Simon Fraser University biologists have discovered a new, extinct family of insects that will help scientists better understand how some animals responded to global climate change and the...
View ArticleCharon revealed: New Horizons camera spots Pluto's largest moon
(Phys.org) —NASA's Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft, using its highest-resolution telescopic camera, has spotted Pluto's Texas-sized, ice-covered moon Charon for the first time. This represents a...
View ArticleNGC 2392: A beautiful end to a star's life
(Phys.org) —Stars like the Sun can become remarkably photogenic at the end of their life. A good example is NGC 2392, which is located about 4,200 light years from Earth. NGC 2392, (nicknamed the...
View ArticleResearchers estimate over two million deaths annually from air pollution
Over two million deaths occur each year as a direct result of human-caused outdoor air pollution, a new study has found.
View ArticleSpread of DNA databases sparks ethical concerns
You can ditch your computer and leave your cellphone at home, but you can't escape your DNA. It belongs uniquely to you—and, increasingly, to the authorities.
View ArticleSnooping on neighbours gives animals the upper paw
(Phys.org) —Animals that have developed the ability to eavesdrop on their neighbours may have the edge when it comes to finding food and expanding their habitat, a new study by researchers at The...
View ArticleMiracle material graphene could deliver Internet one hundred times faster
(Phys.org) —The use of graphene in telecommunications could dramatically accelerate internet speeds by up to a hundred times, according to new research by scientists in our Department of Physics.
View ArticleControlling destructive locusts by manipulating their genetics
(Phys.org) —In 1921, a Russian entomologist named Boris Uvarov made a curious discovery. He noticed that a single species of grasshopper could transform its appearance and behavior, depending on its...
View ArticleImperfect graphene renders 'electrical highways'
(Phys.org) —Just an atom thick, 200 times stronger than steel and a near-perfect conductor, graphene's future in electronics is all but certain. But to make this carbon supermaterial useful, it needs...
View ArticleResearchers discover simple coating technique using tannic acid and iron
(Phys.org) —A team of chemical researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia has discovered a simple coating technique that uses nothing but tannic acid and iron ions. In their paper...
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