Matter & Energy News

September 25, 2016

Research Finds Way to Make Fracking Safer

The Scroll From En-Gedi Virtually Unwrapped

Fluorescent Ruby Red Roofs Stay as Cool as White

Holograms With Sound

Latest Headlines

updated 8:40am EDT

Engineers Create Room-Temperature Multiferroic Material

Sep. 23, 2016 — Multiferroics -- materials that exhibit both magnetic and electric order -- are of interest for next-generation computing but difficult to create because the conditions conducive to each of those ... read more

Chains of Nanogold, Forged With Atomic Precision

Sep. 22, 2016 — Short chains and rings of gold nanoparticles have now been produced with unprecedented precision. They used a special kind of nanoparticles with a well-defined structure and linked them together with ... read more

Hunt for the Truest North

Sep. 21, 2016 — If you chop a magnet in half, you end up with two smaller magnets. Both the original and the new magnets have “north” and “south” poles. But what if single north and south poles exist, just ... read more

Scientists Find Twisting 3-D Raceway for Electrons in Nanoscale Crystal Slices

Sep. 23, 2016 — An exotic 3-D racetrack for electrons in ultrathin slices of a crystal has been observed for the first time, by a group of ... read more

How to Power Up Graphene Implants Without Frying Cells

Sep. 23, 2016 — In the future, our health may be monitored and maintained by tiny sensors and drug dispensers, deployed within the body and made from graphene -- one of the strongest, ... read more

To Produce Biopharmaceuticals on Demand, Just Add Water

Sep. 23, 2016 — Researchers have created tiny freeze-dried pellets that include all of the molecular machinery needed to translate DNA into proteins, which could form the basis for on-demand production of drugs and ... read more

Marriage Made in Sunlight: Invention Merges Solar With Liquid Battery

Sep. 22, 2016 — As solar cells produce a greater proportion of total electric power, a fundamental limitation remains: the dark of night when solar cells go to sleep. Lithium-ion batteries ... read more

Fighting Cancer With Sticky Nanoparticles

Sep. 20, 2016 — Sticky nanoparticles that deliver drugs precisely to their targets -- and then stay there -- could play a crucial role in fighting ovarian and uterine cancers, report ... read more

X-Ray Laser Glimpses How Electrons Dance With Atomic Nuclei in Materials

Sep. 22, 2016 — The coupling between electrons and phonons determines how efficiently solar cells convert sunlight into electricity. It also plays key roles in superconductors that transfer electricity without ... read more

Combining the Elements Palladium, Ruthenium for Industry

Sep. 21, 2016 — For a long time, researchers have thought that combining palladium and ruthenium could lead to improved and novel properties for industrial applications. However, the two elements do not readily mix ... read more

Digital Reconstruction Reveals True Face of Ancient Peru Warrior

Fracking Makes The Ground Swell, And Knowing That Might Make It Safer

Group Says TV Makers Exploiting Energy Testing

This Ancient Copy Of Leviticus Is Too Fragile To Open: Cue Science

Stronger Turbine Blades With Molybdenum Silicides

Sep. 23, 2016 — Molybdenum silicides can improve the efficiency of turbine blades in ultrahigh-temperature combustion systems, researchers have ... read more

Sharpshooting Nanoparticles Hit the Target

Sep. 22, 2016 — Multi stimuli-responsive nanocapsules selectively deliver drugs to exactly where they are needed, say researchers. The researchers created the multifunctional nanocapsules by wrapping magnetic iron ... read more

New Device Detects Hazardous Substances in Water

Sep. 22, 2016 — A device for the rapid analysis of liquids on the content of hazardous substances - such as heavy metals - has been developed by researchers, who have used a method based on polymer optodes, very ... read more

Popeye Was Right: There’s Energy in That Spinach

Sep. 22, 2016 — Using a simple membrane extract from spinach leaves, researchers have developed a cell that produces electricity and hydrogen from water using sunlight. Based on photosynthesis, and technology paves ... read more

Getting Ahead of the 'Curve' in Magnetic Study

Sep. 21, 2016 — Scientists noticed that magnetic skyrmions – small electrically uncharged circular structures with a spiraling magnetic pattern – do get deflected by an applied current, much like a curveball ... read more

Not All Bioplastics Are Created Equal

Sep. 21, 2016 — Conventional plastics are seen as environmentally unfriendly because they're made from fossil fuels. As plastic production grows -- it's expected to double over the next 20 years -- ... read more

Molecular Switches: Two Ways to Turn

Sep. 21, 2016 — Chemists have synthesized a new photo-activatable molecule, which shows 2-dimensional switching behavior -- an essential prerequisite for the construction of complex molecular ... read more

The Microdoctors in Our Bodies

Sep. 21, 2016 — Researchers are developing tiny, sophisticated technological and biological machines enabling non-invasive, selective therapies. Their creations include genetically modified cells that can be ... read more

Brain to Robot: 'Move, Please'

Sep. 21, 2016 — Using the power of thought to control a robot that helps to move a paralysed hand: new research could fundamentally change the therapy and daily lives of stroke ... read more

'Schroedinger's Cat' Molecules Give Rise to Exquisitely Detailed Movies

Sep. 21, 2016 — Scientists have known for a long time that an atom or molecule can also be in two different states at once. Now researchers have exploited this Schroedinger’s Cat behavior to create X-ray movies of ... read more

A Conscious Coupling of Magnetic and Electric Materials

Sep. 21, 2016 — Scientists have successfully paired ferroelectric and ferrimagnetic materials so that their alignment can be controlled with a small electric field at near room temperatures, an achievement that ... read more

Speedy Bacteria Detector Could Help Prevent Foodborne Illnesses

Sep. 21, 2016 — It seems like almost every week another food product is being recalled because of contamination. One of the more common culprits is a pathogenic strain of E. coli. To help prevent illnesses caused by ... read more

Drive-by Monitoring for Urban Streetlights

Sep. 21, 2016 — Is there a streetlight burned out on your block? Unless you or your neighbors phone the right city department, there's a good chance nobody knows about it. Now researchers have an idea of ... read more

In a Heartbeat: Tiny Propeller Keeps Blood Flowing

Sep. 21, 2016 — In the moments after a heart attack, every second counts. Medical professionals need to act quickly to stabilize the patient and prevent further damage to the heart. Often, that means opening up the ... read more

Coffee-Infused Foam Removes Lead from Contaminated Water

Sep. 21, 2016 — Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the U.S., which makes for a perky population -- but it also creates a lot of used grounds. Scientists now report an innovative way to reduce this waste and ... read more

Defects at the Spinterface Disrupt Transmission

Sep. 21, 2016 — Researchers have put metal-oxides and organic magnets together, suggesting that their work has applications for ... read more

Detecting Emotions With Wireless Signals

Sep. 21, 2016 — Researchers have developed "EQ-Radio," a device that can detect a person's emotions using wireless signals. By measuring subtle changes in breathing and heart rhythms, EQ-Radio is 87 ... read more

Artificial Intelligence Helps in the Discovery of New Materials

Sep. 21, 2016 — With the help of artificial intelligence, chemists have computed the characteristics of about two million crystals made up of four chemical elements. The researchers were able to identify 90 ... read more

Physicists Create Nano-Sized Device With Huge Potential in Field of Quantum Computing

Sep. 21, 2016 — An intricately sculpted device is so tiny it can only be seen under a microscope. But their diamond microdisk could lead to huge advances in computing, telecommunications, and other ... read more

Beam Me Up Scotty! Quantum Teleportation of a Particle of Light Six Kilometers

Sep. 21, 2016 — What if you could behave like the crew on the Starship Enterprise and teleport yourself home or anywhere else in the world? As a human, you're probably not going to realize this any time soon; ... read more

Friday, September 23, 2016

Stronger turbine blades with molybdenum silicides

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Monday, September 19, 2016

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Study yields new knowledge about materials for ultrasound and other applications

Friday, September 16, 2016

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Tuesday, September 13, 2016