Top Physical & Tech News

January 16, 2016

Second Largest Black Hole in Milky Way?

Extreme Turbulence in 'Most Luminous Galaxy'

Mysterious Matter Moments After Big Bang

Most Powerful Supernova Ever Seen

Latest Headlines

updated 9:10pm EST

Researchers Investigate How Light Behaves in Curved Space

Jan. 15, 2016 — To investigate the influence of gravity on the propagation of light, researchers usually have to examine astronomical length scales and huge masses. However, physicists have ... read more

Researchers Show How Mother-of-Pearl Is Formed from Nanoparticles

Jan. 15, 2016 — Materials scientists have shown for the first time that the mother-of-pearl in clam shells does not form in a crystallization process but is a result of the aggregation of ... read more

First All-Antiferromagnetic Memory Device Could Get Digital Data Storage in a Spin

Jan. 14, 2016 — If you haven't already heard of antiferromagnetic spintronics it won't be long before you do. This relatively unused class of magnetic materials ... read more

Modular Prosthetic Limb Reaches New Levels of Operability

Jan. 12, 2016 — A pioneering surgical technique has allowed an amputee to attach a Modular Prosthetic Limb directly to his residual limb, enabling a greater range of motion and comfort than ... read more

Making the Invisible Visible: Color-Changing Indicators Highlight Microscopic Damage

Jan. 14, 2016 — Damage developing in a material can be difficult to see until something breaks or fails. A new polymer damage indication ... read more

Flexible Film May Lead to Phone-Sized Cancer Detector

Jan. 14, 2016 — A thin, stretchable film that coils light waves like a Slinky could one day lead to more precise, less expensive monitoring for cancer ... read more

Versatile New Way to Build Molecules Developed

Jan. 14, 2016 — Chemists have devised a new and widely applicable technique for building potential drug molecules and other ... read more

Chemists Devise Powerful New Method for Modifying Drug Molecules

Jan. 14, 2016 — Chemists have developed a versatile new technique for making modifications -- especially one type of extremely difficult, but much-sought-after modification -- to complex ... read more

Fuel Cell Advance

Jan. 14, 2016 — Researchers report a breakthrough that promises to bring down the cost of hydrogen fuel cells by replacing expensive platinum catalysts with cheaper ones made from metals ... read more

Nanodevice, Build Thyself

Jan. 14, 2016 — Researchers have studied how a multitude of electronic interactions govern the encounter between a molecule called porphine and copper and silver surfaces -- information that ... read more

MCity: Where the Self-Driving Cars of the Future Are Tested

British Astronaut Starts First Spacewalk

Growing Vegetables Via Smartphone

Japanese Firm Introduces an App That Reads Pets' Emotions

Fast, Accurate DNA Sequencing Through Graphene Nanopore

Jan. 15, 2016 — A new concept has been developed for rapid, accurate gene sequencing by pulling a DNA molecule through a tiny, chemically activated hole in graphene -- an ultrathin sheet of carbon atoms -- and ... read more

Education and Industrial Variety Power High-Growth Companies Nationwide

Jan. 14, 2016 — High-growth companies are not just found in California's tech-rich Silicon Valley. According to a team of economists, these fast-growing firms are found across the US and in a variety of ... read more

UK Teens Heavily Exposed to Alcohol and Tobacco Content in YouTube Music Videos

Jan. 14, 2016 — UK teens are heavily exposed to alcohol and tobacco images and lyrics in digital YouTube music videos, indicates new research. Those exposed the most are 13-15 year olds, and girls, the findings ... read more

New Lab to Give Nation's Researchers Remote Access to Robots

Jan. 14, 2016 — A new lab will allow roboticists from around the country to conduct experiments remotely, American scientists report. Researchers from universities, as well as middle and high school students, will ... read more

Study Seeks Nature's Best Biocatalysts for Biofuel Production

Jan. 14, 2016 — Researchers are looking beyond the usual suspects in the search for microbes that can efficiently break down inedible plant matter for conversion to biofuels. A new comparative study finds the ... read more

Nanoprobe Development Will Enable Scientists to Uncover More DNA Secrets

Jan. 14, 2016 — A 'nanoprobe' has been created by scientists, just a tenth of the size of a human hair, to help uncover more of the secrets of DNA. The research has led to the use of the nanoprobe to study ... read more

New Way to Absorb Electromagnetic Radiation Demonstrated

Jan. 14, 2016 — It is possible to fully absorb electromagnetic radiation using an anisotropic crystal, report scientists. Electromagnetic energy harvesting in the visible spectrum is very important for photovoltaics ... read more

Much Like White Light, Spacetime Is Also Composed of a Certain Rainbow

Jan. 14, 2016 — When white light is passed through a prism, the rainbow on the other side reveals a rich palette of colors. Theorists have shown that in models of the Universe using any of the quantum theories of ... read more

Development of an Evaluation Platform Capable of Validating Wide-Area Distribution Systems

Jan. 14, 2016 — A new research project developed 'DESTCloud,' an evaluation platform that validates the disaster tolerance and fault tolerance of wide-area distribution systems consisting of multiple ... read more

S-Stroke or I-Stroke? Elucidating the Mechanisms of the Ideal Crawl Stroke

Jan. 14, 2016 — The year 2016 is an Olympic year. Developments in high-performance swimwear for swimming continue to advance, along with other areas of scientific research. One area of research has focused on which ... read more

'Green Pea' Galaxy Provides Insights to Early Universe Evolution

Jan. 13, 2016 — Astronomers gain a new understanding of the re-ionization of the universe by studying a nearby dwarf 'green pea' ... read more

3D Images of Megaenzymes May Lead to Improved Antibiotics

Jan. 13, 2016 — For the first time, researchers have been able to take a series of 3D images of a large section from a medicine-synthesizing enzymes in action. The researchers believe that the images they have ... read more

Strongest Ever Spin-Phonon Coupling Observed

Jan. 13, 2016 — Scientists have demonstrated that the strongest ever spin-phonon coupling was observed in osmium oxide synthesized for the first time in 2009. A general belief is that the stronger the coupling ... read more

New Microscopy May Identify Best Sperm Cells

Jan. 13, 2016 — New microscopic technology promises to be a game-changer in the field of reproductive assistance. A team of scientists has devised a new method of microscopy allowing scientists to perform clinical ... read more

What Happens With the Environment When Your Car Moves?

Jan. 13, 2016 — Platinum and palladium salts readily aggregate into various clusters and give rise to a number of metal species upon a contact with water, report researchers. These findings draw attention to ... read more

3-D Mapping of Entire Buildings With Mobile Devices

Jan. 13, 2016 — Computer scientists have developed a piece of software that makes it very easy to create 3-D models of entire buildings. Running on a new type of tablet computer, the program generates 3-D maps in ... read more

Shiny Fish Skin Inspires Nanoscale Light Reflectors

Jan. 13, 2016 — A nature-inspired method to model the reflection of light may have applications for advanced optical coatings for glass, laser protection, infrared imaging systems, optical communication systems and ... read more

Virtual Reality for Motor Rehabilitation of the Shoulder

Jan. 13, 2016 — A virtual reality system for motor rehabilitation of the shoulder has been developed by scientsts. The prototype, which includes a built-in movement sensor, allows the user to do controlled exercises ... read more

Major Advance Reveals How Charge Forms in Key Radiation-Absorbing Layer Within Solar Cells

Jan. 13, 2016 — Researchers demonstrate in a new study the precise mechanism by which sunlight generates electrical charge within cutting-edge solar cell film, yielding potential benefits for solar power ... read more

First Light for Future Black Hole Probe

Jan. 13, 2016 — Zooming in on black holes is the main mission for the newly installed instrument GRAVITY at ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile. During its first observations, GRAVITY successfully combined ... read more

Friday, January 15, 2016

Fast, accurate DNA sequencing through graphene nanopore

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Monday, January 11, 2016

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Quiet quasar has apparently eaten its fill

Friday, January 8, 2016

Thursday, January 7, 2016