Thermodynamics News

August 22, 2016

Sponge Creates Steam Using Ambient Sunlight

Flexible Material Can Make Any Window 'Smart'

See-Through Wood Windows Are Cooler Than Glass

Perpetual 'Ice Water': Nanoparticles

Latest Headlines

updated 11:12pm EDT

New Theory Could Lead to New Generation of Energy Friendly Optoelectronics

Aug. 22, 2016 — Researchers have created a new theoretical framework which could help physicists and device engineers design better optoelectronics, leading to less heat generation and power ... read more

Physicists Discover 'Apparent Departure from the Laws of Thermodynamics'

Aug. 19, 2016 — Physicists have revolutionized our understanding of a popular technique, known as buffer gas cooling, which is crucial in fields ranging from forensics to the production ... read more

Scientists Have Created a Ceramic, Resistant to Extreme Temperatures

Aug. 19, 2016 — Scientists managed to create a new multi-layered ceramic material with heat resistance of the upper layer of more than 3,000 degrees ... read more

Using Nature's Recipe to Create Mother of Pearl

Aug. 18, 2016 — Researchers have created a synthetic nacre remarkably similar to the natural material, which is also known as mother of pearl, though their synthetic version forms in weeks instead of months or ... read more

Solid Batteries Improve Safety

Aug. 16, 2016 — A new lithium-ion battery made entirely of solid material has been developed by scientists. They report that it contains neither liquids nor gels. The battery cannot ignite, ... read more

New Residential Water Heater Concept Promises High Efficiency, Lower Cost

Aug. 15, 2016 — Scientists have developed a novel method that could yield lower-cost, higher-efficiency systems for water heating in residential buildings, outlines a new report. The newly ... read more

Cement Design Should Take Into Account the Water Confined in the Smallest Pores

Aug. 9, 2016 — Cement paste has a large amount of water in its structure, and much of it is confined in the smallest pores of the cement ... read more

Quick-Destructing Battery to Power 'Transient' Devices

Aug. 4, 2016 — Scientists have developed a working battery that self-destructs in water. It's part of a field of study called 'transient electronics.' The battery project presented many ... read more

Gentle Cancer Treatment Using Nanoparticles Works

Aug. 3, 2016 — Cancer treatments based on laser irridation of tiny nanoparticles that are injected directly into the cancer tumor are working and can destroy the cancer from within. ... read more

New High-Temperature Device Captures a Broader Solar Wavelength Spectrum

Aug. 1, 2016 — Using a heat-resistant device, made of tungsten and alumina layers, researchers have found that the device can absorb the sun's broad spectrum radiation and convert it to ... read more

Pain-Free Ultrasonic Device Measures Brain Pressure

No More Curtains Smart Windows

Nanotechnology Makes Cheap, Improved, Water Filters

Matt Damon, Rejoice! Water-Extracting Device Headed To Mars In 2018

How to Keep the Superhot Plasma Inside Tokamaks from Chirping

Aug. 19, 2016 — Physicists have learned which conditions within fusion plasma make the occurrence of chirping modes more ... read more

New Silicon Structures Could Make Better Biointerfaces

Aug. 1, 2016 — A team of researchers have engineered silicon particles one-fiftieth the width of a human hair, which could lead to "biointerface" systems designed to make nerve cells fire and heart cells ... read more

Heating the Exterior of Suitcases May Decrease the Spread of Bed Bugs Through Luggage

Aug. 1, 2016 — New research indicates that brief heat treatment is a promising way to decrease the spread of bed bugs being transported on the outer surface of ... read more

Diamonds Help Generate New Record for Static Pressures for Study

July 30, 2016 — An international team has devised a method for achieving 1 terapascal of static pressure - vastly higher than any previously ... read more

Scientists Unveil Fundamental Properties of Spin Seebeck Effect

July 28, 2016 — Physicists have revealed essential properties of the spin Seebeck effect. Their findings contribute to a more thorough understanding of the underlying processes of this effect and thereby support its ... read more

Beating the Heat a Challenge at the Nanoscale

July 28, 2016 — A little heat from a laser can disrupt measurements of materials at the nanoscale, according to ... read more

The Hot Attraction of Gold

July 27, 2016 — Gold had long been considered a non-magnetic metal. But researchers recently discovered that gold can in fact be magnetized by applying ... read more

Molten Storage and Thermophotovoltaics Offer New Solar Power Pathway

July 27, 2016 — A new wrinkle on an old technology -- solid-state thermophotovoltaics (TPV) -- could provide a high-efficiency alternative for directly converting high-temperature heat from concentrated solar ... read more

Dirty to Drinkable: Novel Hybrid Nanomaterials Quickly Transform Water

July 26, 2016 — A team of engineers has found a way to use graphene oxide sheets to transform dirty water into drinking water, and it could be a global ... read more

Pixel-Array Quantum Cascade Detector Paves the Way for Portable Thermal Imaging Devices

July 26, 2016 — Researchers have developed a new 'cooler' sensing instrument thereby increasing energy, efficiency and enhancing mobility for diagnostic testing. The new portable, field-friendly, ... read more

Any Picture or Text Could Be Inkjet-Printed as a Solar Cell

July 26, 2016 — Any picture or text could be inkjet-printed as a solar cell, using a newly developed technology. When light is absorbed in an ordinary ink, it generates heat. A photovoltaic ink, however, coverts ... read more

Process Could Make Key Biodegradable Polymer Stronger and Longer-Lasting

July 25, 2016 — The creation of a new polymer morphology in a material called PLA could lead to better medical implants and drug-delivery ... read more

Spiders Spin Unique Phononic Material

July 25, 2016 — How spider silk transmits phonons -- quanta of sound -- could inspire novel materials to manipulate sound and heat, according to ... read more

New Lithium-Oxygen Battery Greatly Improves Energy Efficiency, Longevity

July 25, 2016 — A new kind of lithium-oxygen battery, using glass nanoparticles of lithium oxides, could provide more energy, and much better stability and energy efficiency, report ... read more

Patch Delivers Drug, Gene, and Light-Based Therapy to Tumor Sites

July 25, 2016 — A research team delivers drug, gene, and light-based therapy directly to tumor sites, with promising results, reports a new ... read more

Developing Reliable Renewable Energy Sources

July 25, 2016 — As the world’s population continues to grow, so does our consumption of natural resources. Many of these resources are non-renewable, so research into renewable sources of energy is vital. New ... read more

Rapid, Low-Temperature Process Adds Weeks to Milk's Shelf Life

July 20, 2016 — A rapid heating and cooling of milk significantly reduces the amount of harmful bacteria present, extending by several weeks the shelf life of one of the most common refrigerator staples in the ... read more

FDA Approves Scalpel-Free Brain Surgery for Tremor

July 20, 2016 — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first focused ultrasound device to treat essential tremor, the most common movement disorder, in patients who do not respond to medication. The ... read more

A Mini-Antenna for the Data Processing of Tomorrow

July 19, 2016 — With the rapid advance of miniaturization, data processing using electric currents faces tough challenges, some of which are insurmountable. Magnetic spin waves are a promising alternative for the ... read more

'Smart' Nanoparticle Called PEARLs a Promising Gem to Target, Treat Tumors

July 14, 2016 — A team of biomedical researchers has discovered a 'smart' organic, biodegradable nanoparticle that uses heat and light in a controlled manner to potentially target and ablate tumors with ... read more

Friday, August 19, 2016