Matter & Energy News

November 7, 2016

3-D-Printed Structures Shrink When Heated

A First: Magnets Can Be Made With 3-D Printer

3-D-Printed Robots With Shock-Absorbing Skins

'Atomic Sandwiches' for Computers 100X Greener

Latest Headlines

updated 5:10pm EST

Insect-Like Microrobots Move Just Like Real Insects

Nov. 7, 2016 — Researchers have not only built microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices the size of insects, but have also created them to move just like real ... read more

New Understanding of Rip Currents Could Help to Save Lives

Nov. 7, 2016 — A new link between breaking waves and the hazard posed by rip currents has been uncovered by a new study. The research could result in more lives being saved, ... read more

'Morphing' Wing Offers New Twist on Plane Flight and Manufacturing

Nov. 3, 2016 — When the Wright brothers accomplished their first powered flight more than a century ago, they controlled the motion of their Flyer 1 aircraft using wires and pulleys that ... read more

'Super Yeast' Has the Power to Improve Economics of Biofuels

Oct. 17, 2016 — Scientists have found a way to nearly double the efficiency with which a commonly used industrial yeast strain converts plant sugars to biofuel. The newly engineered "super ... read more

'DarkLight' Enables Visible Light Communication in the Dark

Oct. 17, 2016 — With the rise in wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers that rely on smart sensors, and the continued popularity of smartphones, smart devices are taking our ... read more

'Weighing' Atoms With Electrons

Oct. 11, 2016 — The chemical properties of atoms depend on the number of protons in their nuclei, placing them into the periodic table. However, even chemically identical atoms can have ... read more

'Virtual Physiotherapist' Helps Paralyzed Patients Exercise Using Computer Games

Oct. 5, 2016 — A simple device can improve the ability of patients with arm disability to play physiotherapy-like computer games, according to new ... read more

2-D Boron May Be Best for Flexible Electronics

Oct. 4, 2016 — Though they're touted as ideal for electronics, two-dimensional materials like graphene may be too flat and hard to stretch to serve in flexible, wearable devices. "Wavy" ... read more

'DarkLight' Enables Visible Light Communication in the Dark

Oct. 3, 2016 — With the rise in wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers that rely on smart sensors, and the continued popularity of smartphones, smart devices are taking our country by storm. Wireless ... read more

'Incomprehensible' Birth of Supercrystal Explained

Sep. 28, 2016 — Two years ago, a research team published an article explaining how they had created a material with unique and extremely interesting electronic characteristics. In this ... read more

Cows Eat This Device, And It Lets Them Text Their Farmer — Sort Of

ROLI's Touch-Responsive Tech Presents a New Level of Musical Expression

Delft Designers Hope for Drone Take-Off

A Sharp Decline In Coal Use Fuels Drop In Carbon Intensity

Recovering Critical, Economically Important Metals from Low-Grade Ores and Waste

Nov. 7, 2016 — The EU area is experiencing challenges in sourcing critical metals. Solutions to this are being sought by the a new project. Researchers are developing technologies for extracting valuable metals ... read more

Light Drives Single-Molecule Nanoroadsters

Nov. 4, 2016 — Scientists are driving three-wheeled, single-molecule "nanoroadsters" with light and, for the first time, seeing how they ... read more

Laser Particles Could Provide Sharper Images of Tissues

Nov. 4, 2016 — A new imaging technique stimulates particles to emit laser light and could create higher-resolution images of living tissues, say ... read more

Tsunami of Stars and Gas Produces Dazzling Eye-Shaped Feature in Galaxy

Nov. 4, 2016 — Astronomers have discovered a tsunami of stars and gas that is crashing midway through the disk of a spiral galaxy known as IC 2163. This colossal wave of material -- which was triggered when IC 2163 ... read more

Universal Principles of Phase Transitions Confirmed

Nov. 4, 2016 — New research has confirmed a decades-old theory describing the dynamics of continuous phase transitions. The findings provide the first clear demonstration of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism for a quantum ... read more

Physicists Gain New Understanding of How Materials Break

Nov. 4, 2016 — Scientists could eventually help create materials that resist breaking or crack in a predictable fashion. The findings were the result of experiments and computer simulations in which researchers ... read more

Nanostructures Made of Pure Gold

Nov. 4, 2016 — The idea is reminiscent of the ancient alchemists' attempts to create gold from worthless substances: Researchers have discovered a novel way to fabricate pure gold nanostructures using an ... read more

The Destructive Effects of Supercooled Liquid Water on Airplane Safety and Climate Models

Nov. 4, 2016 — Exploring the properties of supercooled liquid water - the bane of airplane wings and climate theorists - investigators are mounting an expedition to fly huge tethered balloons in Alaska this coming ... read more

Physicists Demonstrate Existence of 'Unlikely' New Subatomic Structure

Nov. 4, 2016 — Researchers have demonstrated the existence of a tetraneutron, a subatomic structure once thought unlikely to ... read more

Trace Metal Recombination Centers Kill LED Efficiency

Nov. 3, 2016 — A research team has demonstrated the impact transition metal impurities have on the efficiency of nitride semiconductors. They report that trace amounts of transition metal impurities act as ... read more

New Computational Tool May Speed Drug Discovery

Nov. 3, 2016 — A new computational tool called fABMACS is helping scientists see beyond static images of proteins to more efficiently understand how these molecules function, which could ultimately speed up the ... read more

Scientists Set Traps for Atoms With Single-Particle Precision

Nov. 3, 2016 — Researchers report a new method to use lasers as optical "tweezers" to pick individual atoms out from a cloud and hold them in place. As the atoms are "trapped," the scientists ... read more

Smart Microscope Adapts to Changes in Live Specimens

Nov. 3, 2016 — Scientists have developed the first adaptive light-sheet microscope — an instrument that continuously analyzes and adapts to dynamic changes in a specimen and thereby improves spatial ... read more

Illuminating Lies With Brain Scan Outshines Polygraph Test

Nov. 3, 2016 — When it comes to lying, our brains are much more likely to give us away than sweaty palms or spikes in heart rate, new evidence suggests. The study found that scanning people's brains with fMRI, ... read more

The Pop-Up Effect: Why Buoyant Spheres Don't Always Leap out of the Water

Nov. 3, 2016 — It's a common swimming pool game: Force a buoyant ball underwater and let it go. The ball springs to the surface and jumps into the air. But, submerge the ball deeper underwater and the effect ... read more

Physicists Reveal Cocktails With Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde Features

Nov. 3, 2016 — A new sudy explains how long-range effects in 2-liquid cocktails have a bearing on the diffusion of their molecules, resulting in the coexistence of different characteristics within the same ... read more

Breast-Friendly, Radiation-Free Alternative to Mammogram in the Making

Nov. 3, 2016 — Each year, millions of women undergo mammograms for early detection of possible breast cancer. It’s an unpleasant procedure that uses X-rays. Researchers are working on a ‘breast-friendly’ ... read more

Liquid Crystal Design Method Could Speed Development of Cheap Chemical Sensors

Nov. 3, 2016 — Chemical engineers have developed a new way to create inexpensive chemical sensors for detecting explosives, industrial pollutants or even the chemical markers of disease in a patient’s ... read more

Electron Kaleidoscope: New Technique Visualizes Multiple Objects in Many Colors

Nov. 3, 2016 — Electron microscopy (EM) has long been a leading technology for revealing the shape and structure of the tiniest objects, from the cells which make up the bodies organs and microbes to individual ... read more

Green Process to Make Carbon Fiber Used in Rocket Nozzles Gets Patent

Nov. 3, 2016 — A new, green process developed to make carbon fiber that forms ablative rocket nozzles and heat shields could be of interest to NASA, which has a dwindling stockpile of cellulose rayon fiber that ... read more

Monday, November 7, 2016

Recovering critical, economically important metals from low-grade ores and waste

Friday, November 4, 2016

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Imaging the inside of cells using polymeric nanoparticles

Monday, October 31, 2016

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Close up of the new mineral merelaniite

Friday, October 28, 2016

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Researchers on cloud nine as they uncover the origin of atmospheric particles