Empa scientists synthesize graphene-like material Two-dimensional carbon layers, so-called graphenes, are regarded as a possible substitute for silicon in the semiconductor industry. view more (2009-11-24)
Tiny bubbles clean oil from water Small amounts of oil leave a fluorescent sheen on polluted water. Oil sheen is hard to remove, even when the water is aerated with ozone or filtered through sand. view more (2009-11-16)
A bubbling ball of gas The Sun is a bubbling mass. Packages of gas rise and sink, lending the sun its grainy surface structure, its granulation. Dark spots appear and disappear, clouds of matter dart up - and behind the whole thing are the magnetic fields, the engines of it all. view more (2009-11-12)
New 'finFET' promising for smaller transistors, more powerful chips Purdue University researchers are making progress in developing a new type of transistor that uses a finlike structure instead of the conventional flat design, possibly enabling engineers to create faster and more compact circuits and computer chips. view more (2009-11-11)
Researchers discover links between city walkability and air pollution exposure A new study compares neighborhoods' walkability (degree of ease for walking) with local levels of air pollution and finds that some neighborhoods might be good for walking, but have poor air quality. view more (2009-11-03)
Ethiopia 27 million years ago had higher rainfall, warmer soil Thirty million years ago, before Ethiopia's mountainous highlands split and the Great Rift Valley formed, the tropical zone had warmer soil temperatures, higher rainfall and different atmospheric circulation patterns than it does today, according to new research of fossil soils found in the central African nation. view more (2009-10-23)
Air pollutants from abroad a growing concern, says new report Plumes of harmful air pollutants can be transported across oceans and continents -- from Asia to the United States and from the United States to Europe -- and have a negative impact on air quality far from their original sources, says a new report by the National Research Council. view more (2009-09-30)
Getting down to details Dave Wilson was dissatisfied with blurry, low-sensitivity optical images of diseased tissues. So, four years ago he set out to create a better imager. view more (2009-09-29)
New discovery reveals fate of nanoparticles in human cells Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have uncovered what happens to biomimetic nanoparticles when they enter human cells. view more (2009-09-23)
Ozone layer depletion levelling off By merging more than a decade of atmospheric data from European satellites, scientists have compiled a homogeneous long-term ozone record that allows them to monitor total ozone trends on a global scale - and the findings look promising. view more (2009-09-22)
Portable and precise gas sensor could monitor pollution and detect disease In the air, it is a serious pollutant. In the body, it plays a role in heart rate, blood flow, nerve signals and immune function. view more (2009-09-21)
raGraphene and gallium arsenide: two perfect partners find each other It is the marriage of two top candidates for the electronics of the future, both excentric and extremely interesting: Graphene, one of the partners, is an extremely thin fellow and besides, very young. view more (2009-09-17)
University of Toronto study shows climate change will lead to less ultraviolet radiation over northern high latitudes Physicists at the University of Toronto have discovered that changes in the Earth's ozone layer due to climate change will reduce the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in northern high latitude regions such as Siberia, Scandinavia and northern Canada. view more (2009-09-16)
Neurons found to be similar to Electoral College A tiny neuron is a very complicated structure. Its complex network of dendrites, axons and synapses is constantly dealing with information, deciding whether or not to send a nerve impulse, to drive a certain action. view more (2009-09-15)
MU Engineers Develop Safer, Blast-Resistant Glass To protect from potential terrorist attacks, federal buildings and other critical infrastructures are made with special windows that contain blast-resistant glass. However, the glass is thick and expensive. view more (2009-09-11)
Houseplants cut indoor ozone Ozone, the main component of air pollution, or smog, is a highly reactive, colorless gas formed when oxygen reacts with other chemicals. view more (2009-09-09)
Building better bone replacements with bacteria Bacteria that manufacture hydroxyapatite (HA) could be used to make stronger, more durable bone implants. Professor Lynne Macaskie from the University of Birmingham this week (7-10 September) presented work to the Society for General Microbiology's meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. view more (2009-09-08)
Making bacteria make useful proteins By adapting a single protein on the surface of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, researchers at the University of British Columbia have turned it into a protein production factory, making useful proteins that can act as vaccines and drugs. view more (2009-09-08)
NOAA study shows nitrous oxide now top ozone-depleting emission Nitrous oxide has now become the largest ozone-depleting substance emitted through human activities, and is expected to remain the largest throughout the 21st century, NOAA scientists say in a new study. view more (2009-08-28)
Scientists uncover solar cycle, stratosphere and ocean connections Subtle connections between the 11-year solar cycle, the stratosphere, and the tropical Pacific Ocean work in sync to generate periodic weather patterns that affect much of the globe, according to research appearing this week in the journal Science. view more (2009-08-28)
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