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Stretchable nano-devices towards smart contact lenses

Scientists at RMIT University and the University of Adelaide developed a stretchable device that can filter specific colors while remaining transparent. This technology has the potential to make smart contact lenses that can filter harmful optical radiation without interfering with vision.

SourceRMIT University·JournalACS Nano·DateFeb 19, 2016

Toward longer-lasting fragrances

Researchers develop a new way to encapsulate fragrance molecules, slowing down their release and creating longer-lasting scents. The technique uses microfluidic and bulk emulsification, resulting in uniform microcapsules that control shell size and structure.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateFeb 17, 2016

New thin film transistor may lead to flexible devices

Researchers at the University of Alberta have invented a new transistor that could revolutionize thin-film electronic devices with its bipolar action architecture. The device has power-handling capabilities up to 10 times greater than commercially produced transistors, making it suitable for flexible electronics applications.

SourceUniversity of Alberta·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 9, 2016
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

A fast solidification process makes material crackle

Researchers developed a theory that combines vibrations in solid materials and liquid solidification, predicting sound waves formed when compression relaxes. Fast solidification creates large defects, resulting in a 'crackling' sound wave.

SourceAalto University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 4, 2016

Researchers discover new phase of boron nitride and a new way to create pure c-BN

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered a new phase of boron nitride (Q-BN) and developed a technique to create cubic boron nitride (c-BN) at ambient temperatures and air pressure. The discovery has potential applications for high-power electronics, transistors, and solid-state devices.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalAPL Materials·DateFeb 3, 2016
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.

Successful synthesis of threaded polymers

Researchers have successfully synthesized a material with a distinctive woven structure, providing special elastic properties. The new material's flexibility increases tenfold when threads slide against each other, making it promising for various applications.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateJan 21, 2016

Naval research grant will speed work on materials, energy

A $810,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research will enable researchers at the University of Houston to test advanced materials more efficiently. The new physical properties measurement system will allow for faster testing of superconducting wire, solar cells, batteries, and other materials.

SourceUniversity of Houston·DateJan 20, 2016

Mammoth injuries indicate humans occupied Arctic earlier than thought

A frozen mammoth carcass with signs of weapon-inflicted injuries suggests human occupation of the Eurasian Arctic at 45,000 years ago. This finding challenges previous estimates and highlights advancements in mammoth hunting that enabled human survival and spread across northernmost Arctic Siberia.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateJan 14, 2016

Electronically connected graphene nanoribbons foresee high-speed electronics

Researchers at Tohoku University successfully demonstrated electronic connection between graphene nanoribbons by molecular assembly, showing that GNR electronic properties are directly extended through the interconnected structures. This breakthrough enables the development of high-performance, low-power-consumption electronics based o...

SourceTohoku University·JournalACS Nano·DateJan 8, 2016
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Sugar-based carbon hollow spheres that mimic moth eyes

Researchers develop novel, low-cost, and ultra-lightweight antireflective surface for microwave radiation based on the structure of moth eyes. The new material achieves almost perfect microwave absorption, ideal for applications in radar absorbing materials and stealth technology.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateJan 5, 2016

New technique offers strong, flawless 3-D printed ceramics

Researchers developed a method to create ceramic materials using 3D printing with minimal cracking, enabling complex shapes and high temperatures. The resulting silicon carbide material can withstand 1,400°C temperatures without cracking, making it suitable for hypersonic vehicles and jet engines.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateDec 31, 2015

Choreographing the dance of electrons

Researchers at NUS have discovered a method to manipulate electrons in thin semiconductors by encapsulating them in atomically thin materials and applying external electric and magnetic fields. This technique enables reversible control of electron behavior, paving the way for new applications in high-temperature superconductivity.

SourceNational University of Singapore·JournalNature·DateDec 24, 2015

Move aside carbon: Boron nitride-reinforced materials are even stronger

Researchers have discovered that boron nitride nanotubes can create even stronger and more stable materials when combined with lightweight polymers than previously thought. The unique properties of boron nitride nanotubes make them an attractive alternative to carbon nanotubes for aerospace and other industries.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateDec 22, 2015
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Neutrons offer guide to getting more out of solid-state lithium-ion batteries

A new neutron study at Oak Ridge National Laboratory reveals promising results that could drastically boost the performance of solid-state electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries, leading to safer and more efficient batteries. The study found a common rule governing how dopants redistribute vacancies in garnet structures, enabling materi...

SourceDOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory·JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry A·DateDec 21, 2015

Living happily in a material world: Material purchases can bring happiness

A recent study shows that material purchases provide repeated doses of happiness over time, whereas experiential purchases offer a more intense but fleeting experience. Researchers found that people felt more satisfaction with experiential purchases six weeks after Christmas.

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateDec 21, 2015

Physicists discover material for a more efficient energy storage

Researchers at the University of Luxembourg have discovered a high-k-material that enables better energy storage devices, which could lead to smaller, faster and more efficient electronics. The material's unique dielectric properties allow it to generate strong electric fields, making it suitable for capacitors.

SourceUniversity of Luxembourg·JournalNature Communications·DateDec 17, 2015

Scientists create atomically thin boron

Researchers have successfully synthesized a two-dimensional sheet of boron, known as borophene, with metallic properties at the nanoscale. The material's unique atomic configuration and anisotropy result in a high tensile strength, making it a promising candidate for applications in electronics and photovoltaics.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalScience·DateDec 17, 2015

Novel material backed by NFL to protect against brain injuries

Researchers from Cardiff University and Charles Owen Inc. have developed a novel 3D-printed material called C3, which can improve the safety of athletes and others by better absorbing and dissipating impact. The material has been awarded $250,000 to further develop its potential.

SourceCardiff University·DateDec 16, 2015
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

The building blocks of the future

UCSB researchers are working on developing next-generation materials and design systems with $6 million in National Science Foundation funding. They aim to create higher-performance aircraft engines and more efficient natural gas-based power plants.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·DateDec 16, 2015

Transparent metal films for smart phone, tablet and TV displays

Researchers at Penn State have discovered a new material that is both highly transparent and electrically conductive, potentially replacing indium tin oxide in display technology. The new material, a correlated metal, has a structure that allows it to behave like a liquid, resulting in high optical transparency and conductivity.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Materials·DateDec 15, 2015

Hybrid material presents potential for 4-D-printed adaptive devices

Researchers have developed a hybrid material that can change shape in response to different stimuli, such as light and heat. The material combines photo-responsive fibers with thermo-responsive gels to create a composite that is both highly reconfigurable and mechanically strong.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalMaterials Horizons·DateDec 14, 2015

Superhydrophobic coating protects without the price

Researchers at Rice University and Swansea University have developed a new class of superhydrophobic nanomaterials that are inexpensive, nontoxic, and can be applied to various surfaces via spray- or spin-coating. The coating is equivalent in performance to commercial coatings that employ hazardous fluorocarbons.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateDec 9, 2015

Men's interest in babies linked with hormonal responses to sexual stimuli

Research found that young men with greater interest in babies showed smaller increases in testosterone in response to sexually explicit stimuli, indicating a 'slow' life-history strategy. In contrast, men who didn't like babies as much were more physiologically aroused by novel sexual stimuli.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·DateDec 7, 2015
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

New stretchable, wearable sensor made with chewing gum (video)

A team of researchers developed a unique sensing device using chewing gum and carbon nanotubes that can track breathing and detect humidity changes. The flexible sensor, which can withstand bending and stretching up to 530% strain, has the potential to monitor body functions around the clock.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateDec 2, 2015

New membrane may solve fresh water shortages

Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a new ultra-thin layered membrane that separates salt from seawater to produce fresh water through reverse osmosis. The membrane is heat-resistant and resistant to chlorine, making it suitable for desalination plants.

SourceHiroshima University·JournalJournal of Membrane Science·DateNov 29, 2015

Stacking instead of mixing

Scientists at Jülich and Aachen have developed a method to control the conducting properties of topological insulators more precisely. By stacking materials instead of mixing, they optimized conductivity and reduced energy requirements. This breakthrough could lead to faster and more efficient computers and mobile phones.

SourceForschungszentrum Juelich·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 17, 2015
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

A new symmetry underlies the search for new materials

Penn State researchers develop a new symmetry operation that can reduce the number of measurements needed to find new materials. This technique uses distortion symmetry groups to analyze physical systems under stress or forces, enabling faster discovery of advanced materials with unique properties.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 17, 2015

The all-rounder among supercomputers

JURECA's massive computing power of 2.2 quadrillion operations per second enables researchers in life sciences, earth system sciences, and other fields to tackle complex issues. The system's flexibility allows for various applications, including brain research, medicine, and materials research.

SourceForschungszentrum Juelich·DateNov 16, 2015

Sea urchin spurs new ideas for lightweight materials

Scientists at University of Copenhagen discover heart urchin shell has a structure that nears theoretical ideal for foam structure strength. The shell's unique porosity and strut arrangement make it up to six times stronger than chalk, despite being lighter.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalActa Biomaterialia·DateNov 10, 2015
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

UTA physicists use beams of antimatter to investigate advanced materials

Researchers at UTA are using a next-generation positron beam facility to investigate the properties of graphene, a versatile pure carbon material 200 times stronger than steel. The team is analyzing the microscopic interaction of graphene with other materials to translate its exceptional properties into real-life applications.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Arlington·DateNov 9, 2015

Novel 'crumpling' of hybrid nanostructures increases SERS sensitivity

By 'crumpling' hybrid nanostructures, researchers increased surface area and improved SERS detection sensitivity. The new design enables enhanced nanoplasmonic sensing applications for environmental analysis, pharmaceuticals, and biomedical research.

SourceUniversity of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering·JournalNano Letters·DateNov 4, 2015

Metal defects can be eliminated by cyclic loading

Researchers have found that repeated small stretching of nanoscale metal pieces can eliminate crystal defects in its crystalline structure, strengthening the material. This phenomenon is counterintuitive, as it is opposite to what one sees in larger metal crystals.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 21, 2015
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Could candle soot power electric vehicles?

New research shows that candle soot can be used to power the lithium batteries in electric cars, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution. The discovery opens up possibilities for using carbon in more powerful batteries, which could drive down production costs and increase efficiency.

SourceElsevier·JournalElectrochimica Acta·DateOct 7, 2015

A step toward clothing that guards against chemical warfare agents

Scientists have developed a new hydrogel coating that can neutralize both mustard gas and nerve agent VX in under 20 minutes. This breakthrough could lead to the creation of protective clothing and paints that safeguard against chemical warfare agents.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateSep 30, 2015

War's greatest picture

Seventy-five years after the start of the WWII Blitz, Herbert Mason's portrait of St. Paul's Cathedral stands as an enduring symbol of Britain's resilience amidst destruction. The iconic image has been widely reproduced and continues to have a lasting impact on visual shorthand for momentous events.

SourceUniversity of Chicago Press Journals·JournalThe Journal of Modern History·DateSep 25, 2015
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

A twist for control of orbital angular momentum of neutron waves

Researchers at University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing have controlled the orbital angular momentum of neutron waves for the first time. This breakthrough enables probing of material properties like magnetism and crystalline structure, opening doors to deeper studies of superconducting and chiral materials.

SourceUniversity of Waterloo·JournalNature·DateSep 24, 2015

4-D technology allows self-folding of complex objects

Researchers developed a four-dimensional printing technology using smart shape-memory materials to create complex self-folding structures. The technology enables sequential folding and unfolding of 3-D objects in response to stimuli like temperature, moisture, or light.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalScientific Reports·DateSep 21, 2015

Making a smart material smarter

A team of researchers from Michigan State University has manipulated vanadium dioxide to make it usable in small devices, allowing for smart antennas with tunable properties. This technology could enable applications such as switching between communication bands or precise microsurgery.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalIEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters·DateSep 15, 2015
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Half diamond, half cubic boron, all cutting business

Scientists at Sichuan University develop an alloy combining diamond and cubic boron nitride, exhibiting superior hardness and wear resistance when cutting through steel and granite. The novel process enables mass production of the alloy, which could revolutionize various industrial materials processing.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateSep 8, 2015

Japanese paper art inspires new 3-D fabrication method

Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois have developed a new assembly method that uses strategic 'Kirigami cuts' to create complex 3D structures out of silicon and other materials. The technique enables the production of mostly closed 3D shapes with limited ability to achieve spatially extended devices.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 8, 2015

The multiferroic sandwich

Scientists at SISSA and Northwestern University propose a new model for creating multiferroic materials that combine magnetism and ferroelectricity in the same substance. Theoretical study shows promise for controlling ferroelectricity with magnetism, paving the way for new technologies.

SourceInternational School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 4, 2015

New material science research may advance tech tools

Researchers manipulated a steel gray mineral to create holes in thin films, which showed magnetic properties at their edges. The discovery raised the metal-to-insulator phase transition temperature of the film.

SourceLouisiana State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 31, 2015
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Researcher develops cheaper, better LED technology

A Florida State University engineer has developed a highly efficient and low-cost LED technology using organic and inorganic materials. The new material requires only one layer to create the desired product or effect, making it simpler to manufacture than existing products.

SourceFlorida State University·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateAug 27, 2015

EPSRC funding boost to aid discovery of new advanced materials

A £6.65 million grant will support a programme at the University of Liverpool and University College London to design and test new materials at the atomic level. The project aims to address challenges in sustainable energy production, battery technologies, and solar energy efficiency.

SourceEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council·DateAug 25, 2015

Graphene oxide's secret properties revealed at atomic level

Researchers at Northwestern University discovered that graphene oxide exhibits remarkable plastic deformation before breaking, unlike its more perfect counterpart graphene. This unique property may unlock the secret to scaling up graphene oxide.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 21, 2015

Louisiana Tech University researchers to contribute to NSF-funded consortium

The Louisiana Tech University will contribute to a $20 million NSF grant focused on multi-scale replication and forming technologies, as well as adaptive manufacturing of small numbers of application-specific structures using laser-based 3D printing. The university's faculty and infrastructure will support the success of this project.

SourceLouisiana Tech University·DateAug 19, 2015

Economic assessment shows e-waste recycling is an industry worth billions

A recent study assesses e-waste recycling's economic potential and finds it worth billions of euros, with potential revenues expected to rise from €2 billion in 2014 to €3.5 billion by 2020. The recycling industry also aims to reduce environmental pollution by conserving virgin resources.

SourceElsevier·JournalRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews·DateAug 17, 2015
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Controlling the uncontrollable

Researchers at Harvard have engineered a new soft actuator that utilizes unstable responses to create fast-moving instabilities. These snap-through instabilities can trigger large changes in internal pressure, shape, and exerted force without significant volume change, enabling fast, untethered motion for soft robots.

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 17, 2015

Snake scales protect steel against friction

Researchers from KIT developed a process to transfer scale structure of reptiles to components of electromechanical systems. The results show that narrow scale structures increase friction under both lubricated and non-lubricated conditions, while wide scales reduce friction by more than 40%.

SourceKarlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)·JournalBioinspiration & Biomimetics·DateAug 17, 2015