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Zooming in for a safe flight

A new study reveals that bats process complex spatial information by dynamically adapting their brain maps to external factors. By enhancing neuronal signals for objects in close proximity, bats can magnify the appearance of nearby obstacles, enabling them to navigate safely.

SourceTechnical University of Munich (TUM)·JournalNature Communications·DateSep 1, 2014

Scientists get set for simulated nuclear inspection

Experts from around the world will participate in a simulated nuclear inspection in Jordan to prepare for Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on-site inspections. The exercise aims to refine and test monitoring techniques, ensuring scientists are ready to investigate possible nuclear explosions.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalPhysics World·DateAug 31, 2014

Sorting cells with sound waves

Researchers have devised a new way to separate cells by exposing them to sound waves as they flow through a tiny channel, overcoming existing cell-sorting technologies' limitations. The device successfully recovered about 71 percent of breast cancer cells from white blood cells in tests.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 26, 2014

Tilted acoustic tweezers separate cells gently

Researchers have developed a device that uses tilted-angle standing surface acoustic waves to separate cells with minimal energy. The method is gentler than traditional methods like centrifugation and can efficiently sort cells with high purity.

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 25, 2014

Bottling up sound waves

Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a technique for generating acoustic bottles that can bend sound waves along prescribed convex trajectories. This technology has the potential to revolutionize various applications, including advanced ultrasonic imaging and therapy, acoustic cloaking, and levitation.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 4, 2014

Timing is not only ticking

Researchers used transgenic zebrafish and multidimensional time-lapse microscopy to visualize gene expression waves and segment formation. They found that the timing of segmentation is influenced by a Doppler effect caused by shortening embryonic tissue, which modulates the wave profile.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScience·DateJul 14, 2014

Laser physics upside down

Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have created a system of coupled lasers that exhibit paradoxical behavior. By adding or reducing energy, the lasers can switch each other on or off, making them suitable for building logical circuits using light.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalNature Communications·DateJun 17, 2014

Laser light needs more bass

Scientists at Vienna University of Technology create an 'optical synthesizer' that combines different frequencies to form a characteristic laser waveform, similar to music. This enables the creation of attosecond pulse radiation hundreds of times more intense than previous methods.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review X·DateMay 21, 2014

Researchers manipulate tiny objects with ultrasound

A team of researchers from China's State Key Lab of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures introduced innovative strategies for ultrasonic manipulation by employing various acoustic streaming fields. This enables the diversification of manipulation functions and samples, widening the application range of the technique.

Acoustic cloaking device hides objects from sound

Researchers at Duke University have successfully demonstrated the world's first three-dimensional acoustic cloak, rerouting sound waves to create an illusion of emptiness. The device has potential applications in sonar avoidance and architectural acoustics, altering sound wave trajectory to match a flat surface.

SourceDuke University·JournalNature Materials·DateMar 11, 2014

Scientists twist sound with metamaterials

Researchers have created an acoustic field rotator, a device that manipulates sound waves, using metamaterials. The device can rotate sound waves in a manner similar to electromagnetic or liquid wave counterparts, which could improve the operation of medical ultrasound machines and enhance image quality.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateFeb 25, 2014

Crossover sound

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have provided the first 'unambiguous demonstration' of phonon-based lasers by observing coherent phonon transport in superlattices. This breakthrough could lead to new advances in heat transfer applications and the development of phonon lasers.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalNature Materials·DateFeb 5, 2014

Light and sound fire scientists' imaginations

Researchers have discovered new abilities to manipulate light and sound using structured polymers, which could lead to breakthroughs in computing, sensing technology, and soundproofing. The findings suggest the potential for creating thin soundproofing materials that can guide rather than absorb sound.

SourceRice University·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateDec 12, 2013

Designing an acoustic diode

Researchers in China's Nanjing University have designed a novel acoustic diode that could provide brighter and clearer ultrasound images by eliminating acoustic disturbances. The device, which uses a near-Zero Index Metamaterial, achieves one-way transmission of sound waves, crucial for medical ultrasound applications.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateNov 1, 2013

Slow earthquakes may foretell larger events

Researchers at Penn State have found a precursor signal to slow earthquakes, which can potentially foretell larger events. By studying the mechanisms behind slow earthquakes, they identified a transition in fault zone properties that supports slower velocities.

SourcePenn State·JournalScience·DateAug 15, 2013

Devastating long-distance impact of earthquakes

Researchers at the University of Bonn used computer simulations to show that seismic waves can focus over long distances, triggering mud eruptions. The study found that a dome-shaped structure under the mud volcano focused energy into the mud layer, liquifying it and injecting it into nearby faults.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalNature Geoscience·DateJul 23, 2013

A new way to trap light

Researchers at MIT have discovered a new method to trap light that could find applications in lasers, solar cells, and fiber optics. The phenomenon involves destructive interference from waves of opposite phases, blocking certain wavelengths while allowing others to pass through.

Boat noise stops fish finding home

Research finds that boat noise can scare fish away from their habitats, disrupting ecosystem balance. The study suggests regulating human activities in protected areas to mitigate the impact of noise pollution on marine communities.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalMarine Ecology Progress Series·DateJun 28, 2013

Cheap, color, holographic video

Researchers at MIT's Media Lab have developed a new approach to generating holograms that could enable the creation of color holographic-video displays. The technique uses an optical chip, resembling a microscope slide, built for about $10, which can produce high-resolution video images up to 30 times per second.

Sound waves precisely position nanowires

Using sound waves, researchers can create repeatable patterns of metallic nanomaterials onto substrates that are incompatible with conventional lithography methods. The technique allows for the patterning of nanowires with tunable spacing and density, enabling potential applications in various fields.

SourcePenn State·JournalACS Nano·DateJun 19, 2013

Earthquake acoustics can indicate if a massive tsunami is imminent, Stanford researchers find

A Stanford University study reveals that sound waves from earthquakes can reach land tens of minutes before a massive tsunami, potentially providing an early warning. The research identifies a specific acoustic signature that could indicate the presence of a tsunami-generating earthquake, allowing for faster-acting warning systems.

SourceStanford University·JournalBulletin of the Seismological Society of America·DateJun 6, 2013

AGU journal highlights -- May 7, 2013

Graphite has been found to effectively reduce the frictional strength of faults, while sediment processes can generate significant amounts of background noise in oceans. Researchers have also studied how braided river dynamics affect sediment storage and charted the growth of the Turkish-Iranian plateau.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMay 7, 2013

AGU journal highlights -- Jan. 14, 2013

Researchers found significant influence of seabird activity on methane and nitrous oxide emissions in the Arctic tundra, contributing to global warming. Meanwhile, a new assessment reveals U.S. cities are less susceptible to water scarcity issues than previously thought.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateJan 14, 2013

Family's economic situation influences brain function in children

A new study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that children from low socioeconomic status work harder to filter out irrelevant environmental information than those from a high-income background. This is due to learned differences in what they pay attention to, which requires more mental effort.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Human Neuroscience·DateNov 28, 2012

Sound bullets in water

Scientists develop a device that can form and control sound bullets in water, with potential uses for underwater imaging and biomedical applications. The device, inspired by Newton's cradle, focuses high-amplitude pressure pulses into compact sound bullets that can be tightly focused on a target area.

Acoustic tweezers capture tiny creatures with ultrasound

Bioengineers and biochemists at Penn State developed acoustic tweezers that can manipulate living materials like blood cells and small organisms using sound waves. The device can precisely trap and move cellular-scale objects essential for fundamental biomedical research, offering a cost-effective alternative to optical tweezers.

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 29, 2012

Mathematicians can conjure matter waves inside an invisible hat

A team of international mathematicians has devised an amplifier that can boost light, sound, or other waves while hiding them inside an invisible container. The researchers propose using this technology to manipulate matter waves, which could enable the creation of a quantum microscope to monitor electronic processes on computer chips.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 29, 2012