At microscopic scales, picking, placing, collecting, and arranging objects is a persistent challenge. Advances in nanotechnology mean that there are ever more complex things we'd like to build at those sizes, but tools for ...
Nanophysics
Feb 7, 2020
0
600
On frigid days, water vapor in the air can transform directly into solid ice, depositing a thin layer on surfaces such as a windowpane or car windshield. Though commonplace, this process is one that has kept physicists and ...
Materials Science
Jan 2, 2020
0
265
While many scientific achievements come from long years of careful planning, once in a while researchers stumble onto something completely unexpected. "At the beginning, we were looking to create a particular effect," says ...
Materials Science
Dec 18, 2019
0
679
Air-quality alerts often include the levels of particulate matter, small clumps of molecules in the lower atmosphere that can range in size from microscopic to visible. These particles can contribute to haze, clouds, and ...
Environment
Nov 25, 2019
0
198
Anyone who's ever played the drums, tuned a guitar, or even made a wine glass "sing" by circling a finger along its edge knows about resonance. Acoustic resonators, like the cavity of a drum or a half-full wine glass, naturally ...
Optics & Photonics
Nov 18, 2019
0
230
For almost any conceivable protein, corresponding antibodies can be developed to block it from binding or changing shape, which ultimately prevents it from carrying out its normal function. As such, scientists have looked ...
Biotechnology
Nov 5, 2019
0
187
A new study from the lab of Thomas Mallouk shows how microscale "rockets," powered by acoustic waves and an onboard bubble motor, can be driven through 3-D landscapes of cells and particles using magnets. The research was ...
Bio & Medicine
Oct 28, 2019
0
190
Optical devices create, guide, and detect electromagnetic waves and include lasers, telescopes, and solar cells. Most of the materials used in these devices are challenging for certain applications because of a phenomenon ...
Optics & Photonics
Sep 18, 2019
0
477
Topological insulators are a game-changing class of materials; charged particles can flow freely on their edges and route themselves around defects, but can't pass through their interiors. This perfect surface conduction ...
General Physics
Sep 13, 2019
0
375
In a paper in Science this week, Penn researchers report the first detailed molecular characterization of how every cell changes during animal embryonic development. The work, led by the laboratories of Perelman School of ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 5, 2019
0
331
