http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org provides the latest news from Yale University Andong He saw a phenomenon at work in his breakfast bowl that he couldn't explain. It prompted this question: How does cereal shape influence the way cereals floating in the milk join? http://phys.org/news287997193.html Physics Fri, 17 May 2013 08:13:22 EST news287997193 (Phys.org) —For some solar cells, the future may be fluorescent. Scientists at Yale have improved the ability of a promising type of solar cell to absorb light and convert it into electrical power by adding a fluorescent organic dye to the cell layer. This squaraine dye boosts light absorption and recycles electrons, improving the conversion of light into energy. The results suggest a new route for the development of lower-cost, higher-efficiency photovoltaics, the scientists said. http://phys.org/news287297900.html Physics Thu, 09 May 2013 05:58:29 EST news287297900 (Phys.org) —That human land use destroys natural ecosystems is an oft-cited assumption in conservation, but ecologists have discovered that instead, traditional ranching techniques in the African savanna enhance the local abundance of wild, native animals. These results offer a new perspective on the roles humans play in natural systems, and inform ongoing discussions about land management and biodiversity conservation. http://phys.org/news286630009.html Biology Wed, 01 May 2013 12:26:57 EST news286630009 Over the past two decades governments around the world have been experimenting with a new strategy for managing waste. By making producers responsible for their products when they become wastes, policy makers seek to significantly increase the recycling—and recyclability—of computers, packaging, automobiles, and household hazardous wastes such as batteries, used oil motor, and leftover paint—and save money in the process. http://phys.org/news286543105.html Space & Earth Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:18:32 EST news286543105 The enzyme needed to introduce the key micronutrient selenium into bacteria looks something like a space station with 10 different docking stations. http://phys.org/news284361633.html Chemistry Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:21:02 EST news284361633 (Phys.org) —Scientists at Yale University have found a new way to manipulate microwave signals that could aid the long-term effort to develop a quantum computer, a powerful tool that would revolutionize information processing through unprecedented speed and power. http://phys.org/news283758537.html Physics Fri, 29 Mar 2013 06:49:11 EST news283758537 (Phys.org) —Geological processes can affect evidence of the original colors of fossil feathers, according to new research by Yale University scientists, who said some previous reconstructions of fossil bird and dinosaur feather colors may now merit revision. http://phys.org/news283674215.html Biology Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:23:55 EST news283674215 (Phys.org) —Researchers at Yale University have taken another step toward the development of low-temperature, lower-cost alkaline fuel cells, which are battery-like devices that convert oxygen and hydrogen into electricity and heat. http://phys.org/news282812362.html Chemistry Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:02:01 EST news282812362 A succession of distinct but surprising microbial communities populate apple blossoms during the flowers' life cycle, suggesting that the bacteria have a carefully regulated relationship with the common fruit tree, say Yale scientists. http://phys.org/news281178609.html Biology Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:20:02 EST news281178609 Glass doesn't have to be brittle. Scientists propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile—a property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum—and assert that any glass could have either quality. http://phys.org/news281102066.html Physics Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:54:43 EST news281102066 If a genome is the blueprint for life, then the chief architects are tiny slices of genetic material that orchestrate how we are assembled and function, Yale School of Medicine researchers report Feb. 21 in the journal Developmental Cell. http://phys.org/news280670310.html Biology Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:00:04 EST news280670310 New research by Yale University scientists helps pave the way for the next generation of solar cells, a renewable energy technology that directly converts solar energy into electricity. http://phys.org/news280054877.html Nanotechnology Thu, 14 Feb 2013 09:40:01 EST news280054877 One of the most critical biological advances in the past decade was the discovery that the introduction of four simple genetic factors can turn a fully mature adult cell back into an embryonic-like state, a process called reprogramming. http://phys.org/news279524573.html Biology Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:03 EST news279524573 (Phys.org)—Aside from rising sea levels, many climate change models predict that in the future, the planet's temperature and weather will become increasingly erratic with wild, unpredictable storms and fluctuating conditions. A new study from researchers at the University of Florida and Yale University and published today by the journal Evolution investigated how an organism – in this case, a simple virus –adapts to temperature change when that change comes in different ways: constant, in a recognizable pattern or at random. http://phys.org/news278922496.html Biology Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:28:56 EST news278922496 Like organisms, cities need energy, water, and nutrients, and they need to dispose of wastes and byproducts in ways that are viable and sustainable over the long run. This notion of "urban metabolism" is a model for looking systematically at the resources that flow into cities and the wastes and emissions that flow out from them—to understand the environmental impacts of cities and to highlight opportunities for efficiencies, improvements, and transformation. http://phys.org/news278251297.html Space & Earth Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:01:48 EST news278251297