https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. NASA aims to construct a lunar base through the Artemis program, a manned lunar exploration initiative. However, the practical reality of what the general public envisions for the space base differs somewhat from well-known science fiction movies. To build a base on the moon using abundant and diverse construction materials, significant transportation costs are involved. All these materials must be launched from Earth using rockets. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-laying-foundation-lunar-base-elucidating.html Space Exploration Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:46:35 EDT news637933593 A research team led by Dr. Sunshin Jung at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a breakthrough technology that effectively eliminates pests without the use of pesticides and protects farms from soil diseases by using microwave heating, the core mechanism of microwave ovens. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-microwaves-soil-pests-farmers-diseases.html Biotechnology Tue, 19 Dec 2023 04:15:13 EST news622181710 With a flick of a switch, current technologies allow you to quickly change materials from being dark to light, or cold to hot, just by blocking or transmitting specific wavelengths. But now, inspired by squid skin, researchers in ACS Nano report a soft film that can regulate its transparency across a large range of wavelengths—visible, infrared and microwave—simultaneously. They demonstrated the material in smart windows and in health monitoring and temperature management applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-squid-inspired-soft-material-switchable-shield.html Nanomaterials Wed, 28 Jun 2023 08:22:03 EDT news607159321 Tea drinkers have been saying it for years. Water heated in a microwave just isn't the same. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-microwaving-liquids-techniques-issue.html Condensed Matter Tue, 04 Aug 2020 11:00:02 EDT news515738813 Many reactions that we use to produce chemical compounds in food, medical, and industrial fields would not be feasible without the use of catalysts. A catalyst is a substance that, even in small quantities, accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction and sometimes allows it to occur at milder conditions (lower temperature and pressure). A good catalyst can sometimes multiply the throughput of an industrial-scale reactor or shave more than 100°C off of its operating temperature. https://phys.org/news/2020-07-smarter-harder-microwaves-catalytic-reactions.html Materials Science Mon, 27 Jul 2020 10:16:05 EDT news515063763 Researchers from Osaka University, in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and Grenoble Alpes University, report an efficient technique for controlling the direction of a nano-sized magnet by heating at high speed. The researchers also discovered that nano-magnets amplify microwave signals. This group's achievements will contribute to reducing power consumption of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) and artificial intelligence (AI) devices. This will make AI devices read and write to their memory more efficiently, thereby suppressing the power consumption of AI functions such as machine learning and decision making. This is another step towards achieving a super-smart society. https://phys.org/news/2019-01-technology-energy-consumption-mram-ai.html Nanophysics Wed, 23 Jan 2019 08:47:31 EST news467455636 A research group led by Professor Yuji Wada and Adjunct Professor Satoshi Fujii of the Tokyo Institute of Technology has devised a magnesium smelting method that uses nearly 70 percent less energy than conventional methods by using microwaves. https://phys.org/news/2017-05-energy-efficient-green-route-magnesium-production.html Materials Science Thu, 18 May 2017 06:20:01 EDT news414306996 After about 2,200 plasma pulses since operation began in December 2015 the first experimental campaign on the Wendelstein 7-X research device at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald was successfully concluded in March. Modifications in the plasma vessel are now proceeding to make the device fit for higher heating powers and longer pulses. Wendelstein 7-X, the world's largest fusion device of the stellarator type, is to investigate the suitability of this configuration for use in a power plant. https://phys.org/news/2016-07-wendelstein-x-successful.html Plasma Physics Mon, 11 Jul 2016 09:21:39 EDT news387447689 Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) have tested a new way to improve the colour, clarity and lustre of rubies: microwaves. The study, conducted by Subhashree Swain, is published in Springer's journal Applied Physics A. https://phys.org/news/2016-03-ruby-red-microwave-oven.html Materials Science Wed, 02 Mar 2016 10:59:25 EST news376138756 An electrical engineer at Missouri University of Science and Technology is using microwave energy to test concrete and rehabilitated aluminum, and in the future her work could lead to safer bridges and aircraft parts. https://phys.org/news/2015-09-microwave.html Engineering Tue, 15 Sep 2015 07:10:01 EDT news361518074 Advances at Oregon State University in manufacturing technology for "quantum dots" may soon lead to a new generation of LED lighting that produces a more user-friendly white light, while using less toxic materials and low-cost manufacturing processes that take advantage of simple microwave heating. https://phys.org/news/2015-08-quantum-dot-technology-future.html Nanophysics Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:18:32 EDT news359216303 Engineers at Oregon State University have successfully shown that a continuous flow reactor can produce high-quality nanoparticles by using microwave-assisted heating – essentially the same forces that heat up leftover food with such efficiency. https://phys.org/news/2014-06-technology-microwave-impact-electronics.html Nanomaterials Tue, 10 Jun 2014 14:03:43 EDT news321627717 (Phys.org) —How much light has been emitted by all galaxies since the cosmos began? After all, every photon (particle of light) from ultraviolet to far infrared wavelengths ever radiated by all galaxies that ever existed throughout cosmic history is still speeding through the Universe today. If we could carefully measure the number and energy (wavelength) of all those photons—not only at the present time, but also back in time—we might learn important secrets about the nature and evolution of the Universe, including how similar or different ancient galaxies were compared to the galaxies we see today. https://phys.org/news/2013-05-cosmic-gamma-ray-horizon-universe.html Astronomy Fri, 24 May 2013 09:29:39 EDT news288606568 (Phys.org)—The same type of microwave oven technology that most people use to heat up leftover food has found an important application in the solar energy industry, providing a new way to make thin-film photovoltaic products with less energy, expense and environmental concerns. https://phys.org/news/2012-08-microwave-ovens-solar-energy-technology.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:30:42 EDT news265030230 The effect of microwave heating and cell phone radiation on sample material is no different than a temperature increase, according to scientists from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, in Tempe, as published in a recent issue of EPJ B. https://phys.org/news/2011-11-extraordinary-effects-microwave-mobile.html General Physics Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:11:12 EST news240577866 (PhysOrg.com) -- Solar cells, the heart of the photovoltaic industry, must be tested for mechanical strength, oxidized, annealed, purified, diffused, etched, and layered. https://phys.org/news/2011-10-breakthrough-furnace-solar.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:00:05 EDT news238751898 (PhysOrg.com) -- Waste heat is a byproduct of nearly all electrical devices and industrial processes, from driving a car to flying an aircraft or operating a power plant. Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed new nanomaterials that could lead to techniques for better capturing and putting this waste heat to work. The key ingredients for making marble-sized pellets of the new material are aluminum and a common, everyday microwave oven. https://phys.org/news/2011-09-cook-heat-harvesting-nanomaterials-microwave-oven.html Nanomaterials Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:12:12 EDT news236495464 More than 60 percent of the energy produced by cars, machines, and industry around the world is lost as waste heat – an age-old problem - but researchers have found a new way to make "thermoelectric" materials for use in technology that could potentially save vast amounts of energy. https://phys.org/news/2011-09-microwave-ovens-key-energy-production.html Engineering Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:02:47 EDT news235742538 (PhysOrg.com) -- For at least 20 years, organic chemists and materials scientists have used microwaves as an alternative energy source to activate materials and break chemical bonds. However, though microwaves are clearly useful, scientists have remained largely in the dark on exactly how they provide special heating properties. https://phys.org/news/2011-04-scientists-microwave.html General Physics Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:10:01 EDT news223281387 Space launches have evoked the same image for decades: bright orange flames exploding beneath a rocket as it lifts, hovers and takes off into the sky. But an alternative propulsion system proposed by some researchers could change that vision. https://phys.org/news/2011-01-rockets-space.html Space Exploration Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:43:13 EST news214828974 NASA is figuring out how to make water from moondust. Sounds like magic? "No magic--" says Ed Ethridge of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center "-- just microwaves. We're showing how microwaves can extract water from moondust by heating it from the inside out." https://phys.org/news/2009-10-microwaving-moondust-video.html Space Exploration Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:30:02 EDT news174241668