http://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. (Phys.org) —Extraction of "unconventional" gas from sedimentary rocks such as shale could provide a clean energy source and help some regions to become energy independent, but concerns have been raised about risks such as the contamination of ground water. The current knowledge of these risks has now been assessed in a review published in Science this week. http://phys.org/news287982631.html Space & Earth Fri, 17 May 2013 04:50:05 EST news287982631 (Phys.org) —Fact or fiction? Stained glass found in medieval cathedrals becomes thicker at the bottom because glass moves over time. For years researchers have had their doubts, now a team at Texas Tech University has further evidence that the glass is not going anywhere. http://phys.org/news287164832.html Chemistry Tue, 07 May 2013 17:01:11 EST news287164832 How to be more resourceful is a dilemma facing us all as we strive to reduce, reuse, recycle and substitute. Now an EU project is focusing on the latter with the substitution of critical raw materials. http://phys.org/news275119309.html Technology Wed, 19 Dec 2012 06:01:57 EST news275119309 (Phys.org) -- An innovative X-ray technique has given North Carolina State University researchers and their collaborators new insight into how organic polymers can be used in printable electronics such as transistors and solar cells. Their discoveries may lead to cheaper, more efficient printable electronic devices. http://phys.org/news253621466.html Physics Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:00:18 EST news253621466 (PhysOrg.com) -- In the effort to convert sunlight into electricity, photovoltaic solar cells that use conductive organic polymers for light absorption and conversion have shown great potential. Organic polymers can be produced in high volumes at low cost, resulting in photovoltaic devices that are cheap, lightweight and flexible. http://phys.org/news248362356.html Physics Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:33:07 EST news248362356 (PhysOrg.com) -- Research in self-healing organic polymers has grown recently, but one simple self-healing mechanism from more than 60 years ago has been nearly forgotten until now. Using this mechanism, which is called “siloxane equilibration,” scientists have demonstrated that silicone rubber that has been cut in half with a razor blade can completely repair itself through heat-activated reversible bonding. The self-healing mechanism could have applications in a variety of areas, such as for designing self-healing surfaces of vehicles and countertops. http://phys.org/news246956589.html Chemistry Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:10:43 EST news246956589 New artificial muscles that twist like the trunk of an elephant, but provide a thousand times higher rotation per length, were announced on Oct. 13 for a publication in Science magazine by a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Wollongong in Australia, The University of British Columbia in Canada, and Hanyang University in Korea. http://phys.org/news237731948.html Nanotechnology Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:00:26 EST news237731948 The glassy, porous, and once gas-rich rock called pumice may have given rise to early life forms, according to a provocative new hypothesis on the origin of life published in Astrobiology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. http://phys.org/news236952878.html Space & Earth Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:14:53 EST news236952878 (PhysOrg.com) -- For future electric vehicles, powerful notebook computers, and other portable devices, we need a new generation of energy storage materials that are better suited to modern needs than current rechargeable batteries. The best materials for this are known as supercapacitors. A team led by Dinglin Jiang at the National Institutes of Natural Sciences in Okazaki (Japan) has now introduced a new material with outstanding supercapacitor properties in the journal Angewandte Chemie. http://phys.org/news233332513.html Chemistry Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:37:13 EST news233332513 (PhysOrg.com) -- In the world of solar energy, organic photovoltaic solar cells have a wide range of potential applications, but they are still considered an upstart. While these carbon-based cells, which use organic polymers or small molecules as semiconductors, are much thinner and less expensive to produce than conventional solar cells made with inorganic silicon wafers, they still lag behind in their ability to efficiently convert sunlight into electricity. http://phys.org/news232729462.html Nanotechnology Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:04:54 EST news232729462 (PhysOrg.com) -- Solar cells made from organic materials are inexpensive, lightweight and flexible, but their performance lags behind cells that contain silicon or other inorganic materials. Cornell chemist William Dichtel and colleagues have found a way to synthesize ordered organic films that could be a major step toward solving this problem. http://phys.org/news221813449.html Nanotechnology Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:54:15 EST news221813449