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. (AP)—Fisker Automotive Inc., maker of the $100,000 Karma sports car, confirmed Wednesday that co-founder Henrik Fisker has left the company. http://phys.org/news282398120.html Technology Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:20:01 EST news282398120 A 70-pound "cheetah" robot designed by MIT researchers may soon outpace its animal counterparts in running efficiency: In treadmill tests, the researchers have found that the robot—about the size and weight of an actual cheetah—wastes very little energy as it trots continuously for up to an hour and a half at 5 mph. The key to the robot's streamlined stride: lightweight electric motors, set into its shoulders, that produce high torque with very little heat wasted. http://phys.org/news281952016.html Electronics Fri, 08 Mar 2013 08:00:32 EST news281952016 Theoretical physicist Moumita Maiti and colleagues at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore, India, have now implemented an algorithm for analysing void space in sphere packing, where the spheres need not all be the same size. This method, about to be published in European Physical Journal E, could be applied to analyse the geometry of liquids present between multi-sized spheres that are akin to a model for porous material. This provides a tool for studying the flow of such fluids through porous material. More importantly, it can also be used to study the packing geometry of proteins. http://phys.org/news278921093.html Physics Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:05:01 EST news278921093 Nanotechnologists at the University of Twente's MESA+ research institute have developed a method whereby minuscule polystyrene spheres, automatically and under controlled conditions, form an almost perfect ball that looks suspiciously like a football, but about a thousand times smaller. The spheres organize themselves in such a way that they approach the densest arrangement possible, known as 'closest packing of spheres'. The method provides nanotechnologists with a new way of creating minuscule 3D structures. http://phys.org/news268039767.html Nanotechnology Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:29:42 EST news268039767 Mange and viral diseases have a substantial, recurring impact on the health and size of reintroduced wolf packs living in Yellowstone National Park, according to ecologists. http://phys.org/news266466795.html Biology Mon, 10 Sep 2012 03:33:24 EST news266466795 A US manufacturer said Tuesday it had developed a new automotive battery which can perform in extreme temperatures, offering the potential to cut the cost of making electric cars. http://phys.org/news258722676.html Technology Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:25:35 EST news258722676 (Phys.org) -- New collaborative research has revealed the most efficient method to date for packing spherical objects into a cylinder. Dr Ho-Kei Chan, a Research Fellow from the Foams and Complex Systems research group at Trinity’s School of Physics, has developed an algorithm for sphere packing which finds an arrangement in which the spheres fit as densely as possible into the cylinder provided, an issue that has a broad range of applications. http://phys.org/news254474262.html Physics Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:17:58 EST news254474262 Most liquid-crystalline displays contain rod-like molecules that quickly switch from one orientation to another when subjected to electric fields. This movement creates a shutter effect that turns light on and off at high rates. But the conductivity of rod-like molecules pales in comparison to disc-shaped, or discotic, liquid crystals. Composed primarily of aromatic molecules surrounded by flexible side chains, discotic molecules can stack into extended columns that enable one-dimensional charge transport and semiconducting capabilities. However, these columns have such tight packing that no one has found a way to orient them reliably using electricity. http://phys.org/news241085651.html Chemistry Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:40:02 EST news241085651 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new study of wolves (Canis lupus) has found that communication between pack members and a social hierarchy are not essential features of a successful hunt, and all the wolves have to do is follow two simple rules. http://phys.org/news238999535.html Biology Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:10:01 EST news238999535 Thinking about buying a new plug-in vehicle? You may want to check the size of its battery first. http://phys.org/news236274671.html Technology Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:51:22 EST news236274671 (AP) -- You may think an image of rotting teeth and a mouth lesion are gross. But the U.S. government says it's just what you need to kick the habit. http://phys.org/news227956177.html Medicine & Health Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:09:51 EST news227956177 (AP) -- Rotting teeth and gums. Diseased lungs. A sewn-up corpse of a smoker. Cigarette smoke coming out of the tracheotomy hole in a man's neck. http://phys.org/news227866971.html Medicine & Health Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:23:11 EST news227866971 (AP) -- Electric car upstart Tesla Motors Inc. will sell common stock again, this time with hopes of raising $214 million to expand its limited model lineup. http://phys.org/news225552838.html Technology Thu, 26 May 2011 03:54:38 EST news225552838 Cattle ranchers in southwestern Alberta have suspected it for a long time and now, GPS tracking equipment confirms it: wolf packs in the area are making cow meat a substantial part of their diets. http://phys.org/news220535576.html Biology Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:10:02 EST news220535576 (PhysOrg.com) -- How many sweets fit into a jar? This question depends on the shapes and sizes of the sweets, the size of the jar, and how it is filled. Surprisingly, this ancient question remains unanswered because of the complex geometry of the packing of the sweets. Moreover, as any contestant knows, guessing the number of sweets in the jar is difficult because the sweets located at the center of the jar are hidden from view and can't be counted. Researchers at New York University have now determined how sweets pack from inside the jar, making it easier to more accurately count them. http://phys.org/news168095052.html Physics Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:04:49 EST news168095052 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Oxford University and Ethiopian conservationists are battling to save the world’s rarest wolf from a rabies outbreak by creating a ‘barrier’ of vaccinated wolf packs. http://phys.org/news145546524.html Biology Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:35:24 EST news145546524