News tagged with applied physics

Slip-and-slide power generators

Researchers from Vestfold University College in Norway have created a simple, efficient energy harvesting device that uses the motion of a single droplet to generate electrical power.

Physics / General Physics

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 1

A nanoclutch for nanobots

Chinese researchers have designed and tested simulations of a "nanoclutch," a speed regulation tool for nanomotors.

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Scientists evaluate different antimicrobial metals for use in water filters

Porous ceramic water filters are often coated with colloidal silver, which prevents the growth of microbes trapped in the micro- and nano-scale pores of the filter. Other metals such as copper and zinc have also been shown ...

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Quantum computing: The light at the end of the tunnel may be a single photon

Quantum physics promises faster and more powerful computers, but quantum versions of basic logic functions are still needed to bring this technology to fruition. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Toshiba Research ...

Physics / Quantum Physics

created May 18, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Slicing mitotic spindle with lasers, nanosurgeons unravel old pole-to-pole theory

The mitotic spindle, an apparatus that segregates chromosomes during cell division, may be more complex than the standard textbook picture suggests, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Apr 26, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Handheld plasma flashlight rids skin of bacteria instantly

A group of Chinese and Australian scientists, including CSIRO, have developed a handheld, battery-powered plasma-producing device that can rid skin of bacteria in an instant. The handheld plasma flashlight could be used in ...

Physics / Plasma Physics

created Apr 26, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 14 | with audio podcast

Nanodot-based memory sets new world speed record

Record speed, low-voltage, and ultra-small size make nanodots a "triple threat" for electronic memory in computers and other electronic devices.

Technology / Semiconductors

created Apr 18, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (12) | comments 9 | with audio podcast

Raising the prospects for quantum levitation

More than half-a-century ago, the Dutch theoretical physicist Hendrik Casimir calculated that two mirrors placed facing each other in a vacuum would attract. The mysterious force arises from the energy of virtual particles ...

Physics / General Physics

created Apr 18, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (11) | comments 1

Bioreactor redesign dramatically improves yield

Scientists explain why a microalgae bioreactor redesign provides an order-of-magnitude improvement over conventional cultivation methods.

Physics / General Physics

created Apr 18, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Ultra-sensitive electrical biosensor unlocks potential for instant diagnostic devices

A new quantum mechanical-based biosensor designed by a team at University of California, Santa Barbara offers tremendous potential for detecting biomolecules at ultra-low concentrations, from instant point-of-care ...

Physics / General Physics

created Apr 17, 2012 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Combat makes for gun-shy investors, study says

Veterans who have faced combat are more risk-averse when it comes to investing than noncombatants, according to a new Cornell study. As a result, they may struggle to build wealth through long-term investments, ...

Other Sciences / Economics & Business

created Apr 10, 2012 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Handheld plasma flashlight rids skin of notorious pathogens

(PhysOrg.com) -- A group of Chinese and Australian scientists have developed a handheld, battery-powered plasma-producing device that can rid skin of bacteria in an instant.

Physics / Plasma Physics

created Apr 04, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (23) | comments 16 | with audio podcast

Probe mission to explore Titan's miniscule rainfall proposed

(PhysOrg.com) -- Dr. Ralph Lorenz of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) outside of Baltimore has given a talk at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in Texas outlining what has ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Mar 23, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (8) | comments 0 | with audio podcast weblog

Standoff sensing enters new realm with dual-laser technique

(PhysOrg.com) -- Identifying chemicals from a distance could take a step forward with the introduction of a two-laser system being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Physics / General Physics

created Mar 22, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Metamaterials may advance with new femtosecond laser technique

Researchers in applied physics have cleared an important hurdle in the development of advanced materials, called metamaterials, that bend light in unusual ways.

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created Mar 08, 2012 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 4 | with audio podcast