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News tagged with function

Does the quantum wave function represent reality?

(Phys.org) -- At the heart of quantum mechanics lies the wave function, a probability function used by physicists to understand the nanoscale world. Using the wave function, physicists can calculate a system's ...

Physics / Quantum Physics

created Apr 25, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (38) | comments 136 | with audio podcast feature

Paper stirs up controversy over the nature of the quantum wave function

(Phys.org) -- Back in November, a paper posted to a preprint server arXiv by three British physicists prompted some heated debate regarding the nature of the quantum wave function, a probability function that p ...

Physics / Quantum Physics

created May 09, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (23) | comments 131 | with audio podcast weblog

Researchers unlock mystery of how 'handedness' arises

The overwhelming majority of proteins and other functional molecules in our bodies display a striking molecular characteristic: They can exist in two distinct forms that are mirror images of each other, like ...

Physics / General Physics

created May 08, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (16) | comments 10 | with audio podcast

New paper describes method for cleaning up nuclear waste

While the costs associated with storing nuclear waste and the possibility of it leaching into the environment remain legitimate concerns, they may no longer be obstacles on the road to cleaner energy.

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Mar 20, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (12) | comments 16 | with audio podcast

Researchers find a way to delay aging of stem cells

Stem cells are essential building blocks for all organisms, from plants to humans. They can divide and renew themselves throughout life, differentiating into the specialized tissues needed during development, ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

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

Oscillating gel acts like artificial skin, giving robots potential ability to 'feel'

Sooner than later, robots may have the ability to "feel." In a paper published online March 26 in Advanced Functional Materials, a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the Massachusetts Instit ...

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Mar 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

The Black Queen Hypothesis: A new evolutionary theory

Microorganisms can sometimes lose the ability to perform a function that appears to be necessary for their survival, and yet they still somehow manage to endure and multiply. How can this be? The authors of an opinion piece ...

Biology / Evolution

created Mar 27, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (6) | comments 25 | with audio podcast

Nerve gas litmus test could sense airborne chemical weapons

(PhysOrg.com) -- Nerve gases are colorless, odorless, tasteless and deadly. While today's soldiers carry masks and other protective gear, they don't have reliable ways of knowing when they need them in time. ...

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Mar 13, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

From beaker to bits: Collaboration creates computational model of human tissue

Computer scientists and biologists in the Data Science Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a rare collaboration between the two very different fields to pick apart a fundamental roadblock to ...

Biology / Other

created Apr 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation

(PhysOrg.com) -- A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Apr 04, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Cells on the move

Cells on the move reach forward with lamellipodia and filopodia, cytoplasmic sheets and rods supported by branched networks or tight bundles of actin filaments. Cells without functional lamellipodia are still ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Apr 09, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Availability of hydrogen controls chemical structure of graphene oxide

A new study shows that the availability of hydrogen plays a significant role in determining the chemical and structural makeup of graphene oxide, a material that has potential uses in nano-electronics, nano-electromechanical ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created May 22, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

A foot in the door to genetic information

In the cell nucleus, DNA wraps around what are called histone proteins, forming regularly spaced spherical bodies called nucleosomes. Thus, large portions of the genetic material are inaccessible to the gene reading machinery. ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Mar 07, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New microfluidic chip can generate microbubbles to break open cells for biochemical analysis

Scientists have made many important discoveries in biology and medicine through studying the internal contents of cells. Some have isolated or identified nucleic acids or proteins with special functions, while ...

Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry

created Mar 15, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0