News tagged with thermodynamics
Physicist Proposes Solution to Arrow-of-Time Paradox
(PhysOrg.com) -- Entropy can decrease, according to a new proposal - but the process would destroy any evidence of its existence, and erase any memory an observer might have of it. It sounds like the plot ...
Aug 27, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (80) |
108
Maxwell's demon demonstration turns information into energy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in Japan are the first to have succeeded in converting information into free energy in an experiment that verifies the "Maxwell demon" thought experiment devised in 1867.
Nov 15, 2010 |
4.6 / 5 (47) |
23
|
Mathematical model explains marital breakups
(PhysOrg.com) -- Most people know love takes work, and effort is needed to sustain a happy relationship over the long term, but now a mathematician in Spain has for the first time explained it mathematically ...
May 17, 2010 |
4.4 / 5 (43) |
8
|
Scientists design solar cells that exceed the conventional light-trapping limit
(PhysOrg.com) -- The best performing solar cells are those that are thick enough to absorb light from the entire solar spectrum, while the cheapest solar cells are thin ones, since they require less, and potentially ...
Jan 20, 2012 |
4.7 / 5 (37) |
27
|
Second Law of Thermodynamics May Explain Economic Evolution
(PhysOrg.com) -- Terms such as the "invisible hand," laissez-faire policy, and free-market principles suggest that economic growth and decline in capitalist societies seem to be somehow self-regulated. Now, ...
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (34) |
30
Evidence of a new phase in liquid hydrogen
(PhysOrg.com) -- We like to think that we’ve got hydrogen, one of the most basic of elements, figured out. However, hydrogen can still surprise, especially once scientists start probing its properties on the ...
Feb 25, 2010 |
4.8 / 5 (28) |
5
|
Could thermodynamic fluctuations have led to the origins of life?
In the field of abiogenesis, scientists are currently investigating several ways in which life could have arisen from non-living matter. Generally, any theory of abiogenesis should account for two important ...
Aug 16, 2010 |
4.6 / 5 (28) |
38
|
Could Maxwell's Demon Exist in Nanoscale Systems?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Maxwell’s demon may be making a comeback. Physicists know that the demon, an imaginary creature that decreases the entropy of a system, cannot exist in macroscopic systems due to the energy ...
Jun 24, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (19) |
30
'Econophysics' points way to fair salaries in free market
A Purdue University researcher has used "econophysics" to show that under ideal circumstances free markets promote fair salaries for workers and do not support CEO compensation practices common today.
Jul 13, 2010 |
4.2 / 5 (18) |
47
|
Rapidly rotating graphene is fastest-spinning macroscopic object ever
(PhysOrg.com) -- At 60 million rotations per minute, a two-dimensional sheet of graphene has become the fastest-spinning trapped macroscopic object ever. Graphene is known for its large strength, and it's ...
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Sep 30, 2010 |
5 / 5 (14) |
9
|
Rice's 'quantum critical' theory gets experimental boost
New evidence this week supports a theory developed five years ago at Rice University to explain the electrical properties of several classes of materials -- including unconventional superconductors -- that ...
Jan 11, 2012 |
4.1 / 5 (14) |
2
|
Revolutionary New Solution for Semiconductor, Nano Materials
(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Maryland researchers have created a completely new way to produce high quality semiconductor materials critical for advanced microelectronics and nanotechnology. Published in ...
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Mar 26, 2010 |
4.4 / 5 (13) |
5
|
Tiny generators turn waste heat into power
The second law of thermodynamics is a big hit with the beret-wearing college crowd because of its implicit existential crunch. The tendency of a closed systems to become increasingly disordered if no energy is added or removed ...
Sep 28, 2010 |
4.5 / 5 (10) |
2
|
Intelligent use of the Earth's heat
Geothermal energy is increasingly contributing to the power supply world wide. Iceland is world-leader in expanding development of geothermal utilization: in recent years the annual power supply here doubled ...
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Feb 27, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (8) |
1
Achieving optimal efficiencies for nanoengines
(PhysOrg.com) -- "There's a lot of recent interest in understanding the functioning and optimal performance of small systems," Katja Lindenberg tells PhysOrg.com. Lindenberg is a scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Bi ...
Apr 29, 2009 |
3.6 / 5 (10) |
1
