Optical methods are experimental and analytical techniques that exploit the interaction of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared ranges with matter to probe, manipulate, or measure physical, chemical, or biological systems. They encompass approaches such as absorption, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy, interferometry, optical microscopy, and optical coherence tomography, relying on phenomena including reflection, refraction, diffraction, scattering, and emission. These methods provide high spatial and temporal resolution, enable non-contact and often non-destructive measurements, and are widely used for quantitative imaging, material characterization, environmental sensing, and in situ monitoring of dynamic processes in both fundamental research and applied technologies.
Peatlands in the Alps are mostly small, scattered and difficult to access. As a result, up-to-date information on their extent and condition is often lacking. An international research team, including researchers from the ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2026
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When sudden rainstorms roll across Texas, flooding can erupt in a matter of minutes. From coastal bends facing storm surges to low-water crossings in San Antonio, flood risks often spike block by block long before regional ...
Environment
Sep 23, 2026
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Extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts and torrential rains, affect water quality in lakes, rivers and coastal areas. This creates significant challenges for ecosystems and water supplies because pesticides bound ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 1, 2026
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Last year, we described Agrilo, an affordable "colorimetric" soil-testing system developed through research at MacEwan University. Using a smartphone camera to interpret color changes, Agrilo measures soil nutrients and can ...
Biotechnology
Aug 12, 2026
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Birds can inhabit various environments with different climates and temperatures, ranging from cold polar regions to scorching hot deserts. To survive and thrive in these very different environments, they need to effectively ...
The first five years (2019–2024) of operations of The Ocean Cleanup's Automated Debris Imaging System (ADIS) have been reviewed, and the findings have been published in Environmental Research Communications. In addition to ...
Environment
Jul 22, 2026
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A research team led by UCLA and the University of Rochester has demonstrated a promising evolution of an imaging system designed to capture details within "complex media," which scatter light, from depicting structures inside ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 22, 2026
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A new Tufts University imaging facility is doing something that most microscopy centers in the world cannot: allowing scientists to examine a butterfly wing, a living tissue or a microchip and reveal its physical structure, ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 10, 2026
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The explosive growth of data generated by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and modern digital infrastructure is placing increasing pressure on existing information storage technologies. Although magnetic storage systems ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 8, 2026
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A new airborne imaging approach can reliably detect unexploded weapons that lie in shallow coastal waters and remain an ongoing hazard to public safety, marine ecosystems and infrastructure worldwide. By combining advanced ...
Environment
Jul 2, 2026
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