Solar cells can now be made so thin, light and flexible that they can rest on a soap bubble. The new cells, which efficiently capture energy from light, could offer an alternative way to power novel electronic devices, such ...
Materials Science
Aug 27, 2020
1
255
Robots with toes? Experiments suggest that climbing robots could benefit from having flexible, hairy toes, like those of geckos, that can adjust quickly to accommodate shifting weight and slippery surfaces.
Plants & Animals
May 8, 2020
1
263
A magnetic monopole is a theoretical particle with a magnetic charge. Give it an electric charge, and you get another theoretical beast, dubbed a dyon. Many "grand unified theories" of particle physics, which connect fundamental ...
General Physics
Feb 18, 2020
0
109
Researchers have shown mechanical force can start chemical reactions, making them cheaper, more broadly applicable, and more environmentally friendly than conventional methods.
Materials Science
Dec 19, 2019
0
116
Topological insulators are innovative materials that conduct electricity on the surface, but act as insulators on the inside. Physicists at the University of Basel and the Istanbul Technical University have begun investigating ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 14, 2019
0
73
A Monash University experimental study has fabricated a self-assembled, carbon-based nanofilm where the charge state (ie, electronically neutral or positive) can be controlled at the level of individual molecules, on a length ...
Nanophysics
Oct 14, 2019
0
31
Molecules are usually formed in reaction vessels or laboratory flasks. An Empa research team has now succeeded in producing molecules between two microscopically small, movable gold tips – in a sense as a "hand-knitted" ...
Materials Science
Jan 18, 2019
0
68
Japanese scientists have identified a metal that can stand up to constant forces in ultrahigh temperatures, offering promising applications including in aircraft jet engines and gas turbines for electric power generation.
Materials Science
Sep 28, 2018
0
71
The remarkable strength of ionic crystals is easily explained at the atomic scale: Positively and negatively charged atoms sit side by side in a repeating periodic arrangement. The strong electrostatic force in between keeps ...
Materials Science
Feb 2, 2018
0
59
Our world is ruled by four fundamental forces: the gravitational pull of massive objects, the electromagnetic interaction between electric charges, the strong nuclear interaction holding atomic nuclei together and the weak ...
Quantum Physics
Nov 19, 2015
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