Physics & Chemistry

High-speed filter uses electrified nanostructures to purify water at low cost

By dipping plain cotton cloth in a high-tech broth full of silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes, Stanford researchers have developed a new high-speed, low-cost filter that could easily be implemented to purify water in the developing world.

Super Capacitor Could Power Phone, Laptop for Days

If optimized, this new technology could fully charge consumer electronic devices almost instantaneously.

Is the Sun Emitting a Mystery Particle?

When probing the deepest reaches of the Cosmos or magnifying our understanding of the quantum world, a whole host of mysteries present themselves. This is to be expected when pushing our knowledge of the Universe to the limit.

Nanomagnets purify blood

Swiss scientists have succeeded in clearing a toxin from blood in just a few minutes, using specially produced nanomagnets. The procedure appears promising. If the method can be put into practice, it could one day help people with blood poisoning quickly and efficiently.

Electricity collected from the air could become the newest alternative energy source

Powering homes with electricity collected from the air may be possible after scientists report solving a centuries old riddle about how moisture in the atmosphere becomes electrically charged. Credit: Martin Fischer

Adjustable Glasses Eyed for Astronauts

For astronauts with deteriorating eyesight, glasses that adjust with the flick of a finger may offer a solution.

200-Fold Boost in Fuel Cell Efficiency Advances 'Personalized Energy Systems'

The era of personalized energy systems -- in which individual homes and small businesses produce their own energy for heating, cooling and powering cars -- took another step toward reality today as scientists reported discovery of a powerful new catalyst that is a key element in such a system.

Tiny Radio Antennas Could Replace Building Wiring

A new study has found a way to implement wireless monitoring technology in buildings – with uses ranging from climate control to health and safety applications – by tapping into heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) ducts.

Metallic Glass Could Encase Future Apple Products

In a move that promises a future of higher performance, cheaper and more elegant iPhone, Macbook and desktop casings, Apple has signed an exclusive deal with Liquidmetal Technologies, a company that makes a special metallic glass.

New Material Turns Oil From Liquid to Solid

The soap-like molecule could help clean up after oil spills.

How Big Do Stars Grow?

A huge star, 265 times the mass of our sun, was recently discovered. Is that as big as it gets?

Native-Like Spider Silk Produced in Metabolically Engineered Bacteria

Researchers have long envied spiders' ability to manufacture silk that is light-weighted while as strong and tough as steel or Kevlar. Indeed, finer than human hair, five times stronger by weight than steel, and three times tougher than the top quality man-made fiber Kevlar, spider dragline silk is an ideal material for numerous applications. Suggested industrial applications have ranged from parachute cords and protective clothing to composite materials in aircrafts. Also, many biomedical applications are envisioned due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability.

Researchers Use Glass to Make Objects Disappear

Researchers are developing a new approach to crafting a mythical cloak of invisibility that uses glass rather than metal or pure silicon.

Are We Living Inside a Black Hole?

Scientists trying to explain the universe’s accelerating expansion usually point to dark energy, which seems to be pushing everything apart.

Toward a new generation of superplastics

Scientists are reporting an in-depth validation of the discovery of the world's first mass producible, low-cost, organoclays for plastics. The powdered material, made from natural clay, would be a safer, more environmentally friendly replacement for the compound widely used to make plastics nanocomposites. A report on the research appears in ACS' journal Macromolecules.