Physics

  1. Physics

    Tense encounters drive a nanomotor

    Exploiting the relative strength of surface tension forces in the world of tiny objects, a novel type of nanomotor creates a powerful thrust each time molten metal droplets merge.

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  2. Physics

    Pinstripe Electricity: Novel fuel cell relies on thin, aqueous streams

    A promising new type of fuel cell exploits microstreams of water, which behave like flows of gooey honey.

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  3. Materials Science

    Clever Coating: New polymer may prolong life of medical implants

    Coating medical implants such as glucose sensors and coronary stents with copper-doped polymers could dramatically extend the devices' functioning.

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  4. Physics

    Light’s Hidden Holdup: Reflected laser beams loiter a little

    Using an ultrashort pulse laser, physicists have measured a minuscule time delay that affects light reflecting off many surfaces.

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  5. Materials Science

    Nanostructures mimic Inuit stone sculptures

    Chemists have created nanoscale versions Inuit rock sculptures, an advance that could facilitate the development of next-generation sensors and electronic devices.

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  6. Materials Science

    Slick Surfaces: Pressure builds to make better motor oils

    Motor oil's protection against the wear and tear of steel engine parts takes effect only at high pressures.

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  7. Physics

    Primordial Nukes

    The rocky remains of nuclear reactors that formed spontaneously in African uranium deposits 2 billion years ago are yielding striking new details about their operation as well as signs that a fundamental aspect of the universe may have once been stronger than it is today.

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  8. Materials Science

    Venetian Grinds

    Venetian Renaissance artists, renowned for their vibrant colors, mixed powdered glass with their paints in an attempt to expand their palettes and create unique optical effects.

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  9. Physics

    Brutal Bubbles: Collapsing orbs rip apart atoms

    Spikes of heat and pressure in sonoluminescence caused by the implosions of light-emitting bubbles in liquids can strip atoms of electrons.

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  10. Physics

    Particle Physics Phun

    An array of games, such as Particle Pinball and Race for Energy, challenge visitors at a Web site hosted by the high-energy physics center known as the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Aimed at kids, the “Fermilabyrinth” pages introduce players to a zoo of elementary particles while it exercises pattern-recognition skills that scientists use to spot […]

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  11. Physics

    Electronic Soup: Molecules in acid broth act as circuit parts

    An electronically promising molecule functions well in acid as a tiny amplifier, underscoring the importance of controlling molecules' electrochemical environments to achieve predictable performance.

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  12. Physics

    A quantum fluid pipes up

    After 40 years of trying, physicists have heard a quantum-mechanical whistle emanating from two reservoirs of oscillating liquid helium separated by a perforated membrane.

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