ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Self-destructive effects of magnetically-doped ferromagnetic topological insulators Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST A new atomic-scale study of the surface properties of certain ferromagnetic topological insulators reveals that these materials exhibit extreme, unexpected, and self-destructive electronic disorder.

New high-speed 3-D microscope -- SCAPE -- gives deeper view of living things Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST SCAPE, a new microscope that images living things in 3-D at very high speeds, has been developed by engineers. The microscope uses a simple, single-objective imaging geometry that requires no sample mounting or translation, making it possible to image freely moving living samples. Its ability to perform real-time 3-D imaging at cellular resolution in behaving organisms could be transformative for biomedical and neuroscience research, experts say.

Optic fiber for recording the temperature in extreme industrial environments Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST Optic fiber is normally used in the field of telecommunications to transmit information using light, but a group of researchers developed a technique that makes it possible to use optic fiber as a thermometer in extreme industrial environments.

Switchable adhesion principle enables damage-free handling of sensitive devices even in vacuum Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST Researchers enhanced the Gecko adhesion principle such that adhesion can be switched on and off in vacuum.

New composite protects from corrosion from high mechanical stress Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST A new composite material prevents metal corrosion in an environmentally friendly way, even under extreme conditions. It can be used wherever metals are exposed to severe weather conditions, aggressive gases, salt, heavy wear or high pressures.

President Lincoln’s cottage 3D laser-scanned by researchers Posted: 16 Jan 2015 01:14 PM PST A team of undergraduate students traveled to Washington to document President Lincoln's Cottage -- the only designated national monument in the District of Columbia -- using 3D laser scanning technology. Images collected from the scanning will support preservation research, potentially impacting historical interpretation and public outreach at the site, which was used by Lincoln and his family to escape the summer heat of downtown Washington.