ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Scientists 'bend' elastic waves with new metamaterials that could have commercial applications Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST Sound waves passing through the air, objects that break a body of water and cause ripples, or shockwaves from earthquakes all are considered 'elastic' waves. These waves travel at the surface or through a material without causing any permanent changes to the substance's makeup. Now, engineering researchers have developed a material that has the ability to control these waves, creating possible medical, military and commercial applications with the potential to greatly benefit society.

Scientists set quantum speed limit Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:48 PM PST The flip side of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, the energy time uncertainty principle, establishes a speed limit for transitions between two states. Physical chemists have now proved this principle for transitions between states that are not entirely distinct, allowing the calculation of speed limits for processes such as quantum computing and tunneling. The proof puts on sound footing a relationship that most physicists use daily.

New research re-creates planet formation, super-Earths and giant planets in the laboratory Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:54 AM PST New laser-driven compression experiments reproduce the conditions deep inside exotic super-Earths and giant planet cores, and the conditions during the violent birth of Earth-like planets, documenting the material properties that determined planets' formation and evolution processes.

Exotic, gigantic molecules fit inside each other like Russian nesting dolls Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST Scientists have experimentally observed for the first time a phenomenon in ultracold, three-atom molecules predicted by Russian theoretical physicist Vitaly Efimov in 1970.

Wild west physics: Bridging the gap between the study of 'outer space' and 'inner space' Posted: 22 Jan 2015 08:43 AM PST The next frontier in physics may require teeny-tiny answers to big questions, and vice versa. Call it macro-micro physics: the study of the huge paired with the study of the very, very small.

Is glass a true solid? New research suggests it is Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:48 AM PST Does glass ever stop flowing? Researchers have combined computer simulation and information theory, originally invented for telephone communication and cryptography, to answer this puzzling question.

Gold 'nano-drills' help with DNA analysis Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST Spherical gold particles are able to ‘drill’ a nano-diameter tunnel in ceramic material when heated. This is an easy and attractive way to equip chips with nanopores for DNA analysis, for example, nanotechnologists report.

Engineers develop world's longest 'flat pack' arch bridge Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST Civil Engineers and pre-cast concrete specialists have developed the world’s longest ‘flat pack’ arch bridge.

Fine motor skills for robotic hands Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST Tying shoelaces, stirring coffee, writing letters, playing the piano. From the usual daily routine to demanding activities: Our hands are used more frequently than any other body part. Through our highly developed fine motor skills, we are able to perform grasping movements with variable precision and power distribution. This ability is a fundamental characteristic of the hand of primates. Until now, it was unclear how hand movements are planned in the brain. Neuroscientists can now predict grip movements of the hand by measuring brain cell activity.

Self-powered intelligent keyboard could provide a new layer of security Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:35 AM PST By analyzing such parameters as the force applied by key presses and the time interval between them, a new self-powered non-mechanical intelligent keyboard could provide a stronger layer of security for computer users. The intelligent keyboard records each letter touched, but also captures information about the amount of force applied to the key and the length of time between one keystroke and the next. Such typing style is unique to individuals, and so could provide a new biometric for securing computers from unauthorized use.