ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Physicists working to understand how and why matter came about Posted: 06 Feb 2015 09:51 AM PST Physicists are engaged in a series of neutrino experiments, called NOvA, now under way at Fermilab to help answer how and why matter came about.

Precision growth of light-emitting nanowires Posted: 06 Feb 2015 08:17 AM PST A novel approach to growing nanowires promises a new means of control over their light-emitting and electronic properties. Researchers demonstrated a new growth technique that uses specially engineered catalysts. These catalysts have given scientists more options than ever in turning the color of light-emitting nanowires.

Nanoscale solution to big problem of overheating in microelectronic devices Posted: 06 Feb 2015 08:17 AM PST Currently, microelectronic device manufacturers must rely on simulations alone to understand the temperatures inside individual devices. Researchers have now developed a way to determine actual temperatures within these devices by using material within them as its own thermometer.

Why 'baking powder' doubles or triples efficiency of plastic solar cells Posted: 06 Feb 2015 04:12 AM PST The efficiency of plastic solar cells can be doubled or tripled if an extra solvent is added during the production process, comparable with the role of baking powder in dough mixture. Exactly how this works has been unclear for the last ten years. But now researchers have come up with the answer in a publication in Nature Communications. This new understanding will now enable focused development of plastic solar cells.

Nano-hydrogels that attack cancer cells Posted: 05 Feb 2015 11:11 AM PST Hydrogels are materials that are commonly used in everyday objects such as contact lenses or diapers, in order to control humidity. However, chemical engineers have now developed a new technology based on thermosensitive nanoparticles (nano-hydrogels) to use these materials in the field of biomedicine, as an alternative to achieve controlled release of anticancer drugs.

When scientists play with Lego: A new creative version of pinned insect manipulator Posted: 05 Feb 2015 09:31 AM PST Who said scientists are not creative? Biologists have proved such statements wrong with the invention of a creative, functional and most importantly quite cheap pinned insect manipulator made entirely of Lego pieces to help them face the challenges of mass digitization of museum specimens.

Closer look at flawed studies behind policies used to promote 'low-carbon' biofuels Posted: 05 Feb 2015 09:27 AM PST Nearly all of the studies used to promote biofuels as climate-friendly alternatives to petroleum fuels are flawed and need to be redone, according to a researcher who reviewed more than 100 papers published over more than two decades.

Turing also present at the nanoscale Posted: 05 Feb 2015 08:16 AM PST In the world of single atoms and molecules governed by chaotic fluctuations, is the spontaneous formation of Turing patterns possible -- the same ones that are responsible for the irregular yet periodic shapes of the stripes on zebras' bodies? A team of physicists has for the first time demonstrated that such a process can not only occur, but can also be used for potentially very interesting applications.