Rare monkeypox outbreak in U.K., Europe and U.S.: What is it and should we worry?
There’s a monkeypox outbreak in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and other European countries. The outbreak is small — so far 68 suspected cases, including eight in England and 20 in Portugal. Cases in Canada and a case in the U.S. have also been reported. But health officials have little clue where people caught the […]
Researchers create photonic materials for powerful, efficient light-based computing
University of Central Florida researchers are developing new photonic materials that could one day help enable low power, ultra-fast, light-based computing. The unique materials, known as topological insulators, are like wires that have been turned inside out, where the current runs along the outside and the interior is insulated. Topological insulators are important because they […]
Tree loss on Madagascar not caused by small fires used for land clearing
Once humans discovered how to tame fire, they began using it for heat and cooking as well as to scare away animals and to alter their environs, especially burning areas to plant and to restore grazing land. In Madagascar, scientists and conservationists have long believed that fire is a leading cause of high landscape degradation, […]
New advances for reducing defects in multimaterials using directed energy deposition
Materials used in the fields of aerospace, automobiles, medical equipment and defense need to withstand extremely harsh environments. Small flaws in the materials, i.e. cracks, can lead to catastrophic consequences and massive economic loss. However, most materials cannot handle such high temperatures and pressures. Multimaterials, like functionally graded materials (FGMs), which combine different materials to […]
Graphene-wrapped zeolite membranes for fast hydrogen separation
The effects of global warming are becoming more serious, and there is a strong demand for technological advances to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Hydrogen is an ideal clean energy which produces water when burned. To promote the use of hydrogen energy, it is essential to develop safe, energy-saving technologies for hydrogen production and storage. Currently, […]
Developing a better diagnostic nano-probe
Biomarkers are components that may be present in biological samples and are related to specific diseases. Therefore, doctors can analyze biological samples from a patient to check their health condition or to monitor the progress of a specific therapy. Typically, these samples need to be purified and diluted before the analysis, and current medical diagnostic […]
Discovery uncovers need for ammonia emission regulations
A discovery by former Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. student, Mingyi Wang, leading a large collaborative team, sheds light on one way new particles are forming in the upper troposphere. The study, published in Nature, reveals an unexpected volatile reaction between nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonia, synergistically creating new particles at a rapid rate. The findings […]
Research team develops wood-based foam to keep buildings cooler
Summertime is almost here, a time when many people try to beat the heat. But running air conditioners constantly can be expensive and wasteful. Now, researchers reporting in the ACS journal Nano Letters have designed a lightweight foam made from wood-based cellulose nanocrystals that reflects sunlight, emits absorbed heat and is thermally insulating. They suggest […]
Physicists explain how type of aurora on Mars is formed
Physicists led by the University of Iowa have learned how a type of aurora on Mars is formed. In a new study, the physicists studied discrete aurora, a light-in-the-sky display that occurs mostly during the night in the red planet’s southern hemisphere. While scientists have known about discrete aurora on Mars—which also occur on Earth—they […]
Ultracold bubbles on space station open new avenues of quantum research
Produced inside NASA’s Cold Atom Lab, ultracold bubbles provide new opportunities to experiment with an exotic state of matter. Since the days of NASA’s Apollo program, astronauts have documented (and contended with) how liquids behave differently in microgravity than they do on Earth—coalescing into floating spheres instead of bottom-heavy droplets. Now, researchers have demonstrated this […]