Browse Articles

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  Moving in the quantum world

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 23, 2014
  • 0 comments
  • 1 endorse
  • 5,119 views

  Simulating the behavior of a single particle can be quite a challenging task in physics; after all, it is microscopic and we usually cannot watch in real time. It becomes even more complicated when you realize that the particle has to follow the laws of...  moreSimulating the behavior of a single particle can be quite a challenging task in physics; after all, it is microscopic and we usually cannot watch in real time. It becomes even more complicated when you realize that the particle has to follow the laws of quantum physics, which allow it be in two or more places at the same time through a phenomenon called superposition. Understanding how a quantum particle behaves is necessary to enhance our fundamental understanding of the laws of physics.  
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  Resetting the circadian clock: Shift workers might want to skip high-iron foods at night

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 22, 2014
  • 0 comments
  • 0 endorses
  • 6,171 views

  Workers punching in for the graveyard shift may be better off not eating high-iron foods at night so they don’t disrupt the circadian clock in their livers. "Iron is like the dial that sets the timing of the clock," the lead researcher says....  moreWorkers punching in for the graveyard shift may be better off not eating high-iron foods at night so they don’t disrupt the circadian clock in their livers. "Iron is like the dial that sets the timing of the clock," the lead researcher says. "Discovering a factor, such as iron, that sets the circadian rhythm of the liver may have broad implications for people who do shift work."  
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  Detecting cancer earlier is goal of new medical imaging technology

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 21, 2014
  • 0 comments
  • 1 endorse
  • 4,839 views

  A new medical imaging method could help physicians detect cancer and other diseases earlier than before, speeding treatment and reducing the need for invasive, time-consuming biopsies. The potentially lifesaving technique uses nanotechnology and...  moreA new medical imaging method could help physicians detect cancer and other diseases earlier than before, speeding treatment and reducing the need for invasive, time-consuming biopsies. The potentially lifesaving technique uses nanotechnology and shortwave infrared light to reveal small cancerous tumors and cardiovascular lesions deep inside the body.  
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  New feather findings get scientists in a flap

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 21, 2014
  • 2 comments
  • 1 endorse
  • 4,790 views

  Scientists have revealed that feather shafts are made of a multi-layered fibrous composite material, much like carbon fiber, which allows the feather to bend and twist to cope with the stresses of flight. Since their appearance over 150 million years...  moreScientists have revealed that feather shafts are made of a multi-layered fibrous composite material, much like carbon fiber, which allows the feather to bend and twist to cope with the stresses of flight. Since their appearance over 150 million years ago, feather shafts (rachises) have evolved to be some of the lightest, strongest and most fatigue resistant natural structures.  
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  Atomic trigger shatters mystery of how glass deforms

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 19, 2014
  • 0 comments
  • 0 endorses
  • 5,071 views

  A new study has cracked one mystery of glass to shed light on the mechanism that triggers its deformation before shattering. Glass hangs in a metastable state in which the energy of the system is higher than the lowest-energy state the system could...  moreA new study has cracked one mystery of glass to shed light on the mechanism that triggers its deformation before shattering. Glass hangs in a metastable state in which the energy of the system is higher than the lowest-energy state the system could assume, a crystalline state. But its state is stable enough at room temperature to last a human lifetime.  
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  Scientific breakthrough will help design antibiotics of the future

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 17, 2014
  • 1 comment
  • 0 endorses
  • 4,511 views

  Computer simulations have been used to show how bacteria are able to destroy antibiotics -- a breakthrough which will help develop drugs which can effectively tackle infections in the future.
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  Ultra-fast charging batteries that can be 70% recharged in just two minutes

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 13, 2014
  • 0 comments
  • 0 endorses
  • 5,495 views

  Scientists have developed a new battery that can be recharged up to 70 per cent in only 2 minutes. The battery will also have a longer lifespan of over 20 years. Expected to be the next big thing in battery technology, this breakthrough has a...  moreScientists have developed a new battery that can be recharged up to 70 per cent in only 2 minutes. The battery will also have a longer lifespan of over 20 years. Expected to be the next big thing in battery technology, this breakthrough has a wide-ranging impact on many industries, especially for electric vehicles which are currently inhibited by long recharge times of over 4 hours and the limited lifespan of batteries.  
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  Drinking decaf or regular coffee maybe good for the liver, study suggests

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 10, 2014
  • 1 comment
  • 0 endorses
  • 4,139 views

  Researchers report that decaffeinated coffee drinking may benefit liver health. Results show that higher coffee consumption, regardless of caffeine content, was linked to lower levels of abnormal liver enzymes. This suggests that chemical compounds in...  moreResearchers report that decaffeinated coffee drinking may benefit liver health. Results show that higher coffee consumption, regardless of caffeine content, was linked to lower levels of abnormal liver enzymes. This suggests that chemical compounds in coffee other than caffeine may help protect the liver.  
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  Surpassing the limitations of the light microscope

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 8, 2014
  • 0 comments
  • 0 endorses
  • 5,304 views

  For a long time optical microscopy was held back by a presumed limitation: that it would never obtain a better resolution than half the wavelength of light. Helped by fluorescent molecules the Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2014 ingeniously circumvented...  moreFor a long time optical microscopy was held back by a presumed limitation: that it would never obtain a better resolution than half the wavelength of light. Helped by fluorescent molecules the Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2014 ingeniously circumvented this limitation. Their ground-breaking work has brought optical microscopy into the nanodimension.  
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  New light to illuminate the world

  • Posted by Milton Bertrand
  • October 7, 2014
  • 0 comments
  • 1 endorse
  • 4,997 views

  The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Isamu Akasaki, of Meijo University in Nagoya and Nagoya University, Japan; Hiroshi Amano, of Nagoya University, Japan; and Shuji Nakamura of the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA "for the...  moreThe 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Isamu Akasaki, of Meijo University in Nagoya and Nagoya University, Japan; Hiroshi Amano, of Nagoya University, Japan; and Shuji Nakamura of the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources."