Stanford professor explains how NASA might revive the Kepler space telescope
(Phys.org) —Scott Hubbard, a consulting professor of aeronautics and astronautics, helped guide the Kepler mission when he served as director of NASA Ames Research Center. He explains how NASA might...
View ArticleNew method proposed for detecting gravitational waves from ends of universe
A new window into the nature of the universe may be possible with a device proposed by scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno and Stanford University that would detect elusive gravity waves from...
View ArticleFacebook and Twitter jump on Google glasses (Update)
Facebook and Twitter launched applications Thursday for Google glasses as developers rushed to learn more about tailoring software for the Internet-linked eyewear yet to hit the market.
View ArticleStacking 2-D materials produces surprising results
(Phys.org) —Graphene has dazzled scientists, ever since its discovery more than a decade ago, with its unequalled electronic properties, its strength and its light weight. But one long-sought goal has...
View ArticleScientist finds topography of Eastern Seaboard muddles ancient sea level changes
(Phys.org) —The distortion of the ancient shoreline and flooding surface of the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain are the direct result of fluctuations in topography in the region and could have implications...
View ArticleFracking risks to ground water assessed
(Phys.org) —Extraction of "unconventional" gas from sedimentary rocks such as shale could provide a clean energy source and help some regions to become energy independent, but concerns have been raised...
View ArticleBright explosion on the Moon
For the past 8 years, NASA astronomers have been monitoring the Moon for signs of explosions caused by meteoroids hitting the lunar surface. "Lunar meteor showers" have turned out to be more common...
View ArticleWorld's smallest droplet
(Phys.org) —Physicists may have created the smallest drops of liquid ever made in the lab. That possibility has been raised by the results of a recent experiment conducted by Vanderbilt physicist Julia...
View ArticleEngineers design, test taller, high-strength concrete towers for wind turbines
(Phys.org) —Grant Schmitz, eyes inches from a 6.5-by-12-foot panel of ultra-high performance concrete, studied the smooth surface for tiny cracks. He and other research engineers carefully marked every...
View ArticleEarth's iron core is surprisingly weak, researchers say
The massive ball of iron sitting at the center of Earth is not quite as "rock-solid" as has been thought, say two Stanford mineral physicists. By conducting experiments that simulate the immense...
View ArticleNanocrystals grow from liquid interface
An international collaboration of scientists has discovered a unique crystalizing behavior at the interface between two immiscible liquids that could aid in sustainable energy development.
View ArticleSingle-pixel power: Scientists make 3-D images without a camera
Their system uses simple, cheap detectors which have just a single pixel to sense light instead of the millions of pixels used in the imaging sensors of digital cameras.
View ArticleIn a bowl of breakfast cereal, principles of attraction on display
Andong He saw a phenomenon at work in his breakfast bowl that he couldn't explain. It prompted this question: How does cereal shape influence the way cereals floating in the milk join?
View ArticleGPS solution provides 3-minute tsunami alerts
Researchers have shown that, by using global positioning systems (GPS) to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, they can provide accurate warning of the resulting tsunami...
View ArticleNine-year-old Mars rover passes 40-year-old record
While Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited Earth's moon for three days in December 1972, they drove their mission's Lunar Roving Vehicle 19.3 nautical miles (22.210 statute...
View ArticleMathematicians analyze social divisions using cell phone data
Differences divide us. Human society fractures along lines defined by politics, religion, ethnicity, and perhaps most fundamentally, language. Although these differences contribute to the great variety...
View ArticleResearchers suggest Victorian-era people more intelligent modern-day...
(Phys.org) —In a new study, a European research team suggests that the average intelligence level of Victorian-era people was higher than that of modern-day people. They base their controversial...
View ArticleResearch improves dry lubricant used in machinery and biomedical devices
Nearly everyone is familiar with the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), otherwise known as Teflon, the brand name used by the chemical company DuPont. Famous for being "non-sticky" and water repellent,...
View ArticleRapid climate change ruled out ice age trees
Short, sharp fluctuations in the Earth's climate throughout the last ice age may have stopped trees from getting a foothold in Europe and northern Asia, scientists say.
View ArticleScientists use X-ray diffraction to image whole, hydrated cells in their...
Most cells exist in a hydrated state and often live suspended in solution. In order to be imaged, cells must generally be frozen or dried, and then stained with substances such as heavy metals....
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