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1 hour ago
An
international team of researchers has discovered how adding trace
amounts of water can tremendously speed up chemical reactions—such as
hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis—in which hydrogen is one of the
reactants, or starting materials. Previous research had indicated this
phenomenon, but until now the true importance of water to its effect has
eluded chemists.
23 hours ago
In
a recent project that has challenged the notion that the best chip is
the most accurate one, a research team has unveiled this week its
prototype “inexact” computer chip. By allowing the chip to make a few
mistakes, developers were able to slash the power consumption of the
chip dramatically. The result is a chip at least 15 times more efficient
than today’s technology.
23 hours ago
Plants
rely on photoreceptors to activate internal chemical processes like
germination and leaf growth. Theorizing that the light-absorbing
component of the photoreceptor may be replaced by a chemically similar
synthetic substance, scientist have for the first time shown that full
growth of plants is possible in the complete absence of light.
May 17
It
doesn’t matter if it’s regular or decaf, a big new study find that
coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. The results
from the largest study ever done on the issue, comes after years of
waffling research on coffee and health, even some fear that java might
raise the risk of heart disease.
May 17
Scientists
in the U.K. have discovered a previously unrecognized volcanic process
called “fluidized spray granulation”, which can occur during kimberlite
eruptions to produce well-rounded particles containing mantle, most
notably diamonds. This physical process is remarkable similar to the gas
injection and spraying process used to form smooth coatings on
chocolates.
May 17
Neutrinos may be even stranger than they seem, if indeed they are the only fermions (particles of matter) that are their own antiparticles. Proof would be a rare form of radioactive decay called neutrinoless double-beta decay, which could only be seen if there's virtually no background interference. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR now under construction at the Sanford Underground Research Facility aims to prove these near-perfect conditions can be met.
May 16
Text messaging is a surprisingly good way to get candid responses to sensitive questions, according to a new study to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research.
May 16
Microscopes
provide valuable insights in the structure and dynamics of cells, in
particular when the latter remain in their natural environment. This is
difficult to do, but a team of researchers in Germany and the U.S. have
now developed a new method to visualize cell structures of an eighth of a
micrometer in size in living fish larvae.
May 16
Instead of building a better mousetrap, a team of Rice University freshmen took a mousetrap and built a better way to treat dehydration among children in the developing world. The device, designed by the IV DRIP (Dehydrated Relief in Pediatrics) team, is inexpensive and regulates the amount of fluid delivered to children to prevent dehydration.
May 15
A
former U.K. government advisor and chemical engineer recently published
an article that discussed how dispersing sub-micrometer
light-scattering particles into the upper atmosphere could help to
combat climate change. Author Peter Davidson says the effect would
replicate the cooling that occurred after the 1991 eruption of Mount
Pinatubo.
