Shearing forces yield stringy surprise

U. CHICAGO / CORNELL (US) — Microscopic spheres form strings in surprising alignments when suspended in a viscous fluid and sheared between two plates, say researchers. Continue…

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 12:41 - 0 Comments

Science & Technology - Oct 12, 2011 12:02 - 1 Comment

What do pendulums and elastic film share?

U. CHICAGO (US) — A coupled line of swinging pendulums has nothing apparently in common with an elastic film that buckles and folds under compression while floating on a liquid, but scientists have discovered a connection between the two. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Aug 9, 2011 16:40 - 1 Comment

Tsunami shears off icebergs in Antarctica

U. CHICAGO (US) — Scientists have observed for the first time the power of a tsunami to break off large icebergs—in this case, the chunks of ice together equaled about two times the surface area of Manhattan. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jun 8, 2011 12:39 - 0 Comments

Dark matter ‘wimps’ hard to grasp

U. CHICAGO (US) — An experiment more than a mile underground may reveal that dark matter’s deeply held secret is that it’s a WIMP. (more…)

Science & Technology - May 25, 2011 16:35 - 3 Comments

Mars grew fast but stayed small

U. CHICAGO (US) — Mars formed quickly—in as little as two to four million years after the birth of the solar system—which helps explain why it is so small, say researchers. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 28, 2011 11:26 - 2 Comments

Early Earth rich in carbon monoxide

U. CHICAGO (US) — A volcanic crater is offering clues to the composition of Earth’s early atmosphere, when carbon monoxide levels may have been tens of thousands of times higher than current concentrations. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Mar 29, 2011 13:48 - 1 Comment

Bones tell ecological ghost story

U. CHICAGO (US) — Animal bones scattered across the wilderness landscape are offering clues as to how species’ populations have changed due to decades of global warming, overharvesting, and habitat destruction. (more…)

Society & Culture - Mar 9, 2011 14:59 - 0 Comments

Education spending hot, foreign aid not

U. CHICAGO (US) — Education is the top spending priority of Americans for the tenth time since 1990, according to a new report that finds aid to the poor has replaced health care for the No. 2 position. (more…)

Society & Culture - Mar 3, 2011 18:00 - 0 Comments

Website brings Middle East close to home

U. CHICAGO (US) — A new online resource explores the history and the culture of the Middle East, from prehistory to the development of modern states. (more…)

Science & Technology - Feb 7, 2011 13:24 - 0 Comments

Physics’ universal scaling symmetry

U. CHICAGO (US) — Common scientific rules can apply to significantly different phenomena operating on vastly different scales, according to a new study. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 31, 2011 11:21 - 0 Comments

Mussels reveal how to stick to it

U. CHICAGO (US) — Taking a cue from mussels, scientists have created a synthetic sticky substance for use as an adhesive or coating for underwater machinery, in biomedical settings as a surgical adhesive, or as a bonding agent for implants. (more…)

Pint-sized dino was forerunner to T-rex

U. CHICAGO (US) — The discovery of a lanky, meat-eating dinosaur that hunted prey in South America 230 million years ago offers a snapshot of the dawn of the dinosaur era. (more…)

Science & Technology - Nov 24, 2010 13:10 - 0 Comments

Scratching the dusty surface of galaxies

U. CHICAGO (US) — It’s becoming clear that cosmic dust has played a galactic role in the birth of both stars and galaxies. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Nov 12, 2010 13:46 - 0 Comments

Trapped protein tells biology’s secrets

U. CHICAGO (US) — For the first time, researchers have observed a key step in the chemical process that repairs DNA and plays a role in biological functions that affect obesity, cancer, and diabetes. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 9, 2010 16:46 - 0 Comments

Supernova shrapnel found in meteorite

U. CHICAGO (US)—Scientists have identified the microscopic shrapnel of a nearby star that exploded just before or during the birth of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago. (more…)

Science & Technology - Aug 12, 2010 15:15 - 5 Comments

Dark-matter search plunges to new depths

U. CHICAGO (US)—Researchers are expecting a bubble chamber more than a mile underground will reveal dark matter’s secret identity. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jul 9, 2010 14:39 - 5 Comments

Which comes first: Water or energy?

U. CHICAGO (US)—It’s a classic case of the chicken and the egg, but researchers believe solving it will trigger a revolution in sustainable energy. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jun 17, 2010 15:58 - 0 Comments

Flower power lets the globe chill out

U. CHICAGO (US)—The world is a cooler, wetter place because of flowering plants, according to new climate simulations. (more…)

Society & Culture - Apr 6, 2010 13:06 - 2 Comments

Prehistoric high society embraced city living

U. CHICAGO (US)—A prehistoric society that formed the foundation of urban life in the ancient Middle East spawned a social elite that engaged in trade with far-flung regions and used stone seals to mark ownership of goods—all before pack animals were domesticated or the invention of the wheel. (more…)

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