Science & Technology - Sep 24, 2010 13:16 - 0 Comments

Why graphene is electronic gold

U. ILLINOIS (US) — Graphene appears to be outpacing its elemental cousin, carbon nanotubes, for use in electronics and other applications. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 13, 2010 13:41 - 0 Comments

Biomedicine at the flip of a switch

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Instead of dyes or fluorescence, a new class of molecular probes for biomedical research requires only a light switch, similar to an ordinary house lamp, to illuminate the molecular world. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jun 16, 2010 17:14 - 1 Comment

Self-healing electronics on the microscale

U. ILLINOIS (US)—The concept of self-healing materials has been successfully demonstrated for polymers and is being developed for applications such as coatings on large scale structures like bridges. Now, researchers that pioneered this rapidly emerging field have shown that self-healing can also work for a critical small scale application: restoring lost conductivity in electronics. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jun 4, 2010 11:42 - 0 Comments

Atomic-scale model unravels ion channel gating

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Nerve cells power human intelligence and behavior through electrical signals that rely on potassium and sodium ion channels to do their job, and an important part of that biological process involves a gating mechanism for generating and controlling the signals in those channels. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jun 1, 2010 11:54 - 0 Comments

Efficient semiconductor chips for solar cells

U. ILLINOIS (US)—A novel manufacturing method that uses gallium arsenide (GaAs) instead of silicon to create semiconductor chips could greatly improve the efficiency and lower the cost of solar energy devices. (more…)

Society & Culture - May 27, 2010 12:30 - 4 Comments

Why our intuitions are often wrong

U. ILLINOIS (US)—We may think we’re a good judge of character, observant, and perceptive, but research by two psychologist suggests we’re almost certainly not as good at those skills as we think we are. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 28, 2010 13:00 - 2 Comments

Magnetism puts nanoparticles on the move

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Scientists have developed an imaging technology that uses magnetism to noninvasively move nanoparticles inside the body in order to specifically target tumor cells and other tissue. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 19, 2010 9:27 - 0 Comments

Teen brain less sensitive to cocaine?

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Adolescent brains respond differently to cocaine and methamphetamine when compared to adults given the same dose, according to a new study. (more…)

Science & Technology - Mar 29, 2010 13:21 - 2 Comments

Electronic coffee snob sniffs out brands

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Coffee connoisseurs may think they can tell the difference between a Starbucks gourmet blend and a generic grab-and-go brew, but now researchers have created a nose that really does know the difference. (more…)

Science & Technology - Mar 1, 2010 11:46 - 1 Comment

Is silk the secret to better biomonitors?

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Futuristic medical devices—such as an “electronic tattoo” that monitors blood sugar levels—have entered the realm of the possible with the creation of silicon-on-silk electronics. (more…)

Science & Technology - Feb 19, 2010 12:52 - 2 Comments

Dipstick test detects lead in paint

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Yi Lu took another researcher’s discovery about a new way to achieve catalytic reactions and turned it on its head—developing a simple, low-cost lead paint detection method for home and official use. (more…)

Science & Technology - Feb 9, 2010 17:10 - 0 Comments

“Cell listeners” shine light on nanoscale function

U. ILLINOIS (US)—One way to understand biological structures and mechanisms, according to researcher Gabriel Popescu, is to “listen to them” through the use of new optical imaging methods that measure cellular motion at the nanoscale. (more…)

Science & Technology - Feb 5, 2010 16:49 - 4 Comments

Seeing the world in waves of consciousness

U. ILLINOIS (US)—The term “stream of consciousness”—used both in the literary world and by psychologists to describe the way our conscious minds interpret the world—may not accurately depict the way visual systems in our brains function. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 20, 2010 10:02 - 8 Comments

Driving completely wrecks conversation

U. ILLINOIS—Adding to the body of research on distracted driving is a new report showing that driving impairs our ability to comprehend and produce language. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 7, 2010 11:36 - 0 Comments

Technique ‘prints’ stable nanopatterns

U. ILLINOIS—By combining the age-old manufacturing techniques of heat and chemistry with the cutting-edge capabilities of atomic force microscopy, researchers have developed a new method for manipulating, designing, and manufacturing complex nanostructures. (more…)

Science & Technology - Dec 21, 2009 17:58 - 1 Comment

Fingerprinting pirates at the movies

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Most moviegoers catch the previews but miss the invisible “feature” playing on screen—an anti-piracy digital fingerprint that stamps the individual theater showing the motion picture. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Dec 10, 2009 14:59 - 2 Comments

Optics may speed breast cancer diagnosis

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Waiting for laboratory results is often one of the most stressful aspects of a breast cancer diagnosis. A new optical imaging system aims to ease that stress by giving doctors performing lumpectomies real-time information on breast cancer tissue margins while still in the operating room. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 4, 2009 17:22 - 2 Comments

Pedestrians: Ditch the phone, keep the iPod

U. ILLINOIS (US)—How apropos that a research team led by two native New Yorkers would take a fresh look at the dangers of trying to cross a busy street while talking on a cell phone or listening to music on an iPod. (more…)