Opals leave radioactive waste inert
STANFORD (US) — Researchers are proposing the use of opal to sequester uranium at contaminated nuclear sites. Continue…
Monday, December 5, 2011 9:59 - 3 Comments
Science & Technology - Nov 28, 2011 12:56 - 2 Comments
Electrode for durable batteries on the grid
STANFORD (US) — A new type of battery electrode could make large-scale storage for solar and wind power more feasible. (more…)
Top Stories - Nov 11, 2011 13:19 - 4 Comments
Tune E. coli to churn out biodiesel
STANFORD (US) — E. coli bacteria have what it takes to produce high volumes of biofuel cheaply and efficiently. All that’s needed, scientists say, is a tweak to kick E. coli into high gear. (more…)
Society & Culture - Nov 9, 2011 11:55 - 4 Comments
Ranked-choice voting: Does the math add up?
STANFORD (US) — “Instant runoff” voting, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, is an increasingly popular alternative to voting for only one candidate in each race, but there’s disagreement about the validity of the results. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 26, 2011 10:59 - 0 Comments
Pull skin-like sensor. Watch it bounce back
STANFORD (US) — A transparent sensor that is so stretchy it can be pulled to twice its original length and then bounce back perfectly has potential for use with prosthetic limbs, robotics, and touch-sensitive computer displays. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Oct 24, 2011 10:02 - 3 Comments
No real warming from urban ‘heat island’
STANFORD (US) — The urban ‘heat island’ effect contributes less than 5 percent to overall global warming, far less than greenhouse gas or black carbon, new research shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 2, 2011 14:28 - 4 Comments
Be warned: Seismologists on trial in Italy
STANFORD (US) — The manslaughter trial of six Italian seismologists highlights the need for scientists to put more effort into explaining their work to the public, says geophysicist Greg Beroza. (more…)
Society & Culture - Sep 28, 2011 11:53 - 5 Comments
Why class societies are rule, not exception
STANFORD (US) —The disproportionate suffering of the poor may have been a driving force behind the global spread of class structure during early human civilization, according to a new study. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 20, 2011 11:23 - 1 Comment
Portable microscope fits on fingertip
STANFORD (US) — Researchers have built a portable microscope so small it can fit on a fingertip—perfect for use in the lab or in the field. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 16, 2011 12:36 - 3 Comments
In dry times, ‘loner’ elephants buddy up
STANFORD (US) —When resources are scarce, some male bull elephants band together into a social group with a clearly defined hierarchy, much the way females do, a new study shows. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Sep 13, 2011 10:26 - 0 Comments
Volcanic vents belch pure CO2 into sea
STANFORD (US) — Rare volcanic vents in the Mediterranean Sea bubble carbon dioxide, making the water more acidic—a glimpse of how marine ecosystems may be affected as global warming intensifies. (more…)
Top Stories - Sep 8, 2011 9:46 - 2 Comments
Satellite killers: Meteoroids vs. space junk
STANFORD (US) — Billions of tiny meteoroids do more damage to satellites and other spacecraft than all the space junk orbiting Earth, according to new research. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 22, 2011 11:57 - 1 Comment
Cat urine is a ‘turn-on’ for some rats
STANFORD (US) —The same brain region that triggers a mating response in male rats also lights up when rats smell cat urine—if those rats are infected with the parasite Toxoplasma. (more…)
Top Stories - Aug 21, 2011 17:12 - 1 Comment
Detect sunspots 2 days before flares strike
STANFORD (US) — A new way to detect sunspots as deep as 65,000 kilometers inside the sun can offer up to two days’ advance warning of a solar flare. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 17, 2011 11:00 - 0 Comments
Organic semiconductors on fast track
STANFORD (US) — Researchers have created a new material for high-speed organic semiconductors in a way that may shorten the development timeline by months, if not years. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 15, 2011 9:33 - 0 Comments
Male fish go from ‘zero to 60′ to mate
STANFORD (US) — Subordinate cichlid fish have an impressive ability to rise to the procreative occasion with stunning speed if the alpha male—usually the only one to reproduce—abdicates. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jun 27, 2011 14:33 - 0 Comments
Sea microphone works like orca ears
STANFORD (US) — Taking a cue from orca whales, scientists have developed a highly-sensitive microphone the size of a pea that can be used underwater at any depth, to hear sounds at any range. (more…)
Top Stories - Jun 15, 2011 11:48 - 0 Comments
Chem war: Native ants poison invaders
STANFORD (US) — Argentine ants—seemingly set on world domination—may have finally met their match in California’s plucky and poisonous native “winter ants.” (more…)
Top Stories - Jun 2, 2011 9:55 - 0 Comments
Say cheese: Nanotubes take mice gut pics
STANFORD (US) — A new imaging method offers a clear view of living mouse innards, an improvement that could aid in drug testing and development. (more…)
