Posts Tagged ‘Argonne National Laboratory’

Semiconductors sniff out nuclear weapons

NORTHWESTERN (US) — New materials that can detect hard radiation could lead to a handheld device for spotting nuclear weapons and materials, like those that could be used in a “nuclear bomb in a suitcase.” Continue…

Wednesday, September 14, 2011 12:07 - 0 Comments

Science & Technology - Aug 23, 2011 11:42 - 0 Comments

Microrobot lifts bead 4x its weight

U. CHICAGO (US) — Robots, just half a millimeter wide, will assemble themselves into star shapes when an alternating magnetic field is applied. (more…)

Science & Technology - May 20, 2011 15:35 - 0 Comments

Hijack photosynthesis to make hydrogen

U. CHICAGO (US) — Researchers were able to produced hydrogen at a rate five times greater than the previous record-setting method by linking platinum nanoparticles with algae proteins. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 5, 2011 10:06 - 0 Comments

Alga sponge cleans up nuclear waste

NORTHWESTERN (US) — A common freshwater alga acts like a sponge, soaking up one of the more dangerous radioactive materials created within a nuclear reactor. (more…)

Science & Technology - Mar 22, 2011 16:55 - 0 Comments

This ‘Etch-a-Sketch’ is laser guided

U. CHICAGO (US) — A low-power laser—similar to the common laser pointer—can cause gold and carbon nanoparticles to assemble into long chains that follow the laser beam as it moves. (more…)

Science & Technology - Nov 16, 2010 12:10 - 0 Comments

Atomic snapshot shows how RNA ruled

NORTHWESTERN (US) — Using powerful X-rays, researchers have produced an atomic picture of how ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules interacted in the ancient world. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 28, 2010 12:03 - 0 Comments

Equation could advance OLED displays

U. MICHIGAN (US) — A new equation could do for organic semiconductors what the Shockley ideal diode equation did for inorganic semiconductors: help to enable their wider adoption. (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 - Jul 8, 2010 15:22 - 2 Comments

Racecars run faster, cleaner on ethanol

U. CHICAGO (US)—A fuel-injected racing car engine powered by E-85, an ethanol-based fuel, outperforms the same engine with a carburetor and leaded racing fuel. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jun 14, 2010 16:53 - 0 Comments

‘Mind-bending’ crystals color butterfly wings

YALE (US)—At the very heart of some of the most brilliant colors on the wings of butterflies lie bizarre structures that may be of use in harnessing the power of light. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 15, 2010 12:57 - 0 Comments

Tapping nature to clean up radioactive sites

U. CHICAGO (US)—Some bacteria can change Uranium (VI)—which is radioactive, toxic, and water-soluble—into a more insoluble, stationary, and thus less harmful substance. A team of scientists is trying to determine how to harness this chemical transformation to reduce the danger posed by the more than 1,000 uranium-contaminated sites scattered across the nation. (more…)

Science & Technology - Mar 17, 2010 14:04 - 0 Comments

Light gets twisted with nanoparticles

U. MICHIGAN (US)—Engineers have demonstrated that light itself can twist ribbons of nanoparticles. The details are reported in the current edition of Science. (more…)

Science & Technology - Mar 1, 2010 13:46 - 1 Comment

Snag radioactive waste like a Venus flytrap

U. CHICAGO / NORTHWESTERN (US)—A newly discovered chemical material is a picky eater. Like a Venus flytrap, it won’t snap its jaws shut for just anything. Its favorite food is radioactive nuclear waste. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 28, 2010 14:27 - 0 Comments

Nuclear core reaction in graphic detail

U. CHICAGO (US)—A new computer algorithm allows scientists to view nuclear fission in much finer detail than ever before. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 13, 2010 16:51 - 2 Comments

Dealing with a universe of data

U. CHICAGO—Modeling the evolution of the universe is no mean feat, not only because of the complex mathematics involved, but also because of the sheer amount of data that is generated from a working model of—well, the universe. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 7, 2010 16:43 - 8 Comments

Pulling the plug on hybrid myths

U. CHICAGO—What’s the real deal with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles? Vehicle systems engineer Forrest Jehlik from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory would like to dispel some commonly held myths. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 2, 2009 12:55 - 0 Comments

Map helps quantum dots go ‘designer’

U. MICHIGAN (US)—The creation of the first atomic-scale maps of quantum dots may speed progress toward the goal of producing “designer dots” that can be tailored for specific applications. (more…)