chiefeditor

Gem-like nanoparticles of precious metals shine as catalysts

by

A Northwestern University research team has developed a new method for making highly desirable catalysts from metal nanoparticles that could lead to better fuel cells, among other applications. The researchers also discovered the method can take spent catalysts and recycle them into active catalysts. Made mainly of precious metals, these coveted catalysts are shaped like … Read more

Why is Earth so biologically diverse? Mountains hold the answer

by

What determines global patterns of biodiversity has been a puzzle for scientists since the days of von Humboldt, Darwin, and Wallace. Yet, despite two centuries of research, this question remains unanswered. The global pattern of mountain biodiversity, and the extraordinarily high richness in tropical mountains in particular, is documented in two companion Science review papers this week. … Read more

Device generates light from the cold night sky

by

An inexpensive thermoelectric device harnesses the cold of space without active heat input, generating electricity that powers an LED at night, researchers report September 12 in the journal Joule. “Remarkably, the device is able to generate electricity at night, when solar cells don’t work,” says lead author Aaswath Raman, an assistant professor of materials science and … Read more

Ultra-thin optical elements directly measure polarization

by

For the first time, researchers have used ultra-thin layers of 2D structures known as metasurfaces to create holograms that can measure the polarization of light. The new metasurface holograms could be used to create very fast and compact devices for polarization measurements, which are used in spectroscopy, sensing and communications applications. Metasurfaces are optical elements … Read more

Spin devices get a paint job

by

Physicists created a new way to fabricate special kinds of electronic components known as spintronic devices. These high-performance, low-power devices have a promising future, so efficient ways to make them are highly sought after. The new fabrication method is interesting because it uses organic molecules which are relatively easy to configure for different purposes. Layers … Read more

‘Smart plants’ and water use research win prestigious ARC Fellowships

by

The Australian National University (ANU) has been awarded two Australian Laureate Fellowships from the Australian Research Council (ARC), including a project using synthetic biology to generate ‘smart plants’. Professor Barry Pogson, from the ANU College of Science, was awarded $2.9 million to create higher-yielding and more resilient ‘smart plants’ for good and bad seasons. He … Read more

Should I stay or should I go?

by

In western lowland gorillas, groups consist of several females and only one adult male, the silverback. With his impressive body size, he protects his group against predators and other adult males. Females rely on this protection and never travel alone, however they may change groups multiple times during their lives. “Female gorillas seem to have … Read more

‘Game-changing’ research could solve evolution mysteries

by

An evolution revolution has begun after scientists extracted genetic information from a 1.7 million-year-old rhino tooth – the largest and oldest genetic data to ever be recorded. Researchers identified an almost complete set of proteins, a proteome, in the dental enamel of the rhino and the genetic information discovered is one million years older than … Read more