NOVEMBER 25, 2019 by University of Pennsylvania Air-quality alerts often include the levels of particulate matter, small clumps of molecules in the lower atmosphere that can range in size from microscopic to visible. These particles can contribute to haze, clouds, and fog and also can pose a health risk, especially those at the smaller end of […]
Category Archives: Research
Telescopes and satellites combine to map entire planet’s ground movement
NOVEMBER 21, 2019 by Curtin University Curtin University research has revealed how pairing satellite images with an existing global network of radio telescopes can be used to paint a previously unseen whole-of-planet picture of the geological processes that shape the Earth’s crust. The research, published in Geophysical Research Letters, showed that satellite images capturing the movement of the Earth’s […]
Microbial cooperation at the micron scale impacts biodegradation
MIT researchers demonstrate how often-ignored microbial interactions have a significant impact on the biodegradation of complex materials. Maria Iacobo | Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringNovember 15, 2019 The carbon cycle, in which CO2 is incorporated into living organisms and later released back into the atmosphere through respiration, relies on the ability of bacteria and fungi […]
Giving robots a faster grasp
An algorithm speeds up the planning process robots use to adjust their grip on objects, for picking and sorting, or tool use. Jennifer Chu | MIT News OfficeOctober 17, 2019 If you’re at a desk with a pen or pencil handy, try this move: Grab the pen by one end with your thumb and index […]
Assembler robots make large structures from little pieces
Systems of tiny robots may someday build high-performance structures, from airplanes to space settlements. David L. Chandler | MIT News OfficeOctober 16, 2019 Today’s commercial aircraft are typically manufactured in sections, often in different locations — wings at one factory, fuselage sections at another, tail components somewhere else — and then flown to a central […]
An ultrafast glimpse of the photochemistry of the atmosphere
OCTOBER 11, 2019 by Max Planck Society Our lives are governed by submicroscopic processes in the nanocosmos. Indeed many natural phenomena begin with a minuscule shift in the states of atoms or molecules, triggered by radiation. One such process has now been elucidated by a team led by Prof. Matthias Kling and Dr. Boris Bergues at […]
Physics researchers break new ground, explore unknown energy regions
OCTOBER 10, 2019 by Kathleen Haughney, Florida State University Florida State University physicists are using photon-proton collisions to capture particles in an unexplored energy region, yielding new insights into the matter that binds parts of the nucleus together. “We want to understand not just the nucleus, but everything that makes up the nucleus,” said FSU Professor […]
Detraction-free light-matter interaction
AUGUST 23, 2019 by Julia Weiler, Ruhr-Universität Bochum An efficient light-matter interface might constitute the foundation of quantum communication. However, certain structures that are formed during the growth process interfere with the signal. Certain semiconductor structures, so-called quantum dots, might constitute the foundation of quantum communication. They are an efficient interface between matter and light, with […]