news from the lab

Physics/Astronomy - Computer Science/Telecom - 22.02
Fiber Optics in Computer Screens
A single fiber-optic can light up computer screens. This innovation put in place by a spin-off, brings energy savings of 30% while boosting processors. “Slim as a hair, powerful as 100 LEDs”: the advantages of this technology have the allure of a slogan.

Chemistry - Physics/Astronomy - 20.02
To make better fuel cells, study the defects
Engineers trying to improve fuel-cell catalysts may be looking in the wrong place, according to new research at Cornell. There is growing interest in forming the catalysts that break down fuel to generate electricity into nanoparticles.

Physics/Astronomy - Chemistry - 17.02
Rare Earth element found far, far away
Tellurium detected for the first time in ancient stars. Nearly 13.7 billion years ago, the universe was made of only hydrogen, helium and traces of lithium - byproducts of the Big Bang. Some 300 million years later, the very first stars emerged, creating additional chemical elements throughout the universe.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Physics/Astronomy - 15.02
New method makes it easier to treat prostate and pancreatic cancer
Laser light in combination with certain drugs – known as photodynamic therapy – can destroy cancer tumours, but is today used mostly to cure skin cancer. The reason that internal tumours are not treated with the method is that the technology does not exist to check that the precise amount of light is administered.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Physics/Astronomy - 15.02
Prolonged fructose intake not linked to rise in blood pressure: study
Eating fruit sugar over an extended period of time does not lead to an increase in blood pressure, according to researchers at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital. A new study has found that despite previous research showing blood pressure rose in humans immediately after they consumed fruit sugar – also known as fructose - there is no evidence fructose increases blood pressure when it has been eaten for more than seven days.

Physics/Astronomy - Business/Economics - 15.02
Cleaning up Earth’s orbit
The proliferation of debris orbiting the Earth – primarily jettisoned rocket and satellite components – is an increasingly pressing problem for spacecraft, and it can generate huge costs.

Chemistry - Physics/Astronomy - 14.02
Shear stiffness and friction mechanics of single-layer graphene measured for the first time
Researchers from the University of Bristol have measured and identified for the first time the stress and strain shear modulus and internal friction of graphene sheets. The research, in collaboration with the US Office of Naval Research , is published in Nano Letters .

Electroengineering/Microtechnics - Physics/Astronomy - 13.02
Engineers weld nanowires with light
At the nano level, researchers at Stanford have discovered a new way to weld together meshes of tiny wires. Their work could lead to innovative electronics and solar applications. To succeed, they called upon plasmonics.

Physics/Astronomy - Mathematics - 13.02
Rapunzel, Leonardo and the physics of the ponytail
New research provides the first mathematical understanding of the shape of a ponytail and could have implications for the textile industry, computer animation and personal care products. From Leonardo Da Vinci to the Brothers Grimm, the properties of hair have been of enduring interest in science and art.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Physics/Astronomy - 7.02
Zinc path key to cancer treatment
The body's control mechanisms for delivering zinc to cells could be key to improving treatment for some types of aggressive breast cancer. New research by King's College London and Cardiff University has identified the switch which releases zinc into cells, with important implications for a number of diseases.

Physics/Astronomy - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 6.02
A quantum connection between light and motion
Researchers have demonstrated a microscopic system in which light can be converted into a mechanical oscillation and back. This interaction is so strong that it becomes possible to control the motion of the oscillator at the level where quantum mechanics governs its behaviour.

Physics/Astronomy - 3.02
Surface of Mars an unlikely place for life after 600 million year drought, say
Mars may have been arid for more than 600 million years, making it too hostile for any life to survive on the planet's surface, according to researchers who have been carrying out the painstaking task of analysing individual particles of Martian soil.

Physics/Astronomy - Electroengineering/Microtechnics - 2.02
Graphene electronics moves into a third dimension
Wonder material graphene has been touted as the next silicon, with one major problem – it is too conductive to be used in computer chips. Now scientists from The University of Manchester have given its prospects a new lifeline.

Chemistry - Physics/Astronomy - 31.01
Freezing technique exposes molecule-to-molecule attachments
Researchers at Yale University have developed a new way of exposing the atomic attachments that keep complex molecules in precise alignment. The new method could provide insight into the mechanics of a variety of molecular structures, potentially aiding efforts to manipulate them for drug discovery and other purposes.

Physics/Astronomy - Earth Sciences - 29.01
Astronomers solve mystery of vanishing electrons
Researchers have explained the puzzling disappearing act of energetic electrons in Earth's outer radiation belt, using data collected from a fleet of orbiting spacecraft. The team shows that the missing electrons are swept away from the planet by a tide of solar wind particles during periods of heightened solar activity.