A new wrinkle in the control of waves

Flexible materials could provide new ways to control sound and light

27-Jan-2014 - Flexible, layered materials textured with nanoscale wrinkles could provide a new way of controlling the wavelengths and distribution of waves, whether of sound or light. The new method, developed by researchers at MIT, could eventually find applications from nondestructive testing of materials to ...

Why beer overflows when a one bottle is bumped against another

24-Jan-2014 - Scientists at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) reveal the physical phenomenon that explains beer’s rapid transformation from a liquid to a foamy state as the result of an impact. This research has applications in the area of naval engineering or in studies related to the prediction of ...

Suburban sprawl accounts for 50 percent of US household carbon footprint

24-Jan-2014 - Many U.S. cities are taking steps to grow urban centers in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But a challenge is the significant carbon footprint of spacious suburban living, which in many areas, may be cancelling out these efforts. The report, appearing in the ACS journal ...

EU could cut emissions by 40 percent at moderate cost

22-Jan-2014 - The costs of achieving a more ambitious EU climate target are estimated to be moderate. Upscaling greenhouse-gas emissions reduction from the current 20 percent by 2020 to 40 percent by 2030 would be likely to cost less than an additional 0.7 percent of economic activity. This is a key finding ...

Highly efficient broadband terahertz radiation from metamaterials

22-Jan-2014 - Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have demonstrated broadband terahertz (THz) wave generation using metamaterials. The discovery may help develop noninvasive imaging and sensing, and make possible THz-speed information communication, processing and storage. The results ...

Keeping whales safe in sound

Unique collaboration between oil/ gas industry, scientists, conservationists proves way to minimize seismic survey impacts on rare whales, other species

21-Jan-2014 - A step-by-step guide to reducing impacts on whales and other marine species during seismic sea floor surveys has been developed by experts with IUCN's Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. In a study published in the journal Aquatic Mammals the ...

Carbon nanotube sponge shows improved water clean-up

20-Jan-2014 - A carbon nanotube sponge capable of soaking up water contaminants, such as fertilisers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, more than three times more efficiently than previous efforts has been presented in a new study published. The carbon nanotube (CNT) sponges, uniquely doped with sulphur, also ...

Renewable chemical ready for biofuels scale-up

20-Jan-2014 - Using a plant-derived chemical, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have developed a process for creating a concentrated stream of sugars that's ripe with possibility for biofuels. "With the sugar platform, you have possibilities," says Jeremy Luterbacher, a UW-Madison postdoctoral ...

First comprehensive test to detect genetic modification in food

17-Jan-2014 - As the abundance of genetically modified (GM) foods continues to grow, so does the demand for monitoring and labeling them. The genes of GM plants used for food are tweaked to make them more healthful or pest-resistant, but some consumers are wary of such changes. To help inform shoppers and ...

What your candles and TV screen have in common

16-Jan-2014 - The next time you light a candle and switch on your television ready for a relaxing evening at home, just think. These two vastly different products have much more in common than you might imagine! Research recently carried out by Professor Tanja Schilling and associates, Muhammad Anwar and ...