Applied Physics

Hyperbranched Aluminosilica Absorbs CO2 From Coal Plant Smokestacks

Growing concern over increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide has prompted new interest in techniques for removing the gas from the smokestacks of such large-scale sources as coal-fired electric power plants. But to minimize their economic impact, th ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 7 2008 - 11:01am

Darwin Today Website Gives The Public A Say In The Evolution Debate

A new interactive website – www.darwin.rcuk.ac.uk- has been launched today that people the chance to learn about Darwin’s theories of evolution and what they mean today. It shows how his ideas are influencing our broader culture as well as science, enginee ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 8 2008 - 12:31pm

Charmed Strange Meson Decay- Observing The Beginning Of The Universe

High-energy physicists devoted to recreating the conditions at the beginning of the universe have for the first time observed a new way to produce those basic particles of atoms, protons and neutrons. Confirming a decades-old prediction, the physicists wit ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 10 2008 - 11:57am

Science Or Sci-Fi? Physicists Imagine A Pocket Dimension One Billionth Of A Nanometer In Size

The universe as we currently know it is made up of three physical dimensions of space and a relative one of time, but researchers in the Department of Physics and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech are exploring the poss ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 10 2008 - 3:28pm

Applied Engineering Takes On Portable DNA Detection

A researcher at the National University in San Diego has taken a mathematical approach to a biological problem- how to design a portable DNA detector. Samuel Afuwape, Applied Engineering professor, describes a mathematical simulation to show how a new type ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 10 2008 - 9:43pm

Systems Biology Approach Identifies Nutrient Regulation Of Biological Clock In Plants

Using a systems biological analysis of genome-scale data from the model plant Arabidopsis, an international team of researchers identified that the master gene controlling the biological clock is sensitive to nutrient status. This hypothesis derived from m ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 15 2008 - 12:30am

A Vision Creates A City Of The Future

Brasilia is the futuristic capitol of Brazil. It has been so since 1960 when the federal government moved there from Rio de Janeiro. I recently spent two days there and it is truly magnificent. It has been a place I have wanted to visit almost my entire li ...

Article - David Houle - Apr 2 2008 - 4:25pm

The Bystander Effect: Advanced Animation Could Lead To New Psychology Studies

The bystander effect suggests that the more witnesses there are to an emergency, the less likely an individual bystander is to intervene. This phenomenon was identified as a particular consequence of the assault and murder of Kitty Genovese in New York in ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 17 2008 - 11:12am

Zirconia Breakthrough Means 'Self-Renewing' Engine Blades For Airplanes

Jet engines operate at temperatures of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit and blades in the most advanced aircraft engines are coated with a thin layer of temperature-resistant, thermally-insulating ceramic to protect the metal. The coating-- referred to as a ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 17 2008 - 12:15pm

New Membrane Boosts Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Technology

Fuel cells are commonly used in such settings as satellites, submarines or remote weather stations because they have no moving parts, do not require combustion and can run unattended for long periods of time. However, current fuel cells lose efficiency as ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 19 2008 - 12:44pm