01. Researchers capture moving object with ghost imaging 02. Researchers develop thin heat shield for superfast aircraft 03. Smart metamaterials that sense and reprogram themselves 04. New spin directions in pyrite an encouraging sign for future spintronics 05. Stretchable, degradable semiconductors 06. Invention of teeny-tiny organic films could enable new electronics 07. Sound-redirecting prototype could fool eavesdroppers 08. Fingerprint test can distinguish between those who have taken or handled heroin 09. WPI researchers discover vulnerabilities affecting billions of computer chips 10. Nuclear warheads? This robot can find them And others… Meet the Volocity Mesmerizing Video Shows Waves of Spinal Fluid […]
Fingerprint test can distinguish between those who have taken or handled heroin
Science Daily November 11, 2019 An international team of researchers (UK, Ireland) has built a fingerprint drug testing technology which is now able to detect heroin, its metabolite, 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-AM) and other analytes associated with the class A drug. The technology was able to identify traces of heroin and 6-AM on drug non-users in every scenario the researchers devised – whether someone directly touched the drug, handled it and then thoroughly washed their hands, or had come into contact with heroin via shaking someone else’s hand…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Invention of teeny-tiny organic films could enable new electronics
Phys.org November 8, 2019 A team of researchers in the US (University of Chicago, Cornell University, Argonne National Laboratory) filled a reactor halfway with liquid A, then add liquid B. At the line where the two meet, they used a tiny tube to inject the rest of the ingredients, which assembled into a film. Then scientists evaporated or drain the liquids, and the film gently glides down to rest intact. The film grows in one continuous motion, so there are no awkward joints between patches. It can be performed at room temperature. The method provides an innovative way to combine […]
Meet the Volocity
IEEE Spectrum November 12, 2019 VoloCity is an inner-city flying taxi proposed by a German company. The wide span and 9 Lithium-ion exchangeable battery packs-powered engines and rotors (18 of each) reduce the noise level. The aircraft will fly at “only” 110kmph. Batteries are recharged on the vertiports. Vertical take-off and landing, so no need for wheels nor retractable landing gear…read more.
Mesmerizing Video Shows Waves of Spinal Fluid Washing Over The Brain During Sleep
Science Alert November 11, 2019 Previous studies have suggested that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is important for waste removal in the brain. A team of researchers in the US (Boston University, Massachusetts general Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) has now observed this pulsing action. In combination with the slow wave brain activity (which is partly for fixing our memories in place) and the decrease in blood flow that happens while we sleep, these CSF waves look to be washing out unnecessary proteins and other redundant debris. As slow brain wave frequency drops as we get older, the […]
New spin directions in pyrite an encouraging sign for future spintronics
Science Daily November 12, 2019 Generating and manipulating out-of-plane spins without applying an external electric or magnetic field has been a key challenge in spintronics. Researchers in Australia demonstrate for the first time that pyrite-type (Pyrite is an iron-sulfide mineral that displays multiple internal planes of electronic symmetry) crystals can host unconventional energy- and direction-dependent spin textures on the surface, with both in-plane and out-of-plane spin components, in sharp contrast to spin textures in conventional topological materials. The findings provide a platform for experimentalists to detect and exploit unconventional surface spin textures in future spin-based nanoelectronic devices…read more. Open Access […]
Nobel Prizes – The NSF Connection
NSF News November 13, 2019 Public support of science is an investment in the future. As stewards of the public trust, NSF and other federal agencies help secure that future by supporting tomorrow’s Nobel laureates today. When a scientist who has received federal funding is awarded the Nobel prize, the public can share the pride as well as the research benefits. Some 242 laureates have been supported by the public through grants from NSF (and often from other federal agencies) at some point in their careers – and sometimes throughout their careers. By the time they are recognized internationally, their […]
Nuclear warheads? This robot can find them
EurekAlert November 12, 2019 A team of researchers in the US (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University) is developing a prototype of autonomous, three-foot rolling robots armed with smart detectors to support nuclear safeguards and verify arms-control agreements. The demonstration confirmed that the robot could detect the source of neutrons and provided data. The “inspector bot” consists of a cylinder of polyethylene plastic containing three neutron counters set 120 degrees apart and mounted on a robot with specialized wheels that enable it to move in any direction. The detectors provide high sensitivity to the energy of detected neutrons and the […]
Researchers capture moving object with ghost imaging
Science Daily November 13, 2019 Ghost imaging has been limited to stationary objects because it takes a long time to project the sequence of light patterns onto the object that is necessary to reconstruct an image making blurry. The ghost imaging technique forms an image by correlating a beam that interacts with the object and a reference beam that does not interact with te object. Individually, the beams don’t carry any meaningful information about the object. To apply ghost imaging to moving objects researchers in China used a small number of light patterns to capture the position and trajectory of […]
Researchers develop thin heat shield for superfast aircraft
Phys.org November 13, 2019 Existing heat shields are often very thick compared to the base they protect. Researchers at Florida State University designed a carbon nanotube/phenolic thermal protection layer (TPL) with heat shield functionality while maintaining designed mechanical strength compared to traditional carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) composites. These TPLs were integrated onto the surface of carbon fiber/bismaleimide composites to act as a heat shield for hybrid composites. The TPLs resulted in a 17% decrease of the through-thickness thermal conductivity for hybrid composites. The material retained its flexibility and strength after flame torch test It has the potential to protect […]