Physics

  1. Physics

    Nobel goes for creating the ‘nanoscope’

    A regular microscope can’t bring into focus the nanoscale molecules from which cells are built. Using lasers and fluorescent molecules, three scientists found a way to view these tiny features. Their reward: the 2014 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

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  2. Physics

    Nobel goes for making white LEDs possible

    The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to scientists who discovered how to make blue light-emitting diodes. People really wanted white LEDs. The missing ingredient in making them was a building block: the blue LED.

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  3. Tech

    Repelling germs with ‘sharkskin’

    A biotechnology company has found a way to repel superbugs without toxic chemicals. It mimics the texture of a shark’s skin.

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  4. Climate

    Where will lightning strike?

    When lightning strikes, the results can be deadly. But nature’s dazzling light show also can provide scientists with insights into when and where the next thunderbolt might strike.

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  5. Tech

    Soaking up oil spills — with cotton

    Natural, low-grade cotton could help clean up oil spills better than synthetic materials, a new study finds. And unlike synthetics, cotton breaks down naturally.

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  6. Tech

    Invisible plastic ‘ink’ foils counterfeiters

    Hidden images make a new label virtually counterfeit-proof, thanks to a combination of chemistry and nanotechnology.

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  7. Physics

    Bracing sand sculptures with gravity

    Natural sculptures of sandstone withstand strong winds and rains. The reason, a new study concludes: Gravity holds the sand grains together.

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  8. Physics

    Measure the width of your hair with a laser pointer

    You can measure the width of a human hair with the help of a laser pointer, some math and a phenomenon called diffraction.

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  9. Physics

    Comic book heroine teaches science

    Most people don’t think of superheroes as science teachers. But a comic book from the American Physical Society wants to change that. Meet Spectra, the human laser.

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  10. Physics

    Smooshed diamonds: A window into exoplanets?

    Scientists have compressed diamonds more than ever before. Their carbon may give clues to what conditions might be like deep within planets way beyond our solar system.

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  11. Fossils

    Mega-bird!

    What may have been the bird world’s biggest flier ever had wings so long, they would have had trouble flapping fast enough to keep it aloft in tough winds. But this behemoth would have been able to soar both far and fast.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Sunlight makes pleasure chemical in the body

    A day on the beach might deliver more than a tan (or sunburn). It may also release potent brain chemicals that leave people with a pleasurable feeling.

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