field
Queen’s University professor uses nanotechnology to prolong machine and engine life
Guojun Liu has discovered a way to use nanotechnology to reduce friction in automobile engines and machines.
“The technology should be useful in a wide range of machineries other than automobile engines,” says Dr. Liu, a professor in the Department…
New scientific field will study ecological importance of sounds
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A Purdue University researcher is leading an effort to create a new scientific field that will use sound as a way to understand the ecological characteristics of a landscape and to reconnect people with the importance …
3-D digital dinosaur track download: A roadmap for saving at-risk natural history resources
Portable laser scanning technology allows researchers to tote their latest fossil discovery from the field to the lab in the form of lightweight digital data stored on a laptop. But sharing that data as a 3D model with others requires standard f…
Neurobiologists find that weak electrical fields in the brain help neurons fire together
Pasadena, Calif. — The brain — awake and sleeping — is awash in electrical activity, and not just from the individual pings of single neurons communicating with each other. In fact, the brain is enveloped in countless overlapping electric f…
Field study of smoggy inversions to end
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 2, 2011 — During the past two months, researchers launched weather balloons, drove instrument-laden cars and flew a glider to study winter inversions that often choke Salt Lake City in smog and trap dirty air in …
Arranged unions and distrust: The influence of parental choice on mate guarding
Groningen, The Netherlands — February 1, 2011 — Mate guarding is classified as excessive or unwarranted jealous or protective behavior towards a spouse or mate. This is common among many different species and can be useful to defend territory, g…
Waterhemp rears its ugly head … again
Waterhemp has done it again. University of Illinois researchers just published an article in Pest Management Science confirming that waterhemp is the first weed to evolve resistance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides.
“A fifth example of resistanc…
Insect eyes inspire improved solar cells
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 — The eyes of moths, which allow them to see well at night, are also covered with a water-repellent, antireflective coating that makes their eyes among the least reflective surfaces in nature and helps them hide from predators …
Advance could speed use of genetic material RNA in nanotechnology
Scientists are reporting an advance in overcoming a major barrier to the use of the genetic material RNA in nanotechnology — the field that involves building machines thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair and now is dominated …
Paper mulches evaluated for commercial vegetable production
LEXINGTON, KY — Polyethylene mulches, used widely in commercial vegetable production to improve crop yields and produce quality, have distinct disadvantages. Disposal options are limited, and plastic mulches often end up in landfills, being …
How often do giant black holes become hyperactive?
A new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory tells scientists how often the biggest black holes have been active over the last few billion years. This discovery clarifies how supermassive black holes grow and could have implications for ho…
