Energy & Particles : Science World Report

Apr 18, 2012 12:39 PM EDT

Analysis Raises Atmospheric, Ecologic and Economic Doubts about Forest Bioenergy

A large, global move to produce more energy from forest biomass may be possible and already is beginning in some places, but scientists say in a new analysis that such large-scale bioenergy production from forest biomass is unsustainable and will increase greenhouse gas emissions.

Apr 18, 2012 11:22 AM EDT

Good Vibrations in Fight Against Cancer

Medicine-toting nanochains slip into tumors and explode a chemotherapy drug into hard-to-reach cores of cancer, engineers and scientists at Case Western Reserve University report.

Apr 17, 2012 03:16 PM EDT

Nanocrystal-coated Fibers Might Reduce Wasted Energy

Researchers are developing a technique that uses nanotechnology to harvest energy from hot pipes or engine components to potentially recover energy wasted in factories, power plants and cars.

Apr 17, 2012 01:50 PM EDT

Japan to be without Nuclear Power after May 5

Japan will within weeks have no nuclear power for the first time in more than 40 years, after the trade minister said two reactors idled after the Fukushima disaster would not be back online before the last one currently operating is shut down.

Apr 17, 2012 12:37 PM EDT

Nanotube Electrodes Improve Solar Cells

Forests of carbon nanotubes are an efficient alternative for platinum electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), according to new research by collaborators at Rice University and Tsinghua University.

Apr 16, 2012 02:00 PM EDT

X-rays Create a Window on Glass Formation

Scientists have for the first time visualised the transformation of powder mixtures into molten glass. A better understanding of this process will make it possible to produce high quality glass at lower temperatures, leading to significant energy savings in industrial glass manufacturing. The result...

Apr 16, 2012 01:08 PM EDT

UWM Discovery Advances Graphene-based Electronics

Scientists and engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) have discovered an entirely new carbon-based material that is synthesized from the "wonder kid" of the carbon family, graphene. The discovery, which the researchers are calling "graphene monoxide (GMO)," pushes carbon materials ...

Apr 16, 2012 09:20 AM EDT

Topological Transitions in Metamaterials

The ability to control the flow of electrons using engineered materials is fundamental to the information technology revolution, yet many properties of matter are still unclear. Now a University of Alberta researcher is closer to understanding some of the exotic electronic properties in matter using...

Apr 16, 2012 08:57 AM EDT

Probing Hydrogen Under Extreme Conditions

How hydrogen--the most abundant element in the cosmos--responds to extremes of pressure and temperature is one of the major challenges in modern physical science.

Apr 14, 2012 04:04 PM EDT

Nuclear Forensics: Key to Ensuring Nuclear Security

Nuclear material presents a risk if it is unsecured. Materials used throughout the nuclear fuel cycle as well as radioactive "sources" that are used routinely in medicine, industry and research may be lost, abandoned, or removed from inactivated facilities without authorization.

Apr 13, 2012 04:42 PM EDT

Magnetic Test Technique Helps Ensure Reliability of Microelectronics, PV cells & MEMS

Taking advantage of the force generated by magnetic repulsion, researchers have developed a new technique for measuring the adhesion strength between thin films of materials used in microelectronic devices, photovoltaic cells and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

Apr 13, 2012 09:15 AM EDT

Energy Department Announces up to $15 Million to Research Biomass-Based Supplements for Traditional Fuels

As part of President Obama's blueprint for an economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources, the Energy Department announced today up to $15 million available to demonstrate biomass-based oil supplements that can be blended with petroleum, helping the U.S. to reduce foreign oil use, di...