High-performance plasmas may make reliable, efficient fusion power a reality
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (40) |
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In the quest to produce nuclear fusion energy, researchers from the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have recently confirmed long-standing theoretical predictions that performance, efficiency and reliability ...
African desert rift confirmed as new ocean in the making
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (36) |
8
(PhysOrg.com) -- In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled ...
Second Law of Thermodynamics May Explain Economic Evolution
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (34) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Terms such as the "invisible hand," laissez-faire policy, and free-market principles suggest that economic growth and decline in capitalist societies seem to be somehow self-regulated. Now, ...
Breakthrough in industrial-scale nanotube processing
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (23) |
3
(PhysOrg.com) -- Rice University scientists today unveiled a method for the industrial-scale processing of pure carbon-nanotube fibers that could lead to revolutionary advances in materials science, power ...
Laser-plasma accelerators ride on Einstein's shoulders
Nov 02, 2009 |
5 / 5 (22) |
0
Using Einstein's theory of special relativity to speedup computer simulations, scientists have designed laser-plasma accelerators with energies of 10 billion electron volts (GeV) and beyond. These systems, ...
Fantastic Voyage
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (19) |
3
By travelling to the outer solar system, the two Voyager spacecraft allowed us to see amazing details of far-distant planets and moons.
Precise picture of early Universe supports 'dark matter' theory
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (17) |
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A detailed picture of the seeds of structures in the universe has been unveiled by an international team co-led by a Cardiff University scientist.
Driver-less car in high-speed rally assault
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (16) |
3
Imagine driving at top speed on a steep, winding mountain pass in the Alps, or the Himalayas, or the Rocky Mountains.
Solving Teapot Effect
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (12) |
10
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of scientists from France have worked out why teapots dribble at low flow rates, and how to stop them. The effect is called the "teapot effect", and solving it could finally put an ...
Flying MAV Navigates Without GPS (w/ Video)
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (12) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- During the last several years, researchers have been building micro air vehicles (MAVs) that can autonomously fly through different environments by relying on GPS for navigation. Recently, ...
Creating a six-qubit cluster state
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (10) |
2
(PhysOrg.com) -- Many scientists believe that quantum entanglement is required in order for effective quantum computing. Entanglement takes place when there is a connection that exists between two objects - even when they ...
Forest clearances sealed ancient civilisation's downfall
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (9) |
6
(PhysOrg.com) -- An ancient South American civilisation which disappeared around 1,500 years ago helped to cause its own demise by damaging the fragile ecosystem that held it in place, a study has found. ...
3-D system based on optical fiber could provide new options for photovoltaics
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (10) |
0
Converting sunlight to electricity might no longer mean large panels of photovoltaic cells atop flat surfaces like roofs.
'Ultra-primitive' particles found in comet dust
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (9) |
2
Dust samples collected by high-flying aircraft in the upper atmosphere have yielded an unexpectedly rich trove of relicts from the ancient cosmos, report scientists from the Carnegie Institution. The stratospheric ...
Science Begins at the World's Most Powerful X-ray Laser (w/ Video)
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (9) |
2
(PhysOrg.com) -- The first experiments are now underway using the world's most powerful X-ray laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source, located at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. ...
