http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The secret to the flight of the hummingbird and other tiny birds and insects lies in the looping, swirling flow of air, called a vortex, that their flapping wings create. http://www.physorg.com/news180186917.html Technology Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:56:15 EST news180186917 Shrink a human being down to the size of an insect, and you would no longer be able to sip lemonade from a straw. The forces that hold liquid together would simply be too great to overcome at that tiny scale. http://www.physorg.com/news179688348.html Biology Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:26:33 EST news179688348 A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a new modeling methodology for determining the capacity and assessing the risks of leakage of potential underground carbon-dioxide reservoirs. http://www.physorg.com/news178208871.html Physics Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:40:02 EST news178208871 Understanding mixing in the ocean is of fundamental importance to modeling climate change or predicting the effects of an El Niņo on our weather. Modern ocean models primarily incorporate the effects of winds and tides. However, they do not generally take into account the mixing generated by swimming animals. http://www.physorg.com/news178119743.html Physics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:30:04 EST news178119743 A butterfly's proboscis looks like a straw -- long, slender, and used for sipping -- but it works more like a paper towel, according to Konstantin Kornev of Clemson University. He hopes to borrow the tricks of this piece of insect anatomy to make small probes that can sample the fluid inside of cells. http://www.physorg.com/news178121677.html Physics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:40:26 EST news178121677 To design a lightweight anchor that can dig itself in to hold small underwater submersibles, Anette (Peko) Hosoi of MIT borrowed techniques from one of nature's best diggers -- the razor clam. http://www.physorg.com/news178119439.html Electronics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:40:26 EST news178119439 A group of researchers at the City College of New York is developing a new way to generate power for planes and automobiles based on materials known as piezoelectrics, which convert the kinetic energy of motion into electricity. They will present their concept later this month at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics will take place from November 22-24 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. http://www.physorg.com/news178114279.html Physics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:12:30 EST news178114279 If a nuclear weapon were detonated in a metropolitan area, how large would the affected area be? Where should first responders first go? According to physicist Fernando Grinstein, we have some initial understanding to address these questions, but fundamental issues remain unresolved. http://www.physorg.com/news178114183.html Physics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:10:15 EST news178114183 (PhysOrg.com) -- The ocean is a potentially vast source of electric power, yet as engineers test new technologies for capturing it, the devices are plagued by battering storms, limited efficiency, and the need to be tethered to the seafloor. http://www.physorg.com/news177846004.html Technology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:50:04 EST news177846004 (PhysOrg.com) -- Even if you are not a cook, you might have wondered why a pinch of flour (or any small particles) thrown into a bowl of water will disperse in a dramatic fashion, radiating outward as if it was exploding. Pushpendra Singh, PhD, a mechanical engineering professor at NJIT who has studied and written about the phenomenon, has not only thought about it, but can explain why. http://www.physorg.com/news177616622.html Physics Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:30:05 EST news177616622 (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 end to tea stains from dribbling teapots. http://www.physorg.com/news176363839.html Physics Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:00:02 EST news176363839 To subdue the steaming heat of hurricanes or to thaw out during a blizzard, gasoline-powered, portable generators are a lifeline during weather emergencies when homes are cut off without electricity. But these generators emit poisonous carbon monoxide -- a single generator can produce a hundred times more of the colorless, odorless gas than a modern car's exhaust. http://www.physorg.com/news174074356.html Technology Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:40:01 EST news174074356 (PhysOrg.com) -- Engineering students at UC San Diego are studying the fluid dynamics of water in order to build a more comfortable and sanitary urine collection device for space travel. http://www.physorg.com/news163180957.html Physics Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:03:19 EST news163180957 A new mathematical formula that could be used to give advance warning of where a tsunami is likely to hit and how destructive it will be has been worked out by scientists at Newcastle University. http://www.physorg.com/news157785128.html Other Sciences Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:13:06 EST news157785128 (PhysOrg.com) -- Last summer, it was very expensive to fill up a gas tank when the gasoline price hit close to four dollars a gallon. Transportation by road or air consumes fuel, which not only increases our vulnerability to foreign imports but also is a source of greenhouse gas emissions that will impact adverse change in climate and global warming. http://www.physorg.com/news156446277.html Technology Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:19:24 EST news156446277 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have been puzzled in recent years by observations that drug-releasing stents (mesh-like tubes implanted to hold patients' coronary arteries open) can increase the likelihood of blood clots and heart attacks. Now, a mathematical model developed by MIT engineers can predict whether particular types of stents are likely to cause life-threatening side effects. http://www.physorg.com/news150473094.html Other Sciences Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:04:54 EST news150473094