Plasmonic nanoreactors regulate selective oxidation via energetic electrons and nanoconfined thermal fields
When optimizing catalysis in the lab, product selectivity and conversion efficiency are primary goals for materials scientists. Efficiency and selectivity are often mutually antagonistic, where high selectivity is accompanied by low efficiency and vi.....»»
Farming soybeans after soybeans, a rarity in Iowa, gets a closer look
In most of Iowa's fields, three out of every four acres, farmers rotate annually between planting corn and soybeans. Barely any fields see soybeans year after year, a practice discouraged by expert advice and practical experience......»»
Scientists quantify energetic costs of the migratory lifestyle in a free flying songbird
Millions of birds migrate every year to escape winter, but spending time in a warmer climate does not save them energy, according to research by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB). Using miniaturized loggers implanted in wild blackb.....»»
New method improves understanding of light-wave propagation in anisotropic materials
Understanding how light travels through various materials is essential for many fields, from medical imaging to manufacturing. However, due to their structure, materials often show directional differences in how they scatter light, known as anisotrop.....»»
New algorithm rights wrongs of precipitation-type classification over Tibetan Plateau
Like many natural phenomena, precipitation can be both a blessing and a scourge to human life. On the one hand, it supplies our rivers and fields with water; on the other hand, it can cause floods, landslides, and other natural disasters. Either way,.....»»
Magna says AI-boosted thermal sensing is more effective, cuts back on false automatic emergency braking activations
Magna is pitching automakers on a new thermal sensing product that processes information with the assistance of artificial intelligence, which it says improves effectiveness and reduces the number of unexpected automatic emergency braking activations.....»»
Researchers simulate novel metal-filtered VCSEL modal control
A study led by researchers from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed a novel metal-dielectric film mode filter structure that can flexibly regulate transverse modes in vertical-cavi.....»»
Future foods: How non-thermal tech could transform starch consumption
Starch is a vital component of the human diet, serving as a primary energy source. However, high-glycemic starches are linked to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Traditional starch modification methods, such as.....»»
Researchers achieve efficient electro-oxidation of glycerol to formate under room temperature
Glycerol is a key byproduct of biodiesel fabrication, and its production has increased proportionally with the growth of biodiesel production. Glycerol electrooxidation is considered as an innovative strategy due to its low theoretical potential and.....»»
Dual-feedback mechanism can enhance anti-oxidation coatings in fiber composites
Fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) have been the primary choice for radome materials in hypersonic vehicles due to their high toughness, strength, and other advantageous properties. However, oxidation by oxygen in the atmospheric envir.....»»
The legacy of corn nitrogen fertilizer: Study shows lengthy impact in tile drained systems
Midwestern soils are among the most productive in the world, thanks in part to extensive tile drainage systems that remove excess water from crop fields. But water isn't the only thing flowing through tile drains. Nitrogen moves along with soil water.....»»
Catalyzing environmental cleanup: A highly active and selective molecular catalyst and electrified membrane
Some chemicals create environmental problems; others, fortunately, can help clean them up. Chemists from Yale University and their colleagues have developed an electrochemical catalyst and membrane that offers an efficient and sustainable way to trea.....»»
Infrared thermal imaging enables reliable assessment of animal stress from distance
An international team of researchers from the University of Turku, Finland, and the University of Tours, France, aimed to validate the use of infrared thermal imaging as a non-invasive tool for assessing stress responses in reindeer. Their findings s.....»»
Corn-shaped seed pellets to boost habitat for monarchs, bees
Crop fields are low in biodiversity, but farmers may soon be part of the solution thanks to a Cornell innovation that allows growers to use corn or other crop seed planting machines to plant strips of milkweed or wildflowers next to their fields......»»
Scientists cool positronium to near absolute zero for antimatter research
Most atoms are made from positively charged protons, neutral neutrons and negatively charged electrons. Positronium is an exotic atom composed of a single negative electron and a positively charged antimatter positron. It is naturally very short-live.....»»
Researchers examine protein arrangement in cell membrane that triggers programmed cell death
How can molecular structures be analyzed when the resolution of the techniques available is not sufficient? Researchers from the fields of physics, chemistry and medicine at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have combined and further develo.....»»
The amazing flowers growing in pavement cracks and why you shouldn"t pass them by
In spring and summer flowers pop up spontaneously in lawns, playgrounds, fields and even cracks in the pavement. But what do you see: weeds or wildflowers?.....»»
Researchers advance new class of quantum critical metal that could advance electronic devices
A new study led by Rice University's Qimiao Si has unveiled a new class of quantum critical metal, shedding light on the intricate interactions of electrons within quantum materials. Published in Physical Review Letters on Sept. 6, the research explo.....»»
Plasmonic modulators could enable high-capacity space communication
Researchers have achieved data rates as high as 424Gbit/s across a 53-km turbulent free-space optical link using plasmonic modulators—devices that use special light waves called surface plasmon polaritons to control and change optical signals. The.....»»
Physicists capture images of atoms flowing along a boundary without resistance despite obstacles in their path
Typically, electrons are free agents that can move through most metals in any direction. When they encounter an obstacle, the charged particles experience friction and scatter randomly like colliding billiard balls......»»
Adding an alternating magnetic field to layers of twisted graphene creates even more exotic properties
Magnetic fields can engineer flat bands in twisted graphene layers to create a new playground for exotic physics, RIKEN physicists have shown......»»