Gleich klappt’s – gleich klappt’s nicht
Verfahren ermöglicht anhand von Gehirnsignalen eine Prognose, ob Menschen eine Bewegung präzise ausführen werden (more…)
Category Archives: Science
Metal Foam Protects From Fire and Heat Twice as Well as Plain Metal
A new study from North Carolina State University researchers finds that novel light-weight composite metal foams (CMFs) are significantly more effective at insulating against high heat than the conventional base metals and alloys that they’re made of, such as steel. The finding means the CMF is especially promising for use in storing and transporting nuclear material, hazardous materials, explosives and other heat-sensitive materials, as well as for space exploration. (more…)
Dissecting the animal diet, past and present
Researchers at Yale and the Smithsonian Institution say it’s time to settle a very old food fight.
In a study published March 18 in the journal Ecology and Evolution, authors Matt Davis and Silvia Pineda-Munoz argue that scientists need to focus as much on “when” animals eat as they do “what” animals eat. Without the proper time context, they say, an animal’s diet can tell very different stories. (more…)
From Near-Dropout to PhD, Berkeley Lab Scientist Now at Forefront of Biofuels Revolution
Berkeley Lab scientist Ee-Been Goh thrives on re-engineering bacteria and mentoring students.
To see biochemist Ee-Been Goh in the lab today, figuring out how to rewire bacteria to produce biofuels, one would never guess she was once so uninterested in school that she barely made it through junior high. (more…)
First-ever videos show how heat moves through materials at the nanoscale and speed of sound
Groundbreaking observations could help develop better, more efficient materials for electronics and alternative energy
Using a state-of-the-art ultrafast electron microscope, University of Minnesota researchers have recorded the first-ever videos showing how heat moves through materials at the nanoscale traveling at the speed of sound. (more…)
Diversity’s benefits
Solving difficult problems takes diverse teams, noted author says
“Hire the best people.” We’ve all heard that.
But often groups of “the best” — those with the highest abilities — don’t do the best job at solving a difficult problem, according to Scott Page, University of Michigan professor and author of The Difference, a classic book on the benefits of diversity. (more…)
Meditation and ballet associated with wisdom, study says
Wisdom, traditionally associated with old age, is nonetheless found in people of all ages. So, what makes a person wise?
A new study, “The Relationship between Mental and Somatic Practices and Wisdom,” published Feb. 18 in PLOS ONE, confirms an age-old conception that meditation is associated with wisdom. Surprisingly, it also concludes that somatic, or physical, practices such as classical ballet might lead to increased wisdom. (more…)
Aufbruch in eine neue Dimension des Kohlenstoffs
Direkter Nachweis eindimensionaler Kohlenstoffketten als Vorläufer für rätselhaftes Carbin
Reiner Kohlenstoff ist in vielen verschiedenen Formen zu finden, die bekanntesten sind Diamant und Graphit. Die einzigartigen strukturellen, elektrischen und optischen Eigenschaften dieser Materialien bieten eine breite Palette an Anwendungsmöglichkeiten, von Verbundstoffen bis zur Nanoelektronik. Einzig Carbin, die eindimensionale Form des Kohlenstoffs, konnte noch nie hergestellt werden: Aufgrund der hohen Instabilität bei normalen Bedingungen ist die Existenz von Carbin selbst nach über 100 Jahren nicht bewiesen. Ein internationales Team von PhysikerInnen unter der Leitung von Thomas Pichler von der Universität Wien hat nun einen Meilenstein auf dem Weg zur Herstellung von Carbin in makroskopischen Mengen erreicht: Eine neuartige Methode, bei der sie dünne, doppelwandige Kohlenstoffnanoröhren als Schutzmantel verwenden, machte es möglich, Ketten aus mehr als 6.000 Kohlenstoffatomen zu erzeugen – ein neuer Rekord. (more…)