Science

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Ride Shotgun With NASA Saucer As It Flies to Near Space

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Firing the Saucer
Rockets fire in this video clip captured by the test vehicle for NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator project. The test occurred above the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii.

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Diamonds are a Quantum Computer’s Best Friend: A new kind of quantum computer is being proposed by scientists from the TU Wien (Vienna) and Japan (National Institute of Informatics and NTT Basic Research Labs)

The Quantum Computer is the Holy Grail of quantum technology. Its computing power would eclipse even the fastest classical computers we have today. A team of researchers from TU Wien (Vienna) the National Institute for Informatics (Tokyo) and NTT Basic Research Labs in Japan has now proposed a new architecture for quantum computing, based on microscopic defects in diamond. A reliable quantum computer capable of solving complex problems would have to consist of billions of quantum systems, and such a device is still out of reach. But the researchers are convinced that the basic elements of their newly proposed architecture are better suited to be miniaturized, mass-produced and integrated on a chip than previously suggested quantum computing concepts. Experiments towards the new quantum computing architecture are already being undertaken at TU Wien.

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A new concept for a quantum computer has been proposed.

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Research of Empa scientists on the cover of "Nature": Synthesis of structurally pure carbon nanotubes using molecular seeds

For the first time, researchers at Empa and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research have succeeded in "growing" single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) with a single predefined structure - and hence with identical electronic properties.

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Scanning tunneling microscopy images the precursor, the «folded» end cap, and the resulting carbon nanotube, together with the corresponding structural models.

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Production of Electrochemical Biosensor Sensitive to Hydrogen Peroxide in Iran

Iranian researchers produced electromagnetic nanocomposite made of iron oxide and polyfuran magnetic nanoparticles and succeeded in the synthesis of electrochemical biosensor sensitive to hydrogen peroxide.

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Orbiter Completes Maneuver to Prepare for Comet Flyby

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NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft passes above Mars' south pole in this artist's concept illustration.

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Rosetta Arrives at Target Comet

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Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by Rosetta's OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on August 3, 2014, from a distance of 177 miles (285 kilometers).

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“Active” surfaces control what’s on them: Researchers develop treated surfaces that can actively control how fluids or particles move

Researchers at MIT and in Saudi Arabia have developed a new way of making surfaces that can actively control how fluids or particles move across them. The work might enable new kinds of biomedical or microfluidic devices, or solar panels that could automatically clean themselves of dust and grit.

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Diagram shows the droplet on the ferrofluid impregnated surface. The oil-based solution keeps the droplet from being pinned to the surface and allows it to move freely.

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NASA's Hubble Finds Supernova Star System Linked to Potential 'Zombie Star'

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LEDs made from ‘wonder material’ perovskite: Colourful LEDs made from a material known as perovskite could lead to LED displays which are both cheaper and easier to manufacture in future

A hybrid form of perovskite - the same type of material which has recently been found to make highly efficient solar cells that could one day replace silicon - has been used to make low-cost, easily manufactured LEDs, potentially opening up a wide range of commercial applications in future, such as flexible colour displays.

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Light-induced nanocarriers switch on improved gene therapy

Nanocarriers are a useful means of transporting molecules such as genes to specific points in the body, for example to target tumors in cancer therapy. Such nanocarriers must be carefully controlled to avoid the random dissemination of genes in other organs en route to the target cells.

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A newly developed, light-induced nanocarrier for targeted gene therapy has been trialled by researchers in Japan. The three-layered micelle safely and effectively delivered gene packages in mice cancer tumor models.