Scientists used UV light and glow powder to study the way small amounts of drug residue get spread around a forensic chemistry lab when analysts test seized drugs. Their study addresses safety concerns in an age of super-potent synthetic drugs like fentanyl, which can potentially be hazardous to chemists who handle them frequently. Instead, their…

Researchers have developed a method that may lead to new types of displays based on structural colors. The discovery opens the way to cheap and energy-efficient color displays and electronic labels. We usually think of colours as created by pigments, which absorb light at certain wavelengths such that we perceive colour from other wavelengths that…

Transitioning to a hydrogen economy will require massive production of cheap, clean hydrogen gas for fuel and chemical feedstocks. New tools allow scientists to zoom in on a catalytic reaction that’s been a bottleneck in efforts to generate hydrogen from water more efficiently. But a key step in that process, known as the oxygen evolution…

A team of researchers has developed a modified version of two-photon imaging that can scan deeper within tissue and perform the imaging much faster than previously possible. Two-photon imaging is also time-consuming, as it usually requires scanning individual pixels one at a time. A team of MIT and Harvard University researchers has now developed a…

The highlight of the new chart is a wake of stars, stirred up by a small galaxy set to collide with the Milky Way. The map could also offer a new test of dark matter theories. The data for the new map comes from ESA’s Gaia mission and NASA’s Near Earth Object Wide Field Infrared…

A new study shows how micro-scale ‘rockets,’ powered by acoustic waves and an on-board bubble motor, can be maneuvered through 3D landscapes of cells and particles using magnets. The origin story of the tiny rockets began with a fundamental scientific question: Could scientists design nano- and microscale vessels that use chemicals for fuel to travel…

Computer chips and storage elements are expected to function as quickly as possible and be energy-saving at the same time. Innovative spintronic modules are at an advantage here thanks to their high speed and efficiency, as there is no lossy electrical current, rather the electrons couple with one another magnetically — like a series of…

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of non-natural deaths worldwide. Lower speed limits may help prevent accidents. But speed-reduction policies can be controversial and effects are not well documented. A new study shows that speed reductions in Sao Paulo, Brazil, dramatically reduced fatal accidents and increased travel times only minimally. A new study from University…

An early warning system to identify at-risk structures using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has been developed. The system could be applied to infrastructure projects including roads, railways and building developments at lower cost and greater accuracy than existing techniques. Combining data from a new generation of satellites with a sophisticated algorithm, the monitoring system could…

Community structure, including relationships between and within groups, is foundational to our understanding of the world around us. «When we encounter complex data in areas such as public health, economics or elsewhere, it can be valuable to address questions regarding the presence of discernable groups, and the inherent «cohesion» or glue that holds these groups…