/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Machine-learning models can speed up the discovery of new materials by making predictions and suggesting experiments. But most models today only consider a few specific types of data or variables. Compare that with human scientists who work in a collaborative environment and consider experimental results, the broader scientific literature, imaging and structural analysis, personal experience or intuition, and input from colleagues and peer reviewers. /news/2025-09-ai-driven-blends-literature-robotics.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:34:05 EDT news678029641 Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have observed a doping-tunable charge density wave (CDW) in a single-layer semiconductor, Chromium(III) selenide (Cr2Se3), extending the CDW phenomenon from metals to doped semiconductors. /news/2025-09-doping-triggers-tunable-density-2d.html Condensed Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:10:05 EDT news677931001 Researchers with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have created an innovative method to visualize and analyze atomic structures within specially designed, ultrathin bilayer 2D materials. When precisely aligned at an angle, these materials exhibit unique properties that could lead to advancements in quantum computing, superconductors and ultraefficient electronics. /news/2025-09-scientists-visualize-atomic-moir-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:21:04 EDT news677845261 Researchers at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Chemical Energy Conversion and Clariant have unveiled new insights into the complex catalyst systems used in industrial ammonia production. By examining the structural evolution of these catalysts, the study highlights the critical role of promoters in enhancing performance and stability. /news/2025-09-catalyst-evolution-reveals-unsung-heroes.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:19:03 EDT news677769541 A research team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a new method to uncover the atomic origins of unusual material behavior. This approach uses Bayesian deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence that combines probability theory and neural networks to analyze complex datasets with exceptional efficiency. /news/2025-09-advanced-ai-links-atomic-quantum.html Condensed Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:31:00 EDT news677410256 Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have long been hailed as the future of clean mobility: cars that emit nothing but water while delivering high efficiency and power density. Yet a stubborn obstacle remains. The heart of the fuel cell, the platinum-based catalyst, is both expensive and prone to degradation. Over time, the catalyst deteriorates during operation, forcing frequent replacements and keeping hydrogen vehicles costly. /news/2025-09-atomic-ct-scan-reveals-gallium.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:05:04 EDT news677167502 Using a combination of spectromicroscopy at BESSY II and microscopic analyses at DESY's NanoLab, a team has gained new insights into the chemical behavior of nanocatalysts during catalysis. /news/2025-09-metallic-nanocatalysts-catalysis.html Nanomaterials Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:54:03 EDT news676742041 Researchers at National Taiwan University designed a graphene oxide biochar TiO2 nanocomposite that combines adsorption capacity with superior photocatalytic activity. With strong material characterization and optoelectronic properties, it offers a novel and sustainable solution for antibiotic removal from livestock wastewater. /news/2025-09-reusable-nanocomposite-adsorption-photocatalysis-advanced.html Nanomaterials Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:16:03 EDT news676552561 In a recent study, Dr. Agata HaÅ‚uszko and colleagues discovered an ornament made from beetles in a cremation grave in DomasÅ‚aw, Poland. The work is published in the journal Antiquity. /news/2025-09-archaeologists-uncover-rare-beetle-ornament.html Archaeology Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:32:55 EDT news676542768 Just one year after NREL materials science researchers Matthew Hautzinger and Sage Bauers met to exchange notes on underexplored materials in nanotechnology, their synthesis of promising Zintl-phase quantum dots is attracting attention with its bright photoluminescent glow, chemical stability, and Earth-abundant ingredients. /news/2025-09-built-brilliance-zintl-phase-quantum.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:14:04 EDT news676196041 A study published in Molecules and led by researchers from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Â鶹ÒùÔºics (CIOMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences demonstrated how deep learning can streamline the identification of atomic-scale defects in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a promising two-dimensional (2D) material for next-generation electronics. /news/2025-08-deep-automates-defect-2d-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 21 Aug 2025 08:31:34 EDT news674983868 Brazilian paleobotany has just solved an enigma: the redefinition of a fossil plant described decades ago in southern Brazil and the creation of a new genus, Franscinella, to accommodate the species now called Franscinella riograndensis. The study is part of the master's thesis by Júlia Siqueira Carniere, currently a doctoral student in the Graduate Program in Environment and Development at University of Vale do Taquari—Univates (PPGAD). /news/2025-08-million-year-fossil-unearthed-brazil.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 13 Aug 2025 14:55:04 EDT news674315702 Dried fruit is a tasty snack or sweet addition to recipes, but the water removal process often requires heat and energy. In a step toward more sustainable food preservation, researchers reporting in ACS Food Science & Technology have developed a method for drying food at room temperature by adjusting air pressure conditions and using food-safe calcium chloride. /news/2025-08-dehydrates-fruit.html Biotechnology Agriculture Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:31:02 EDT news674148661 Large metal surfaces coated with precisely formed nanostructures have so far remained in the realm of fantasy. The obstacle standing in the way of their production seemed fundamental, as it resulted from the presence of crystal grains in metals: their boundaries disrupted the growth of the nanostructures. At the Institute of Nuclear Â鶹ÒùÔºics of the PAS, using titanium and its oxide by way of example, it has been proven that this obstacle can be overcome. /news/2025-08-titanium-oxide-nanostructuring-transcends-boundaries.html Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Aug 2025 12:06:04 EDT news673787161 Critical mineral lithium—the lightest of all metals—had long eluded geologists by slipping through the cracks of traditional analysis. /news/2025-08-laser-analysis-enables-industry-mineral.html Earth Sciences Thu, 07 Aug 2025 08:59:04 EDT news673775941 Analysis of ocean sediments has surfaced geochemical clues in line with the possibility that an encounter with a disintegrating comet 12,800 years ago in the Northern Hemisphere triggered rapid cooling of Earth's air and ocean. Christopher Moore of the University of South Carolina, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in the journal PLOS One on August 6, 2025. /news/2025-08-ocean-sediments-theory-comet-impact.html Earth Sciences Environment Wed, 06 Aug 2025 14:00:05 EDT news673613402 A new study uncovers revealing insights into how plastic materials used in electronics are formed, and how hidden flaws in their structure could be limiting their performance. /news/2025-08-molecular-imaging-uncovers-hidden-flaws.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:20:07 EDT news673261637 Quantum stochastic rectification is a process observed in some physical systems, which entails the conversion of random quantum fluctuations (i.e., quantum noise) and a small oscillating signal, such as a weak alternating current or AC voltage, into a steady output (e.g., a direct current, or DC). This quantum effect has been previously reported in magnetic tunnel junctions that are driven by both quantum mechanics and randomness (i.e., stochastic processes). /news/2025-07-method-ultrafast-molecules.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Mon, 28 Jul 2025 07:00:01 EDT news672650459 Topological materials are a class of materials that exhibit unique electronic properties at their boundary (surface in 3D materials; edge in 2D materials) that are robust against imperfections or disturbances and are markedly different from their bulk properties. In other words, these materials could be insulators (i.e., resisting the flow of electrons or heat), and yet be conducting at their boundary (i.e., allowing electrons or heat to easily flow through them). /news/2025-07-uncover-topological-excitonic-insulator-tunable.html Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:30:01 EDT news672571742 For the first time, spin waves, also known as magnons, have been directly observed at the nanoscale. This breakthrough was made possible by combining a high–energy-resolution electron microscope with a theoretical method developed at Uppsala University. The results open exciting new opportunities for studying and controlling magnetism at the nanoscale. /news/2025-07-nanoscale.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:20:01 EDT news672578397 In a twist worthy of a detective novel, a long-misidentified fossil at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) has emerged as a key discovery in early animal evolution. /news/2025-07-fossil-thought-caterpillar-oldest-nonmarine.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 23 Jul 2025 05:00:02 EDT news672381997 Understanding how ancient species arranged themselves in space is a key puzzle in paleoecology, but direct evidence of how prehistoric organisms used their body structures to regulate spacing has long eluded scientists. Now, researchers in China have uncovered the first direct evidence: Approximately 436-million-year-old brachiopods from the early Silurian period used tiny, bristle-like structures called setae to maintain orderly, "checkerboard" spacing—ensuring they had enough room to thrive on the ancient seafloor. /news/2025-07-prehistoric-social-distancing-million-year.html Ecology Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:02 EDT news672386135 Scientists use scanning tunneling microscopy to understand how a material's electronic or magnetic properties relate to its structure on the atomic scale. When using this technique, however, they can normally investigate only the uppermost atomic layer of a material. /news/2025-07-scanning-tunneling-microscopy-reveals-subsurface.html Nanophysics Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:20:06 EDT news672056312 A study conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" in Italy has synthesized fullerenes and hollow spherical graphene particles using only natural graphite, ethanol, water, and sodium hydroxide under ambient conditions. Published in the journal Diamond and Related Materials, the research showed the feasibility of producing structures that previously required extremely high temperatures using an electrochemical route. /news/2025-07-electrochemical-route-synthesis-giant-fullerenes.html Materials Science Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:08:37 EDT news671976512 Understanding the interaction between light and matter at the smallest scales (angstrom scale) is essential for advancing technology and materials science. Atomic-scale structures, such as defects in diamonds or molecules in electronic devices, can significantly influence a material's optical properties and functionality. To explore these tiny structures, we need to extend the capabilities of optical microscopy. /news/2025-07-microscopy-technique-nanometer-resolution-atomic.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Optics & Photonics Thu, 17 Jul 2025 10:52:51 EDT news671968367 A new method turns noise into valuable data to enhance understanding of chemical reactions and material properties with unprecedented detail at the atomic level. The results of this research are now published in Nature. /news/2025-07-nobel-prize-idea-super-resolution.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:30:12 EDT news671890832 Photo-induced force microscopy began as a concept in the mind of Kumar Wickramasinghe when he was employed by IBM in the early years of the new millennium. After he came to the University of California, Irvine in 2006, the concept evolved into an invention that would revolutionize research by enabling scientists to study the fundamental characteristics of matter at nanoscale resolution. /news/2025-07-revolutionizing-photo-microscopy-globe-celebrated.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:10:01 EDT news671703676 Imagine going through a surgery where the doctor proposes the use of a temporary implant that dissolves by itself with time in the human body, thereby avoiding a painful second surgery. As great as that would sound, the challenges are plenty when it comes to designing an implant that has mechanical properties close to that of the human bone, is biocompatible and degrades at an appreciable rate till the bone heals. /news/2025-07-retarding-corrosion-magnesium-alloy-polymer.html Polymers Materials Science Fri, 11 Jul 2025 09:07:42 EDT news671443656 Electrons play many roles in solid materials. When they are weakly bound and able to travel—i.e., mobile—they can enable electrical conduction. When they are bound, or "heavy," they can act as insulators. However, in certain solid materials, this behavior can be markedly different, raising questions about how these different types of electrons interact. /news/2025-07-heavy-electrons-cooperate-magic-angle.html Superconductivity Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:45:04 EDT news671096702 If you have ever looked closely into a rockpool along the U.K. coastline, you may have been lucky enough to find a tiny hermit crab scuttling about. What you might not realize is that hermit crabs are constantly monitoring their environment for changes and threats. /news/2025-07-hermit-crabs-sensitive-claws-bolder.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Jul 2025 09:24:03 EDT news670667041