Scientists develop ultracold atoms

In a joint project between the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow, Imperial College London and the National Physical Laboratory, researchers have developed a portable way to produce ultracold atoms for quantum technology and quantum information processing.

Carnivorous plant discards 'junk' DNA

Genes make up about 2 percent of the human genome. The rest consists of a genetic material known as noncoding DNA, and scientists have spent years puzzling over why this material exists in such voluminous quantities.

This drone flies for 48 hours straight

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) recently managed to fly a fuel-cell powered Ion Tiger UAV for 48 hours and 1 minute using liquid hydrogen fuel in a new, NRL-developed, cryogenic fuel storage tank and delivery system.

Is chaos superior to order?

An international team of physicists, including researchers from the Universities of York and St. Andrews, has demonstrated that chaos can beat order - at least as far as light storage is concerned.

HERB robot discovers objects autonomously

A typical robot may struggle to discover objects in its surroundings when it relies on computer vision alone. However, by taking advantage of all of the information available to it - such as an object's location, size, shape and even whether it can be lifted - a robot can continually discover and refine its understanding of objects.

Manipulating a buckyball by inserting a single water molecule

Columbia Engineering researchers have developed a technique to isolate a single water molecule inside a buckyball, or C60, and to drive motion of the so-called "big" nonpolar ball through the encapsulated "small" polar H2O molecule, a controlling transport mechanism in a nanochannel under an external electric field.

Invisibility cloak moves forward with 3D printing

Seven years ago, Duke University engineers demonstrated the first working invisibility cloak in complex laboratory experiments. Now it appears creating a simple cloak has become a lot simpler.

Report: Pollution can actually cause global cooling

Scientists at the University of Manchester says that natural emissions and manmade pollutants may have an unexpected cooling effect on the world's climate by making clouds brighter.

Video: Robotic insects take to the skies

Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leaps a few inches, hovers for a moment on fragile, flapping wings, and then speeds along a preset route through the air.

Study: Virtual identities can alter your actual self-perception

When individuals create and modify their virtual reality avatars, the hardships faced by their alter egos can influence how they perceive virtual environments.

Scientists create a printable bionic ear

Scientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear capable of "hearing" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability.

Manipulating quantum bits with laser lights

By using light, researchers at UC Santa Barbara have managed to manipulate the quantum state of a single atomic-sized defect in diamond – the nitrogen-vacancy center – a method that allows for more unified control than conventional processes.

Quantum computing inches forward

Quantum computing is controlled by the laws of quantum physics. Nevertheless, such technology offers the potential to perform complicated calculations, or search large amounts of data, at a speed that exceeds by far those that today’s fastest supercomputers are capable of.

The science behind a riot

Since the 1960's, participants of group riots have been viewed as rational individuals driven by a sense of injustice. However, Dr. Christian Borch claims this approach is misleading, at least in today's world.

What happened before the dinosaurs?

Predecessors to dinosaurs missed the race to fill habitats emptied when 9 out of 10 species disappeared during Earth's largest mass extinction 252 million years ago. Or did they?

The sharp political divide of climate change

US residents who believe in the scientific consensus on global warming are more likely to support government action to curb emissions, regardless of whether they are Republican or Democrat.

Pyrrole molecule movement defies "classical" physics

Movement of the ring-like molecule pyrrole over a metal surface runs counter to the centuries-old laws of 'classical' physics that govern our everyday world.

The battery-memory device mashup

Resistive memory cells (ReRAM) are regarded as a potential, yet promising platform for future generations of computer memories.

Lithium-polysulfide battery helps solar and wind power the grid

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have managed to design a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.

Video: This algorithm simulates evolution

A research team led by Cornell University's Creative Machines Lab has created a computer algorithm that simulates virtual creatures evolving their squishy, muscle-like features in order to teach themselves to walk.