Tag: physical sciences
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University Pigs Out on Spectroscopy
McGill University engineering researchers in Montreal, Quebec have developed a new meat inspection technology based on spectroscopy that analyzes light waves. Their research was conducted with Agriculture Canada and the nation’s pork industry. The spectroscopy process involves the analysis of the wave lengths of visible and invisible light produced by matter. By measuring the wave…
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Researchers Develop New Solid Materials Shaping Process
Scientists at New York University (NYU) in New York City have developed a method to shape solid materials using a corn starch solution. While manufacturers today can use lasers or high-speed water jets for this purpose, these current methods are not very precise. The corn starch solution developed at NYU offers a rudimentary alternative (illustrated…
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New Process Accelerates Nanoparticle Production
Engineering researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis have discovered a new method to speed the production rate of nanoparticles by 500 times. The researchers say this advance — for which a patent has been applied — can help make products from nanotechnology more commercially practical. Nanoparticles are extraordinarily tiny groups of atoms and compounds…
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Real-Time Coastal Monitoring System in Development
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh are developing an electronic monitoring system to help advance understanding of coastal ecosystems by allowing users to track water-quality data from these waters in real time. The project was funded by National Science Foundation and National Security Agency. The NCSU team is working on the project…
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Cornell Gets $80 Million Gift for Sustainability Research
Cornell University alumnus David R. Atkinson and his wife Patricia Atkinson (pictured right) have given the university an $80 million gift to turn a three-year-old pilot program that they funded into a permanent, research center on challenges in the global energy, environmental, and economic development arenas. The university says the contribution represents the largest gift…
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Defense/IT Developer Expanding R&D Labs, Staffing
Dynetics, a developer of defense/aerospace and IT systems in Huntsville, Alabama said Thursday it plans to add a new R&D and prototyping facility to its current Huntsville location. The company says it expects to hire 350 new workers over three years to staff the facility, but gave no timetable for when construction work begins. The…
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Scientists’ Statement Raises Flame Retardant Concerns
A statement signed by nearly 150 scientists from 22 countries raises concerns about use of brominated and chlorinated flame retardant chemicals (BFRs and CFRs, respectively), a major class of chemicals often found in upholstered furniture, foam carpet pads, textiles, televisions, and other consumer electronics, airplanes, and automobiles. These chemicals also were used in mattresses produced…
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Chinese Develop New Waterproof Cotton Fabric
Scientists with the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics and the Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing have developed a waterproof cotton fabric that continues to repel water after 250 commercial launderings. The new fabric, say the researchers, looks almost identical to ordinary cotton, is both impermeable and breathable, and retains its super-hydrophobic…
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Portable Scanner Enables Quicker Breast Cancer Detection
An engineering professor at University of Manchester in the U.K. has invented a portable scanner based on radio frequency (microwave) technology, which can show in a second the presence of tumors -– both malignant and benign -– in the breast of a patient on a computer. The device can be used at a primary care…
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Study: Scented Products Stink with Unlisted Chemicals
A study by an engineering professor at University of Washington (UW) in Seattle found that 25 commonly used scented products emit an average of 17 chemicals each, including some toxic substances. Only in a few instances were the potentially dangerous chemicals disclosed on the product labels. All were widely used brands, with more than half…