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Penn Physicists Disrupt The ‘Coffee Ring Effect’

A team of University of Pennsylvania physicists has shown how to disrupt the "coffee ring effect" -- the ring-shaped stain of particles leftover after coffee drops evaporate -- by changing the particle shape. The discovery provides new tools for engineers to deposit uniform coatings.

The research was conducted by professor Arjun Yodh, director of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter; doctoral candidates Peter Yunker and Matthew Lohr; and postdoctoral fellow Tim Still, all of the department of Physics and Astronomy in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences.

Greenhouse Gases: The Measurement Challenge

The continuing increase in the level of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" in the Earth's atmosphere has been identified as a cause for serious concern because it may radically accelerate changes in the Earth's climate. Developing an effective strategy for managing the planet's greenhouse gases is complicated by the many and varied sources of such gases, some natural, some man-made, as well as the mechanisms that capture and "sequester" the gases.

Making a bee-line for the best rewards

Bumble bees use complex problem-solving skills to minimize the energy they use when flying to collect food, according to new research from Queen Mary, University of London.

The burly bird catches the girl

While the early bird might catch the worm, it's the quick bird that lands the ladies, according to new research into the running performance of an Arctic cousin of the grouse.

Nature doesn't just reach for low-hanging fruit; and what that means for drug development

In the first study of its kind, researchers have used tools of paleontology to gain new insights into the diversity of natural plant chemicals and have shown that during the evolution of these compounds nature doesn't settle for the 'low-hanging fruit' but favors rarer, harder-to-synthesize forms; insight that could help in the search for potent new drugs.

Tsunami observed by radar for the first time

Despite being 70 years old, radar is still finding new ways to stay relevant.

The tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11 was picked up by high-frequency radar in California and Japan as it swept toward their coasts, according to US and Japanese scientists. This is the first time that a tsunami has been observed by radar, raising the possibility of new early warning systems.

Breathing new life into Earth - evidence of early oxygen on our planet

Today, oxygen takes up a hefty portion of Earth's atmosphere: Life-sustaining O2 molecules make up 21 percent of the air we breathe. However, very early in Earth's history, O2 was a rare — if not completely absent — player in the turbulent mix of primordial gases. It wasn't until the "Great Oxidation Event" (GOE), nearly 2.3 billion years ago, when oxygen made any measurable dent in the atmosphere, stimulating the evolution of air-breathing organisms and, ultimately, complex life as we know it today.

MyWeather.com Dispels 5 Hurricane Myths and Introduces New Hurricane Tracking Feature

As hurricane season ramps up, < a href="http://myweather.com/" target="_blank">MyWeather.com is offering critical information to those at risk of tropical storms and hurricanes by revealing the science behind the storms and by debunking common myths.

Alcohol dehydrogenase gene discovery could make biofuels viable

A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) have pinpointed the exact, single gene that controls ethanol production capacity in a microorganism - a discovery that could be the missing link in developing biomass crops that produce higher concentrations of ethanol at lower costs.

The discovery of the gene controlling ethanol production in Clostridium thermocellum means that scientists can now experiment with genetically altering biomass plants to produce more ethanol.

Discovery - oldest evidence of nails in modern primates

Manicured nails were not always the grammar of fashion. When finger- and toenails appeared in modern primates about 55 million years ago, they led to the development of critical functions, including finger pads that allow for sensitive touch and the ability to grasp, whether it's a nail polish brush or remover to prepare for the next trend.

Fallout? First quantitative measure of radiation leaked from Fukushima reactor

Atmospheric chemists at the University of California, San Diego, report the first quantitative measurement of the amount of radiation leaked from the damaged nuclear reactor in Fukushima, Japan, following the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this year.

Their estimate in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is based on a signal sent across the Pacific Ocean when operators of the damaged reactor had to resort to cooling overheated fuel with seawater.

Sunflower domesticated in US, not Mexico

New genetic evidence confirms the eastern United States as the single geographic domestication site of modern sunflowers.

Through a comprehensive examination of the geographic diversity in three recently identified early domestication genes of Helianthus annuus, the researchers also reported finding no DNA evidence to support suggestions based on archaeological evidence that a second, independent domestication event had occurred in Mexico.

Washing may not be enough - E. coli may lurk in unwashable places in produce

After the E. coli outbreaks in Europe, people are concerned about pathogens in organic produced food.

Organic label or not, if you didn't grow it and don't know exactly what is in and on it, you should wash it but even sanitizing the outside of produce may not be enough to remove harmful food pathogens, according to a Purdue University study. Salmonella and E. coli can continue to live inside plant tissues.

Aphid study - Rapid evolution may increase pest numbers withing a single season

New research by scientists shows that evolution can occur so rapidly in organisms that its impact on population numbers and other aspects of biology can be seen within just a few generations.

The research in Ecology Letters detailed work on aphids, considered the world's foremost crop pest, in which researchers experimentally tested the impact of rapid evolution on wild populations within a single crop-growing season.

Daya Bay: New neutrino detection experiment in China up and running

Deep under a hillside near Hong Kong, a pair of new antineutrino detectors are warming up for some serious physics.

Twin detectors recently installed in the first of three experimental halls in the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment are now recording interactions of elementary particles called antineutrinos that are produced by powerful reactors at the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group power plant located about 55 kilometers from Hong Kong.