Tag Archives: Materials Sciences

Smart glove tracks hand movements with unprecedented accuracy

The washable device is embedded with individual sensor fibres that respond to tiny changes in the material’s stretch and pressure. Read more in Physics World… Continue reading →

Posted in Physics World | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How Fur Frustrates Fouling

A hair’s resistance to dirt depends on how much it deforms in a flowing fluid. Read more in APS Physics… Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Water Reduces Ground Coffee’s Charge

Adding water to coffee beans before grinding can reduce the buildup of static charge—and make a stronger espresso. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Earplugs That Block Out All Sounds

A new 3D-printed earplug can absorb physiological sounds made by the body, potentially making it more acoustically comfortable to use than some commercially available earplugs. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Global Connectivity Predicts Reactivity

The reactivity of a material is describable using only the arrangement of its atoms, a finding that could be used to speed up the search for new catalytic materials. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Squeezable Metal Offers a Greener Approach to Refrigeration

A system built around a metal that gains and loses heat when compressed could lead the way to the commercialization of chemical-free refrigeration technology. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Mechanics of Curly Hair

By examining the mechanical and geometric properties of curly hair, Michelle Gaines creates a classification system that could help consumers find optimal hair-care products. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A New Route to Room-Temperature Ferromagnets

A novel crystalline material is readily grown from low-melting-temperature mixtures—a result that points toward a new route to above-room-temperature ferromagnets. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

New compound that withstands extreme heat and electricity could lead to next-generation energy storage devices

Flexible polymers made with a new generation of the Nobel-winning “click chemistry” reaction find use in capacitors and other applications. Continue reading →

Posted in Berkeley Lab | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dark Matter Goes Down to the Wire

A superconducting nanowire detector places new bounds on how a hypothetical lightweight dark matter particle interacts with electrons. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , | Leave a comment