2014

Scientists Find Transitions Between States of Matter Are Complicated

The seemingly simple process of phase changes—those transitions between states of matter—is more complex than previously known, according to research based at Princeton University, Peking University and New York University.

A Billion Holes Can Make a Battery

Researchers at the University of Maryland have invented a single tiny structure that includes all the components of a battery that they say could bring about the ultimate miniaturization of energy storage components.

Trapping Light with a Twister

New understanding of how to halt photons could lead to miniature particle accelerators, improved data transmission.

Study Gets to the Roots of Plants' Natural Sunscreen

A new study at Purdue University examined the properties and mechanics of the molecule plants use to absorb harmful ultraviolet-B radiation, and its SPF rating would be off the charts.

Formula Developed by Wright State Scientists Could Shed Light on Global Climate Change

Wright State University researchers have discovered a formula that accurately predicts the rate at which soil develops from the surface to the underlying rock.

Stanford Libraries Unearths the Earliest U.S. Website

A piece of web history is made available again for the first time since its debut in the early 1990s.

Emergent Behavior Lets Bubbles 'Sense' Environment (video)

Tiny bubbles can reorganize their membranes in response to the surrounding environment, according to work carried out in an international collaboration of engineers at the University of California, Davis, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.