High-temperature superconductor spills secret: A new phase of matter?

High-temperature superconductor spills secret: A new phase of matter?: "An unprecedented three-pronged study has found that one type of high-temperature superconductor may exhibit a new phase of matter. As in all superconductors, electrons pair off (bottom) to conduct electricity with no resistance when the material is cooled below a certain temperature. But in this particular copper-based superconductor, many of the electrons in the material don't pair off; instead they form a distinct, elusive order (orange plumes) that had not been seen before. (Credit: Illustration by Greg Stewart, SLAC)"

The real avatar: Swiss researchers use virtual reality and brain imaging to hunt for the science of the self

The real avatar: Swiss researchers use virtual reality and brain imaging to hunt for the science of the self ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2011) — That feeling of being in, and owning, your own body is a fundamental human experience. But where does it originate and how does it come to be? Now, Professor Olaf Blanke, a neurologist with the Brain Mind Institute at EPFL and the Department of Neurology at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, announces an important step in decoding the phenomenon. By combining techniques from cognitive science with those of Virtual Reality (VR) and brain imaging, he and his team are narrowing in on the first experimental, data-driven approach to understanding self-consciousness.

Breakthrough in converting heat waste to electricity: Automotive, chemical, brick and glass industries could benefit from discovery

Breakthrough in converting heat waste to electricity: Automotive, chemical, brick and glass industries could benefit from discovery: "ScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2011) — Researchers at Northwestern University have placed nanocrystals of rock salt into lead telluride, creating a material that can harness electricity from heat-generating items such as vehicle exhaust systems, industrial processes and equipment and sun light more efficiently than scientists have seen in the past."

Secret of ultra-hard graphite unlocked - physics-math - 06 November 2010 - New Scientist

Secret of ultra-hard graphite unlocked - physics-math - 06 November 2010 - New Scientist In 2003, an experiment suggested that graphite, which is normally soft, could become ultra-hard when compressed. Graphite squeezed between two diamond jaws at pressures of 170,000 atmospheres managed to produce a crack in the diamond. The atomic structure of the material remained elusive, however.

New Scientist TV: Best of web video: Halloween special

New Scientist TV: Best of web video: Halloween special

Take the ultimate intelligence test - life - 27 October 2010 - New Scientist

Take the ultimate intelligence test - life - 27 October 2010 - New Scientist Click here to go straight to the ultimate intelligence test

You might think it's obvious that one person is smarter than another.

But there are few more controversial areas of science than the study of intelligence and, in reality, there's not even agreement among researchers about what this word actually means.

Super-futuristic cars will be 'grown from seeds' rather than built - Yahoo! India News

Super-futuristic cars will be 'grown from seeds' rather than built - Yahoo! India News London, Oct 26 (ANI): Some of the world's most famous car manufacturers have come up with futuristic designs for vehicles that would be "grown" rather than built and which will be powered by compressed air.