Science

Researchers create 3D invisibility cloak

European researchers have taken the world a step closer to fictional wizard Harry Potter's invisibility cloak after they made an object disappear, a study published Thursday in the journal Science showed.Read More

Nanopool's non-toxic Liquid Glass protects against everything from bacteria to UV radiation

The liquid coating spray, which is harmless to the environment, can be applied to virtually any surface, and has been used to guard against plant disease, protect outdoor structures, and the nose cones of planes and high-speed trains. Liquid glass could soon replace a variety of cleaning products which are harmful to the environment, leaving the world coated in an invisible, wipe-clean sheen.Read More

A 48-core prototype processor is part of Intel's move from supercomputer-on-a-chip to data-center-on-a-chip

Chips that can simulate a supernova or predict a hurricane are yesterday’s goal if Intel’s recently unveiled 48-core research chip is any indication. Today’s goal is squeezing all the simple but extensive work of a data center onto a single 1.3-billion-transistor chip.Read More

Researchers say the first cowboy to draw seldom wins the duel since the brain responds faster to danger

Have you ever noticed that the first cowboy to draw his gun in a Hollywood Western is invariably the one to get shot? Nobel prize–winning physicist Niels Bohr did, and arranged mock duels to test the validity of this cinematic curiosity.

Following Bohr's example, researchers have now confirmed that people move faster if they are reacting to another person's movements than if they are taking the lead themselves. The findings may one day inspire new therapies for patients with brain damage.Read More

Energy-harvesting rubber nanoribbons could power cellphones, other gadgets or medical devices

Power-generating rubber film developed by Princeton University engineers could harness natural body movements such as breathing and walking to power pacemakers, mobile phones and other electronic devices.Read More

NASA's Mars exploration rover Opportunity is allowing scientists to get a glimpse deep inside Mars

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell

Found on a Martian plain, a dark rock not much bigger than a basketball was the target of interest for Opportunity during the past two months. Dubbed "Marquette Island," the rock is providing a better understanding of the mineral and chemical makeup of the Martian interior.Read More

Nick Veasey creates X-ray images that reveal the inner workings of familiar objects - from the components of a notebook computer - to the anatomy of a Boeing 747. The 747 X-Ray image took Veasey more than three months to create.Read More

The Atmos clock may never need rewinding, getting its energy from small temperature changes and atmospheric pressure changes

Reinvented by Australian designer Marc Newson, its balanced design borders on minimalist. Its Baccarat crystal case houses a new movement, the Jaeger-LeCoultre 566 Calibre, which in addition to indicating the hours and minutes, also displays the month, equation of time and a splendid view of the night sky as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. It also includes an indication of the cardinal points and astrological signs.Read More

A wire screen prevents dangerous gases from exploding

A fine-mesh kitchen sieve with a candle inside simulates Humphry Davy's miner safety lamp. An explosive mixture of propane gas and air is blown in from the outside. If the mesh is fine enough, the fire will stop at the screen even as the explosive gas flows through it.Read More

Z Machine fusion could solve the world's energy shortage

Once sparked with a relatively small electrical input, the Z Machine can produce a staggering 290 terawatts of power. That's equivalent to 80 times the world's total power output. Today, that power can only be released in a pulse lasting 70 billionths of a second - but it's a start.Read More