Category Physics

Lucky find! How Science behind Epidemics helped Physicists to develop State-of-the-Art Conductive Paint

Schematic of the structure of the film with graphene oxide trapped between polymer latex sphere

In new research published in Nature Communications, University of Sussex scientists demonstrate how a highly conductive paint coating that they have developed mimics the network spread of a virus through a process called ‘explosive percolation’ – a mathematical process which can also be applied to population growth, financial systems and computer networks, but which has not been seen before in materials systems. The finding was a serendipitous development as well as a scientific first for the researchers.

The process of percolation – the statistical connectivity in a system, such as when water flows through soil or through coffee grounds – is an important component in the development of l...

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Nanoimprinting Technique for Humidity-Responsive Holographic Images

A magical display that projects holographic images that change when in contact with water has been developed. This new technology increases the possibility of commercialization as it can infinitely imprint holographic images.

A POSTECH research team led by Professor Junsuk Rho (Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Chemical Engineering) and Ph.D. candidates Byoungsu Ko, Younghwan Yang, Jaekyung Kim, and Dr. Trevon Badloe has developed a technology for a humidity-responsive display that changes in brightness and color depending on the degree of humidity.

The team first successfully realized holographic images with tunable brightness using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)...

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A type of simple DIY Air Filter can be an effective way to Filter Out Indoor Air Pollutants

A type of simple, DIY air filter can be an effective way to filter out indoor air pollutants
A study from researchers at Brown University and Silent Spring Institute found that inexpensive, easy-to-assemble Corsi-Rosenthal boxes can help reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants. Credit: Ken Zirkel

A team of researchers from Brown University’s School of Public Health, Brown’s School of Engineering and Silent Spring Institute found that simple air filtration devices called Corsi-Rosenthal boxes are effective at reducing indoor air pollutants.

The study, which analyzed the effectiveness of Corsi-Rosenthal boxes installed at the School of Public Health to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, is the first peer-reviewed study of the efficacy of the boxes on indoor pollutants, according to the authors.

Lowering indoor air concentrations of commonly-found chemicals known to pose...

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At the edge of Graphene-based Electronics

A tiny graphene device on a silicon carbide substrate chip. The device rests on a person's fingertip. Credit: Jess Hunt-Ralston, Georgia Tech 

Researchers developed a new graphene-based nanoelectronics platform compatible with conventional microelectronics manufacturing, paving the way for a successor to silicon.Claire Berger, physics professor at Georgia Tech, holds the team’s graphene device grown on a silicon carbide substrate chip. Credit: Jess Hunt-Ralston, Georgia Tech 

A pressing quest in the field of nanoelectronics is the search for a material that could replace silicon. Graphene has seemed promising for decades. But its potential faltered along the way, due to damaging processing methods and the lack of a new electronics paradigm to embrace it. With silicon nearly maxed out in its ability to accommodate faster computing, the next big nanoelectronics platform is needed now more than ever.

Walter de Heer, Regen...

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