Category Physics

When a crystal structure of bismuth (right) is decompressed from 32,000 atmospheres (3.2 GPa) to 12,000 atmospheres (1.2 GPa) it melts into a liquid at about 23,000 atmospheres (2.3 GPa) (middle). It then recrystallizes at 12,000 atmospheres (left). The so-called metastable liquid produced by this decompression occurs in a pressure-temperature range similar to where the supercooled bismuth is produced. Supercooled liquids are cooled below the freezing point without turning into a solid or a crystal. Credit: Chuanlong Lin and Guoyin Shen, Carnegie Institution

Phase transitions surround us – for instance, liquid water changes to ice when frozen and to steam when boiled...

NTU researcher Lee Jia Min working on 3D bioprinting of blood vessels. Credit: Image courtesy of Nanyang Technological University

Tissue implants customized to a patient could soon be printed using a new type of 3D-printer under development by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and a Singapore-based 3D printing start-up focused on healthcare. This new printer can print the supporting structure layer by layer and insert living cells to form a live tissue that could aid in regeneration of particular tissues or organs. The industry research tie-up is one of the many partnerships made possible by the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster, also known as NAMIC.

Since the formation of NAMIC by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore and SPRING Singap...

“Say hello to your personal courier. I’m here to deliver anything you need. Just tell me what, when and where and I’ll do the rest.”

“Say hello to your personal courier. I’m here to deliver anything you need. Just tell me what, when and where and I’ll do the rest.” “Your tireless delivery bot will always be on hand to lighten your load.” Wait, when did life become so comfortable? Wasn’t there luxury convenience in something called UPS? And what about wonderful Amazon? Well, some people are excited about a robot revolution in the wings, in a new era of instant, unscheduled delivery (think small orders and think local).

Starship Technologies was launched in 2014 by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis. Its “engineering expertise, combined with our experience of co-founding Skype...

This is Assistant Professor Shawn Putnam of the University of Central Florida’s College of Engineering & Computer Science. Credit: Courtesy University of Central Florida

Nanoparticles and Faraday rotation allow faster diagnoses. A UCF researcher has combined cutting-edge nanoscience with a magnetic phenomenon discovered more than 170 years ago to create a method for speedy medical tests. The discovery, if commercialized, could lead to faster test results for HIV, Lyme disease, syphilis, rotavirus and other infectious conditions. “I see no reason why a variation of this technique couldn’t be in every hospital throughout the world,” said Shawn Putnam, an assistant professor in the University of Central Florida’s College of Engineering & Computer Science.

At the core of the research are nanop...