Nano-giraffe leaves opposition behind in Science as Art competition

Out of 150 entries an image of a nano-structure resembling a giraffe has won first prize in the 2012 Science as Art competition of the Materials Research Society. The creator of the picture is Shaahin Amini a Ph.D. student at … Continue reading

New technique enables production of completely plastic solar cells and paper thin TVs

World's first completely plastic solar cell

World's first completely plastic solar cell (image: Virginie Drujon-Kippelen)

Imagine owning a television with the thickness and weight of a sheet of paper. It will be possible, someday, thanks to the growing industry of printed electronics. The process, which allows manufacturers to literally print or roll materials onto surfaces to produce an electronically functional device, is already used in organic solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that form the displays of cellphones.

Continue reading

Nobel Prize in Physics again goes to US (with touch of Australia) for accelerating expansion Universe

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to (1st half) Saul Perlmutter of Berkeley and (2nd half) to Adam Riess and Brian Schmidt for their discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae … Continue reading

Biomaterials should be more important than biofuels

When talking about a biobased economy, most people think biofuel. And who can blame them, since gasoline alone is good for about half of global petroleum use? A transition from petroleum to biomass as a source for fuel would put … Continue reading

Making batteries greener and better with algae

Existing batteries are not known for their environmentally friendly components, since most contain heavily toxic chemicals. The much used lithium-ion batteries, best known for their use in cell phones and electric cars, for instance can contain pollutants that may decrease … Continue reading