News articles tagged with 'mechanical' (Page 5)
Trees, forests and the Eiffel tower reveal theory of design in nature
— 15 Aug 2008 14:28 | TechnologyWhat do a tree and the Eiffel tower have in common? According to a Duke University engineer, both are optimised for flow. In the case of trees, the flow is of water from the ground…
How insects use trapped oxygen to breathe underwater
— 31 Jul 2008 10:30 | BiologyHundreds of insect species spend much of their time underwater, where food may be more plentiful. MIT mathematicians have now figured out exactly how those insects breathe underwater…
The fight for the best quantum bit
— 2 Jul 2008 14:32 | TechnologyPost Doc Henrik Ingerslev Jorgensen has come an important step closer to the quantum computer. The journal Nature Physics has just published the researcher's groundbreaking discovery…
University of Florida professor designs plasma-propelled flying saucer
— 11 Jun 2008 21:12 | TechnologyFlying saucers may soon be more fact than mere science fiction. University of Florida mechanical and aerospace engineering associate professor Subrata Roy has submitted a patent application…
An explanation for the relaxors' extreme sensitivity to mechanical pressure or voltage
— 19 May 2008 13:53 | TechnologyA research team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has found an explanation for the extreme sensitivity to mechanical pressure or voltage of a special…
MIT engineers find that microbe adhesion depends on surface stiffness
— 19 May 2008 12:22 | TechnologyHaving found that whether bacteria stick to surfaces depends partly on how stiff those surfaces are, MIT engineers have created ultrathin films made of polymers that could be applied…
Designing bug perception into robots
— 12 May 2008 12:36 | TechnologyInsects have provided the inspiration for a team of European researchers seeking to improve the functionality of robots and robotic tools. The research furthers the development of more…
Experiencing virtual products
— 17 Apr 2008 12:00 | TechnologyAn electric car window slides smoothly upward at the press of a button. While power windows are certainly convenient, they can also pose a safety risk. For instance, if a child puts…
Atomic laser light cools microchip
— 14 Apr 2008 11:23 | PhysicsMacroscopic objects follow the laws of classical physics, microscopic objects obey the laws of quantum mechanics. This is for sure. But at what point does a system stop to behave classically…
Power shirt generates electricity from physical motion
— 13 Feb 2008 18:00 | PhysicsNanotechnology researchers are developing the perfect complement to the power tie: a 'power shirt' able to generate electricity to power small electronic devices for soldiers in the…