Apr. 28, 2010

First Images of Atomic Spin

Though scientists argue that the emerging technology of spintronics may trump conventional electronics for building the next generation of faster, smaller, more efficient computers and high-tech devices, no one has actually seen the spin-a quantum mechanical property of electrons-in individual atoms until now. In a study published as an Advance Online Publication in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, physicists at Ohio University, USA and the University of Hamburg, Germany present the first images of spin in action. moreMar. 10, 2010

Antifreeze Proteins Can Stop Ice Melt

The same antifreeze proteins that keep organisms from freezing in cold environments also can prevent ice from melting at warmer temperatures, according to a new Ohio University and Queen's University study published in the Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Antifreeze proteins are found in insects, fish, bacteria and other organisms that need to survive in cold temperatures. These proteins protect the organisms by arresting the growth of ice crystals in their bodies. more