Science News

(Phys.org) --Imagine a computer so efficient that it can recycle its own waste heat to produce electricity. While such an idea may seem far-fetched today, significant progress has already been made to realize these devic...

You see only what your mind wants you to see, and this exerts a profound influence on your behaviour (full text available to subscribers)     

A team of researchers have sequenced the genome of the Pinus taeda, commonly known as the loblolly pine, and found that the tree's genetic code -- seven times larger than a human's -- is the largest and the most complete...

Dust produced by New Zealand glaciers may have contributed to cooling in the Southern Ocean during the last ice age, scientists say.

Scientists say they've generated the longest genome sequence to date, unraveling the genetic code of the loblolly pine tree, which is seven times longer than the human genome.

A new telescope tool for peering into the cosmos and creating three-dimensional views of the universe has passed its first major test at a European observatory in Chile's high desert.

In March 1974, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), decided to end a six-month embargo that had crippled much of the global economy, frayed the Western world's social fabric and exposed mankind's...

From an ancient sound illusion to a symbol of unity, researchers have proposed dozens of theories for why the mysterious megaliths were erected at Stonehenge 5,000 years ago.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) fostered the development of autonomous, self-driving cars through its prize-based competitions. The first DARPA Grand Challenge was held in 2004.

The Fitbit zip is one of the least expensive fitness trackers on the market, at just $59.95. Here's a look at how much you get for the bargain price.

In October 1973, OPEC member nations began an oil embargo that crippled much of the global economy, frayed the Western world's social fabric and exposed mankind's utter dependence on one limited resource: oil.

The founders of Facebook and SpaceX and actor Ashton Kutcher are investing $40 million in a company working to create an artificial brain.

DARPA, the arm of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for advancing military technology, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the DARPA Grand Challenge, an ambitious, first-of-its-kind race between robotic, self...

On the floor of a cave in a remote desert island in Mexico, scientists stumbled across a mat of urine-hardened poop, dating back to 1,500 years ago. The fossilized dung offers surprising evidence that bighorn sheep once ...

All the latest stories on newscientist.com: Europe's space shuttle, Turkey twitter, moon impacts, and more     

The IXV is Europe's first attempt in 16 years to build a spaceship that can re-enter Earth's atmosphere – it could one day carry astronauts into space     

The experimental and numerical study of the behaviour of polymers in concentrated solutions is a line of research that is still highly active. In the past, it enabled us to understand why materials like rubber have certa...

For most people, infrared technology calls to mind soldiers with night-vision goggles or energy audits that identify where heat escapes from homes during the winter season.

Plants already provide food, fuel and oxygen, but now researchers want to make plants produce even more energy and perform jobs such as detecting environmental pollutants or even explosives or chemical weapons.

A new journal devoted to the study of pornography launched today (March 21) with papers about the culture and content of porn. Researchers hope the journal will help pull the field of porn studies out of its infancy.

Research into a recently discovered class of materials shows they have the necessary characteristics to develop ultra-energy efficient electronics. Topological insulators (TI) are three-dimensional materials that conduct...

Earlier this week, a robot wrote a breaking news story about an earthquake. But this is not the first machine to carry a press pass