Graphene may replace silicon in large scale integration

University of Maryland physicists have shown that in graphene the intrinsic limit to the mobility, a measure of how well a material conducts electricity, is higher than any other known material at room temperature.

See U Maryland.

Earth-like planet around Alpha Centauri?

Astronomers in the University of California at Santa Cruz have postulated that the star Alpha Centauri might harbour an Earth-like planet around it, at the beginning of a 5-year search they hope may result in the discovery of such an object in the 'habitable-zone' around the star.

See Physics World.

Conductivity of DNA

Colin Nuckolls of Columbia University and Jacqueline Barton of Caltech have succesfully measured the conductivity of DNA using nanotubes.

See Physics World.

Astronomy Evening Course being planned

Would you like to learn about the Sun, planets, stars and galaxies, comets and meteor showers, and learn how to use a telescope to observe the universe around you?

The School of Physics at the Dublin Institute of Technology is planning an evening course to provide adult education for the beginner amateur astronomer. No prior experience is necessary and the evening class will focus on constellations easily seen in the skies over Ireland. See here for contact details

See DIT Physics Astronomy Evening Course.

IR therapy for neurodegenerative disease

Researchers in the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Milwaukee have demonstrated a methodology, termed 'photobiomodulation', involving exposure to near IR that has proven useful in the promotion of cell survival in neural cells, and that could be useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

See SPIE.

Black Holes in the Lab

Physicists at the University of St. Andrews have for the first time created a system that allows the simulation of 'black holes' in an optical system, allowing for the examination of 'Hawking radiation' predicted to emanate from these objects by the eminent physicst.

See Physics World.

Production targeting 10m2 carbon nanotube sheets

Nanocomp Technologies of Concord, USA says it can now produce sheets of carbon nanotubes that measure 1m by 2m and will reach 10 square metres in area by this summer. The sheets, which the company can produce on its single machine at a rate of one per day, are composed of a series of nanotubes each about a millimeter long, overlapping each other randomly to form a thin mat. The tensile strength of the mat ranges from 200 to 500 megapascals. A sheet of aluminum of equivalent thickness, for comparison, has a strength of 500 megapascals.

See xconomy.com.