Physics education research, electronic materials, and the musings of Christopher Moore, Ph.D.
Jul 3rd, 2011
It took an entire bag of Sweet Sixteens and a full day of stirring, filtering, and baking. However, it appears that we have been successful in our first attempt at extracting TiO2 nanoparticles from powdered sugar doughnuts.
Jan 1st, 2011
Powdered doughnuts are good for you! At least, if you’re interested in solar power. Yes, even you can build your own solar cell using powdered doughnuts and tea leaves.
Fuel cell devices directly convert chemical energy into electricity by electrochemical reactions, and have received recent interest due to their lack of moving parts and relatively clean operation. Various types of fuel cells are currently discussed in the scientific literature, though polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) show characteristics that would make them suitable for automobile [...]
Sep 1st, 2005
You probably thought the first real application of nano-scale structures would be for computing, didn’t you? It appears researchers are studying ways to use nanospheres to fill the tiny holes we all have in our teeth. The result: stronger, less sensitive choppers. ScienceBlog reports: Preliminary research presented today at the Institute of Physics conference EMAG-NANO [...]
Nov 14th, 2004
This week I’m attending the American Vacuum Society’s (AVS) annual conference. More about what that is tommorrow. I just got off the plane. Normally, I would write an interesting article about flight and the Bernoulli Principle, but I’m too tired. Maybe another day. The high point of the flight: on the plane, I sat next [...]
Oct 1st, 2004
Cornell News reports carbon nanotube oscillators have been built that can weight an atom. Using a carbon nanotube, Cornell University researchers have produced a tiny electromechanical oscillator that might be capable of weighing a single atom. The device, perhaps the smallest of its kind ever produced, can be tuned across a wide range of radio [...]