Cotton threads: As good as a metal wire to conduct electricity?

Mar 10 | News

A Cornell Univ. team has developed cotton threads that can conduct electric current as well as a metal wire can, yet remain light and comfortable enough to give a whole new meaning to multi-use garments.

Palm-sized adhesive device could let humans walk on walls

Feb 2 | News

No, it doesn’t shoot spider webs. Invented at Cornell, the small mechanism instead uses the power of water surface tension generated electrically through 1,000 micron-sized holes. Inspired by a Florida beetle, the device currently holds 30 grams. But the power of this effect is highly scalable, they say, and can be built to hold many pounds.

Walking on walls

Feb 2 | News

Could humans one day walk on walls, like Spider-Man? A palm-sized device invented at Cornell that uses water surface tension as an adhesive bond just might make it possible.

Cornell scientists create usable blood vessels from human stem cells

Jan 26 | News

 Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have turned human embryonic and pluripotent stem cells into plentiful, functional endothelial cells, which are critical to the formation of blood vessels. The technique, which could support cardiovascular treatments, is significant because it increases the quantity of available cells 40-fold over previous approaches.

Superconductivity mechanism found in iron compound

Jan 19 | News

A surprising discovery by Cornell researchers of electronic liquid crystal states in an iron-based, high-temperature superconductor is another step toward understanding superconductivity and using it in such applications as power transmission.

Budging nanoscale objects with a small force

11/18/2009 | News

With a bit of leverage, Cornell researchers have used a very tiny beam of light with as little as 1 milliwatt of power to move a silicon structure up to 12 nm. That's enough to completely switch the optical properties of the structure from opaque to transparent, they reported.

Mess-free way found to grow graphene

11/17/2009 | News

Single layers of carbon atoms, called graphene sheets, are lightweight, strong, electrically semi-conducting—and notoriously difficult and expensive to make. Now, a Cornell research team has invented a simple way to make graphene electrical devices by growing the graphene directly onto a silicon wafer.  

VIVOweb may be the Facebook for researchers

10/22/2009 | News

Driven by a $12.2 million grant from NIH, VIVOweb is a project from Cornell Univ. and Indiana Univ. that aims to help scientists find potential collaborators from outside the sometimes insular disciplines within which researchers typically operate. Focused initially on the biomedical community, the project may be a glimpse out how researchers build networks and partnerships through interactive online media.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Mar 15

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.