Applied Physics

Research carried out at MIT's Alcator C-Mod fusion reactor may have brought the promise of fusion as a future power source a bit closer to reality, though scientists caution that a practical fusion…

Check this out... Hawking plans long commute to Canada

Wouldn't it be great if your cell phone or mp3 player could charge itself? What if your house could generate electricity from the noise of the cars on the road? Or if the waste heat generated by your…

Each year, coal-burning power plants, steel factories and similar facilities in the United States produce more than 125 million tons of waste, much of it fly ash and bottom ash left over from…

A smart scientist is a frugal scientist. The Frugal Scientist is a series of articles focusing on frugality with special attention to the fundamentals of science. When it comes to saving money on…

Don't give up the driving range just yet, but a group of physicists at the 61st Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics say they can optimize a golf ball with numerical…

When a flow reaches a certain speed, things get turbulent: The fluid or the gas no longer flows in an orderly fashion but whirls around wildly.   Turbulent flows in pipes are of importance for…

A University of Michigan professor has created 3-D portraits of the president-elect that are smaller than a grain of salt. He calls them "nanobamas." John Hart, an assistant professor in the…

We rarely think about the electricity impact of something like a conveyor belt at an airport.   When our luggage goes on , or we step on one, numerous gears with ball- and slide-bearings go to…

From the Tour de France to NASCAR, competitors and fans know that speed is only part of the equation. Strategy, including the ability to use elements like aerodynamic drafting, which makes it easier…