Manchester Graphene (The University of Manchester) Graphene is a fascinating material with many potential applications that stem from its unusual properties.
It was thought not to be stable in its free form until it was isolated in 2004 by researchers at The University of Manchester. This is the story of how that discovery came about and why the researchers involved won the Nobel Prize in physics for their work. If we stack layers of graphene on top of one another they form graphite, which is found in every pencil lead. In fact anyone who has drawn a line with a pencil has probably made some graphene. It was first studied as a limiting case for theoretical work on graphite by Phillip Wallace as long ago as 1947.
The term has also been used extensively in the work on carbon nanotubes which are effectively rolled up graphene sheets. The work at Manchester begins Andre Geim Kostya Novoselov A willing volunteer Kostya volunteered to look at how thin the graphite flakes on the tape could be made. Nudibranchs, Nudibranch Pictures, Nudibranch Facts. The bottom-dwelling, jelly-bodied nudibranch (NEW-dih-bronk) might seem an unlikely canvas for Mother Nature to express her wildest indulgences of color and form.
But these shell-less mollusks, part of the sea slug family, bear some of the most fascinating shapes, sumptuous hues, and intricate patterns of any animal on Earth. There are more than 3,000 known species of nudibranch, and new ones are being identified almost daily. They are found throughout the world's oceans, but are most abundant in shallow, tropical waters. Their scientific name, Nudibranchia, means naked gills, and describes the feathery gills and horns that most wear on their backs. Generally oblong in shape, nudibranchs can be thick or flattened, long or short, ornately colored or drab to match their surroundings. They are carnivores that slowly ply their range grazing on algae, sponges, anemones, corals, barnacles, and even other nudibranchs.
Royal Institution Advent Calendar 2012. Strontium Video. 100 Very Cool Facts About The Human Body. The Brain The human brain is the most complex and least understood part of the human anatomy.
There may be a lot we don’t know, but here are a few interesting facts that we’ve got covered. Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Ever wonder how you can react so fast to things around you or why that stubbed toe hurts right away? It’s due to the super-speedy movement of nerve impulses from your brain to the rest of your body and vice versa, bringing reactions at the speed of a high powered luxury sports car.The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb.
Hair and Nails While they’re not a living part of your body, most people spend a good amount of time caring for their hair and nails. Art of Science / 2010 Gallery / Iron Lotus. Herschel Serves up Solar Systems with Extra Comets. Herschel Serves up Solar Systems with Extra Comets This artist's impression shows the orbits of planets and comets around the star 61 Vir, superimposed on a view from the Herschel Space Telescope.
Image credit: ESA/AOES › Full image and caption Astronomers have discovered vast comet belts surrounding two nearby planetary systems known to host only Earth-to-Neptune-mass worlds. Photo of the Day: Best Pictures of June 2012, Gallery. Ten Most Extreme Substances Known to Man. Glowing Blue Waves Explained. Photograph by Doug Perrine, Alamy Pinpricks of light on the shore seem to mirror stars above in an undated picture taken on Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives.
The biological light, or bioluminescence, in the waves is the product of marine microbes called phytoplankton—and now scientists think they know how some of these life-forms create their brilliant blue glow. Various species of phytoplankton are known to bioluminesce, and their lights can be seen in oceans all around the world, said marine biologist and bioluminescence expert Woodland Hastings of Harvard University. (Also see "Glowing Sea Beasts: Photos Shed Light on Bioluminescence. ") "I've been across the Atlantic and Pacific, and I've never seen a spot that wasn't bioluminescent or a night that [bioluminescence] couldn't be seen," Hastings said.
The most common type of marine bioluminescence is generated by phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates. —Ker Than.