Category archives: Science

Hydrogen gas as alternative fuel

Hydrogen gas as alternative fuel

ChemistryMaterialsTCCM

By TCCM

Author: Jelle Vekeman is a Ph.D. student (ITN-EJD-TCCM) at Universitat de València For a long time now, we have mainly been using fossil fuels to satisfy our increasing needs for energy. Resources, however, are limited and waste products destructive for the environment. As researchers and companies are exploring alternatives, hydrogen gas (H 2 ) seems […]

When Optics goes Atomic

When Optics goes Atomic

Condensed matter

By DIPC

An international team with the participation of the Center for Materials Physics in San Sebastián (CSIC-UPV/EHU) and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) have created the smallest lens in the world, capable to concentrate light down to dimensions of an atom. Researchers have used gold nanoparticles as focusing lenses that allow to flex individual chemical bonds […]

Endorphins and tearjerker movies

Endorphins and tearjerker movies

Neurobiology

By José Ramón Alonso

Group activities like dancing, laughing, and singing, release endorphins in the brain. These endogenous opioid neuropeptides produce a feel-good sensation, increase pain tolerance acting as analgesics, and presumably help to form stronger bonds between members of the group. One conceivable explanation for our amusement of comedy might be that it makes us laugh, and thus […]

MI weekly selection #205

MI weekly selection #205

Humanities & Social SciencesScienceTechnology

By César Tomé

Technique adds color to electron microscope images Researchers at the University of California at San Diego have developed a technique that adds color to black-and-white electron microscope images. The scientists create a black-and-white base layer by adding a heavy metal to the specimen, then create another layer by adding a rare earth metal that clings […]

What is photodynamic therapy? Insights from computational chemistry

What is photodynamic therapy? Insights from computational chemistry

ChemistryMedicineTCCM

By TCCM

Author: Martina De Vetta is a Ph.D. student (ITN-EJD-TCCM) at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid The increasing number of types and subtypes of cancer and their incidence have triggered research to develop more selective alternative and less painful treatments compared to conventional therapies. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an innovative treatment against certain types of cancer and […]

Growing chiral graphene nanoribbons

Growing chiral graphene nanoribbons

ChemistryCondensed matterMaterials

By DIPC

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), are strips of graphene with ultra-thin width (<50 nm). Graphene ribbons were introduced as a theoretical model by Mitsutaka Fujita and coauthors to examine the edge and nanoscale size effect in graphene. GNRs are very interesting structures, partly due to their attractive electronic properties. Those properties vary dramatically with changes in the […]