University of Montpellier

Yale researchers have pinpointed a key reason why people are more likely to get sick and even die from flu during winter months: low humidity. While experts know that cold temperatures and low humidity promote transmission of the flu virus, less is understood about the effect of decreased humidity on the immune system’s defenses against

Virtual reality is one of many inventions that never seemed to make the leap from science fiction to mass-market product. Again and again, headsets that promised to immerse people in wondrous, three-dimensional worlds have bombed with the public — held back by high prices, ungainly designs and crude graphics. But now the bonanza of cheap,

A large section of the mighty West Antarctica ice sheet has begun falling apart and its continued melting now appears to be unstoppable, two groups of scientists reported on Monday. If the findings hold up, they suggest that the melting could destabilize neighboring parts of the ice sheet and a rise in sea level of

New methods to make longer streams of plasma with greater longevity could lead to laser-powered lightning rods Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod 250 years ago to protect people and buildings from lightning strikes. Someday, those metal poles may be replaced with lasers. A team of researchers from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, have

ABB has announced a breakthrough in the ability to interrupt direct current, solving a 100-year-old electrical engineering puzzle and paving the way for a more efficient and reliable electricity supply system. After years of research, ABB has developed the world’s first circuit breaker for high-voltage direct current (HVDC). It combines very fast mechanics with power electronics,

Scientific breakthrough to potentially revolutionise high-speed electronics, nanoscale opto-electronics and nonlinear optics Assistant Professor Christian A. Nijhuis of the Department of Chemistry at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Faculty of Science, in collaboration with researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), namely Dr Bai Ping of the Institute of High Performance

Queen’s researchers have discovered that nanoparticles, which are now present in everything from socks to salad dressing and suntan lotion, may have irreparably damaging effects on soil systems and the environment. “Millions of tonnes of nanoparticles are now manufactured every year, including silver nanoparticles which are popular as antibacterial agents,” says Virginia Walker, a professor

Image via Wikipedia A new nanotech catalyst developed by McGill University Chemists Chao-Jun Li, Audrey Moores and their colleagues offers industry an opportunity to reduce the use of expensive and toxic heavy metals. Catalysts are substances used to facilitate and drive chemical reactions. Although chemists have long been aware of the ecological and economic impact