Flexible wearable electronic skin patch offers new way to monitor alcohol levels

Engineers have developed a flexible wearable sensor that can accurately measure a person's blood alcohol level from sweat and transmit the data wirelessly to a laptop, smartphone or other mobile device.

Unlocking the secrets of creeping concrete

Researchers have clarified the origins of a mechanism responsible for the gradual deformation of concrete.

New consortium to explore use of magnetic skyrmions in data storage (w/video)

The use of nanoscale magnetic whirlpools, known as magnetic skyrmions, to create novel and efficient ways to store data will be explored in a new GBP 7M research programme.

New metamaterials can change properties with a flick of a light-switch

Material can lead to new optical devices.

Patented bioelectrodes have electrifying taste for waste

New research shows how Geobacter bacteria grow as films on electrodes and generate electricity - a process that's ready to be scaled up to industrial levels.

Crystallization frustration predicts metallic glass formation

Research could pave the way for new strong, conductive materials.

Ultracompact photodetector

Researchers have now developed a novel type of photodetector that needs far less space than conventional ones. The component has a base area of less than one millionth of a square millimeter without the data transmission rate being affected adversely.

Bridging the gap between the quantum and classical worlds

Where is the line between the quantum world and the classical world? A group of scientists explored this question by showing what was thought to be a quantum phenomenon can be explained classically.

Proton pinball on the catalyst

Thanks to a reaction that resembles a sort of proton pinball game, a thin layer of moisture on the surface of a catalysts can improve the efficiency of fuel cells, devices used to transform chemical energy directly into electricity without releasing greenhouse gases in emissions.