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Dislocation creates ‘whirlpool’ that pulls surface atoms into crystal
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Developing novel ways to control the motion of atoms on surfaces is essential for the future of nanotechnology. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a phenomenon of dislocation-driven nucleation and growth that creates holes that spiral into a surface and pull atoms into crystalline solids. The newly […]
Nation remains vulnerable to power blackouts, thanks to political impasse
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – As the peak electricity season approaches, little has been done in Washington to prevent a recurrence of last August’s power failure that produced a huge blackout in the Northeast, an expert at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign says. Legislative steps to improve and enforce compliance with standards of reliability for electrical […]
Genomic Biology Institute’s first grant to focus on soybeans and climate change
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – One of the five newly named research themes of the Institute for Genomic Biology under construction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has landed the institute’s first major federal grant. A three-year $2.98 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will allow a team led by Evan DeLucia, a professor […]
Strong magnetic field converts nanotube from metal to semiconductor and back
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – By threading a magnetic field through a carbon nanotube, scientists have switched the molecule between metallic and semiconducting states, a phenomenon predicted by physicists some years ago, but never before clearly seen in individual molecules. In the May 21 issue of the journal Science, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign […]
Turn on your neurons at the Children’s Museum
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Neuroscientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invite children and their families to learn about their brains at the fourth annual Brain Awareness Day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 23 (Sunday) at the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum, 356 N. Neil St., Champaign. Admission to the museum that day will […]
If you want to help your children with homework, take it easy, studies suggest
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – What can parents do to help children doing poorly in school? Two new studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggest that supporting their children’s autonomy and refraining from being controlling will help kids do better on their homework and raise their grades. The findings, published in the May/June issue of […]
Latest findings on PCBs to be subject of June workshop at Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Some 200 scientists from around the world will gather June 13-15 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to discuss their latest findings on the health effects of exposure to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) – long-lasting chemicals manufactured and widely used before being banned or restricted since the late 1970s. The talks at […]
Chemist, entomologist among new fellows of arts and sciences academy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Chemist Peter Beak and entomologist Gene E. Robinson of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are among the 202 newly elected fellows and foreign honorary members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Election to the academy, founded in 1780, is one of the highest honors in the United States. Academy […]
Airport baggage screeners may need continuing education, study indicates
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Baggage screeners have just seconds amid loud airport noises and the pressure of rushed airline travelers to scan X-rays of carry-on items for weapons. How good they are at finding one may depend on the specificity of their training, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The findings, published in […]
Measurement clarifies role between protein structure and cell adhesion
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Scientists studying the adhesive properties of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) – a protein that helps bind the nervous system together – have found that two opposing models of cell adhesion are both correct. “Our extremely sensitive technique allows us to directly measure how these proteins bind to one another, and […]
Institute for Genomic Biology announces five themes for research
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Although the doors of the Institute for Genomic Biology won’t open for two years, 31 faculty and 35 affiliates from 25 campus units have been chosen to be in five newly named research themes in the state-of-the-art facility under construction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The five themes – chosen […]
Illinois professor to receive $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Nick Holonyak Jr., a John Bardeen Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been selected as the 2004 recipient of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize – the world’s largest single cash prize for invention. Holonyak will receive the prize – awarded annually to an […]